EQIX · Read the filing

ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following commentary should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The information in this discussion contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements are based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. For example, the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Our actual results and the timing of certain events may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a discrepancy include, but are not limited to, those discussed in "Liquidity and Capital Resources" and "Risk Factors" elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. All forward-looking statements in this document are based on information available to us as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.

Item 7 of this Form 10-K focuses on discussion of 2021 and 2020 items as well as 2021 results as compared to 2020 results. For the discussion of 2019 items and 2020 results as compared to 2019 results, please refer to Item 7 of our 2020 Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on February 19, 2021.

Our management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is intended to assist readers in understanding our financial information from our management's perspective and is presented as follows:

•Overview

•Results of Operations

•Non-GAAP Financial Measures

•Liquidity and Capital Resources

•Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

•Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Overview

We provide a global, vendor-neutral data center, interconnection and edge services platform with offerings that aim to enable our customers to reach everywhere, interconnect everyone and integrate everything. Global enterprises, service providers and business ecosystems of industry partners rely on our IBX data centers and expertise around the world for the safe housing of their critical IT equipment and to protect and connect the world's most valued information assets. They also look to Platform Equinix® for the ability to directly and securely

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interconnect to the networks, clouds and content that enable today's information-driven global digital economy. Our recent IBX data center openings and acquisitions, as well as xScaleTM data center investments, have expanded our total global footprint to 240 data centers, including eight xScale data centers and the MC1 data center that were held in unconsolidated joint ventures, across 66 markets around the world. Metrics also include the MU4 and GN1 data centers which opened in January 2022. Equinix offers the following solutions:

•premium data center colocation;

•interconnection and data exchange solutions;

•edge services for deploying networking, security and hardware; and

•remote expert support and professional services.

Our interconnected data centers around the world allow our customers to increase information and application delivery performance to users, and quickly access distributed IT infrastructures and business and digital ecosystems, while significantly reducing costs. Our global platform and the quality of our IBX data centers, interconnection offerings and edge services have enabled us to establish a critical mass of customers. As more customers choose Platform Equinix for bandwidth cost and performance reasons, it benefits their suppliers and business partners to colocate in the same data centers. This adjacency creates a “network effect” that enables our customers to capture the full economic and performance benefits of our offerings. These partners, in turn, pull in their business partners, creating a "marketplace" for their services. Our global platform enables scalable, reliable and cost-effective interconnection that increases data traffic exchange while lowering overall cost and increasing flexibility. Our focused business model is built on our critical mass of enterprise and service provider customers and the resulting "marketplace" effect. This global platform, combined with our strong financial position, has driven new customer growth and bookings.

Historically, our market was served by large telecommunications carriers who bundled their products and services with their colocation offerings. The data center market landscape has evolved to include private and vendor-neutral multi-tenant data center ("MTDC") providers, hyperscale cloud providers, managed infrastructure and application hosting providers, and systems integrators. It is estimated that Equinix is one of more than 2,200 companies that provide MTDC offerings around the world. Each of these data center solutions providers can bundle various colocation, interconnection and network offerings and outsourced IT infrastructure solutions. We are able to offer our customers a global platform that reaches 27 countries with the industry’s largest and most active ecosystem of partners in our sites, proven operational reliability, improved application performance and a highly scalable set of offerings.

The cabinet utilization rate represents the percentage of cabinet space billed versus total cabinet capacity, which is used to measure how efficiently we are managing our cabinet capacity. Our cabinet utilization rate varies from market to market among our IBX data centers across our Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. Our cabinet utilization rates were approximately 79%, as of December 31, 2021 and 2020. Excluding the impact of our IBX data center expansion projects that have opened during the last 12 months, our cabinet utilization rate would have increased to approximately 81% as of December 31, 2021. We continue to monitor the available capacity in each of our selected markets. To the extent we have limited capacity available in a given market, it may limit our ability for growth in that market. We perform demand studies on an ongoing basis to determine if future expansion is warranted in a market. In addition, power and cooling requirements for most customers are growing on a per unit basis. As a result, customers are consuming an increasing amount of power per cabinet. Although we generally do not control the amount of power our customers draw from installed circuits, we have negotiated power consumption limitations with certain high power-demand customers. This increased power consumption has driven us to build out our new IBX data centers to support power and cooling needs twice that of previous IBX data centers. We could face power limitations in our IBX data centers, even though we may have additional physical cabinet capacity available within a specific IBX data center. This could have a negative impact on the available utilization capacity of a given IBX data center, which could have a negative impact on our ability to grow revenues, affecting our financial performance, results of operations and cash flows.

To serve the needs of the growing hyperscale data center market, including the world's largest cloud service providers, we have entered into joint ventures to develop and operate xScale data centers. In the past two years, we entered into our EMEA 1 Joint Venture, Asia-Pacific 1 Joint Venture and EMEA 2 Joint Venture, and entered into negotiations in connection with a new joint venture (the "AMER 1 Joint Venture"), in the form of limited liability partnerships with GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund ("GIC"). In October 2021, we entered into an agreement to form an additional joint venture in the form of a limited liability partnership with PGIM Real Estate, to further expand our xScale data center portfolio in Asia-Pacific (the "Asia-Pacific 2 Joint Venture"). See Note 5 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Strategically, we will continue to look at attractive opportunities to grow our market share and selectively improve our footprint and offerings. As was the case with our recent expansions and acquisitions, our expansion criteria will be dependent on a number of factors, including but not limited to demand from new and existing customers, quality of the design, power capacity, access to networks, clouds and software partners, capacity availability in the current market location, amount of incremental investment required by us in the targeted property, automation capabilities, developer talent pool, lead-time to break even on a free cash flow basis and in-place customers. Like our recent expansions and acquisitions, the right combination of these factors may be attractive to us. Depending on the circumstances, these transactions may require additional capital expenditures funded by upfront cash payments or through long-term financing arrangements in order to bring these properties up to our standards. Property expansion may be in the form of purchases of real property, long-term leasing arrangements or acquisitions. Future purchases, construction or acquisitions may be completed by us or with partners or potential customers to minimize the outlay of cash, which can be significant.

Revenue:

Our business is based on a recurring revenue model comprised of colocation and related interconnection and managed infrastructure offerings. We consider these offerings recurring because our customers are generally billed on a fixed and recurring basis each month for the duration of their contract, which is generally one to three years in length. Our recurring revenues have comprised more than 90% of our total revenues during the past three years. In addition, during the past three years, more than 80% of our monthly recurring revenue bookings came from existing customers, contributing to our revenue growth. Our largest customer accounted for approximately 3% of our recurring revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019. Our 50 largest customers accounted for approximately 39% of our recurring revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

Our non-recurring revenues are primarily comprised of installation services related to a customer's initial deployment and professional services we perform, as well as equipment sales. These services are considered to be non-recurring because they are billed typically once, upon completion of the installation or the professional services work performed. The majority of these non-recurring revenues are typically billed on the first invoice distributed to the customer in connection with their initial installation. However, revenues from installation services are deferred and recognized ratably over the period of the contract term. Additionally, revenue from contract settlements, when a customer wishes to terminate their contract early, is generally treated as a contract modification and recognized ratably over the remaining term of the contract, if any. As a percentage of total revenues, we expect non-recurring revenues to represent less than 10% of total revenues for the foreseeable future.

Operating Expenses:

Cost of Revenues. The largest components of our cost of revenues are depreciation, rental payments related to our leased IBX data centers, utility costs, including electricity, bandwidth access, IBX data center employees' salaries and benefits, including stock-based compensation, repairs and maintenance, supplies and equipment and security. A majority of our cost of revenues is fixed in nature and should not vary significantly from period to period, unless we expand our existing IBX data centers or open or acquire new IBX data centers. However, there are certain costs that are considered more variable in nature, including utilities and supplies that are directly related to growth in our existing and new customer base. We expect the cost of our utilities, specifically electricity, will generally increase in the future on a per-unit or fixed basis, in addition to the variable increase related to the growth

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in consumption by our customers. In addition, the cost of electricity is generally higher in the summer months, as compared to other times of the year. Our costs of electricity may also increase as a result of the physical effects of climate change, increased regulations driving alternative electricity generation due to environmental considerations or as a result of our election to use renewable energy sources. To the extent we incur increased utility costs, such increased costs could materially impact our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Sales and Marketing. Our sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of compensation and related costs for sales and marketing personnel, including stock-based compensation, amortization of contract costs, marketing programs, public relations, promotional materials and travel, as well as bad debt expense and amortization of customer relationship intangible assets.

General and Administrative. Our general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and related expenses, including stock-based compensation; accounting, legal and other professional service fees; and other general corporate expenses, such as our corporate regional headquarters office leases and some depreciation expense on back office systems.

Taxation as a REIT

We elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes beginning with our 2015 taxable year. As of December 31, 2021, our REIT structure included all of our data center operations in the U.S., Canada (with the exception of one data center in Montreal), Mexico, Japan, Singapore and the majority of our data centers in EMEA. Our data center operations in other jurisdictions are operated as TRSs. We included our share of the assets in the EMEA and Asia-Pacific Joint Ventures in our REIT structure.

As a REIT, we generally are permitted to deduct from our U.S. federal taxable income the dividends we pay to our stockholders. The income represented by such dividends is not subject to U.S. federal income taxes at the entity level but is taxed, if at all, at the stockholder level. Nevertheless, the income of our TRSs which hold our U.S. operations that may not be REIT compliant is subject to U.S. federal and state corporate income taxes, as applicable. Likewise, our foreign subsidiaries continue to be subject to local income taxes in jurisdictions in which they hold assets or conduct operations, regardless of whether held or conducted through TRSs or through QRSs. We are also subject to a separate U.S. federal corporate income tax on any gain recognized from a sale of a REIT asset where our basis in the asset is determined by reference to the basis of the asset in the hands of a C corporation (such as an asset held by us or a QRS following the liquidation or other conversion of a former TRS). This built-in-gains tax is generally applicable to any disposition of such an asset during the five-year period after the date we first owned the asset as a REIT asset to the extent of the built-in-gain based on the fair market value of such asset on the date we first held the asset as a REIT asset. In addition, should we have net income from "prohibited transactions," we will be subject to tax on this income at a 100% rate. "Prohibited transactions," for this purpose, are defined as dispositions, at a gain, of inventory or property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business other than dispositions of foreclosure property and other than dispositions excepted by statutory safe harbors. If we fail to remain qualified for U.S. federal income taxation as a REIT, we will be subject to U.S. federal income taxes at regular corporate income tax rates. Even if we remain qualified for U.S. federal income taxation as a REIT, we may be subject to some federal, state, local and foreign taxes on our income and property in addition to taxes owed with respect to our TRSs' operations. In particular, while state income tax regimes often parallel the U.S. federal income tax regime for REITs, many states do not completely follow federal rules, and some may not follow them at all.

We continue to monitor our REIT compliance in order to maintain our qualification for U.S. federal income taxation as a REIT. For this and other reasons, as necessary, we may convert some of our data center operations in other countries into the REIT structure in future periods.

On each of March 17, June 16, September 22, and December 15, 2021 we paid quarterly cash dividends of $2.87 per share. We expect the amount of our applicable dividends and other applicable distributions to equal or exceed the REIT taxable income that we recognized in 2021.

The Impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Our Results and Operations

We have continued to closely monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our people and business. All of our IBX data centers have remained, and continue to remain, operational at the time of filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We have begun a phased plan for return-to-office for most of our non-IBX attached sites on a voluntary basis in accordance with guidance provided by government agencies. Non-essential business travel

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remains limited, and while we continue to hold virtual events, we have also resumed certain in-person events as local travel restrictions allow.

While we are experiencing some construction delays, including those due to supply chain impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, to date, the construction delays and additional costs are insignificant relative to the overall project duration and budget. We have not observed any significant disruption to our IBX data center operations.

During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic did not have a material impact on our results of operations. We incurred one-time cash bonuses and compensation expense of $8.6 million for our IBX employees as well as other employees to support their work-from-home requirements during the first quarter of 2020. We have also experienced some travel expense savings during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 resulting from travel restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking ahead, the full impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on our future financial condition or results of operations remains uncertain and will depend on a number of factors, including the duration and potential cyclicity of the health crisis and further public policy actions to be taken in response, as well as the continued impact of the pandemic on the global economy and our customers and vendors. Our past results may not be indicative of our future performance and historical trends may differ materially.

For additional details regarding the risks to our business from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, refer to Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

2021 Highlights:

•In March, we issued €1.1 billion in Senior Notes due 2027 and 2033, or approximately $1.3 billion in U.S. dollars, at the exchange rate in effect on March 10, 2021. Using a portion of the proceeds, we redeemed all of the remaining outstanding 2.875% Euro Senior Notes due 2026 for approximately $590.7 million in U.S. dollars, at the exchange rate in effect on March 24, 2021. See Note 11 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

•In May, we issued $2.6 billion in Senior Notes due 2026, 2028, 2031 and 2052. Using a portion of the proceeds, we repaid approximately $659.9 million of term loans and redeemed all of our outstanding $1.25 billion 5.375% Senior Notes due 2027. See Note 11 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

•In May, we sold 137,604 shares under our 2020 "at-the-market" stock offering program (the "2020 ATM Program") for approximately $99.6 million in proceeds, net of payment of commissions to sales agents and other offering expenses. See Note 12 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

•In June, we entered into an agreement to form another joint venture in the form of a limited liability partnership with GIC, to develop and operate additional xScaleTM data centers in Europe and the Americas (the “EMEA 2 Joint Venture”). The transaction is structured to close in phases over the course of two years, pending regulatory approval and other closing conditions. Upon closing of the first phase of the transaction in September 2021, GIC contributed cash in exchange for an 80% partnership interest in the EMEA 2 Joint Venture and we sold certain data center sites and facilities located in Frankfurt, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan and Paris to the EMEA 2 Joint Venture in exchange for a total consideration of $144.0 million, including a 20% partnership interest in the JV. See Note 5 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

•In September, we completed the acquisition of two data centers in Mumbai, India from GPX Global Systems, Inc. ("GPX India") for a total purchase consideration of approximately $170.5 million. See Note 3 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

•In October, we entered into an agreement to form a joint venture in the form of a limited liability partnership with PGIM Real Estate ("PGIM"), to develop and operate xScale data centers in Asia-Pacific (the "Asia-Pacific 2 Joint Venture"). Upon closing, PGIM will contribute cash in exchange for an 80% partnership interest in the Asia-Pacific 2 Joint Venture. We agreed to sell the Sydney 9 ("SY9") data center site in exchange for a 20% partnership interest in the Asia-Pacific 2 Joint Venture and cash proceeds. The assets and liabilities of the SY9 data center, which are currently included within our Asia-Pacific region, were classified as held for sale as of September 30, 2021 and remained held for sale as of December 31, 2021. See Note 5 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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•In November and December, we sold a total of 500,013 shares under our 2020 ATM Program for approximately $398.4 million in proceeds, net of payment of commissions to sales agents and other offering expenses. See Note 12 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

•In December, we entered into an agreement to purchase MainOne Cable Company Ltd. ("MainOne") at an enterprise value of approximately $320 million in an all-cash transaction. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022, subject to customary conditions including regulatory approval. See Note 3 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Results of Operations

Our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 include the results of operations from two data centers acquired from GPX India from September 1, 2021. Our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 include the results of operations from the acquisitions of 12 data center sites across Canada from Bell from October 1, 2020 and one additional data center acquired from Bell from November 2, 2020, Packet from March 2, 2020 and three data centers in Mexico from Axtel from January 8, 2020. See Note 3 within the Consolidated Financial Statements for further details.

In order to provide a framework for assessing our performance excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, we supplement the year-over-year actual change in results of operations with comparative changes on a constant currency basis. Presenting constant currency results of operations is a non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for further discussion.

Years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020

Revenues. Our revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were generated from the following revenue classifications and geographic regions (dollars in thousands):

Years Ended December 31, $ Change % Change

2021 % 2020 % Actual Actual Constant Currency

Americas:

EMEA:

Asia-Pacific:

Total:

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Revenues

(dollars in thousands)

Americas Revenues.During the year ended December 31, 2021, Americas revenue increased by $314.0 million or 12% (and also 12% on a constant currency basis). Growth in Americas revenues was primarily due to:

•approximately $112.7 million of incremental revenues from the Packet and Bell acquisitions;

•$67.7 million of incremental revenues generated from our IBX data center expansions;

•higher non-recurring revenues, primarily due to increases in EIS product sales; and

•an increase in orders from both our existing customers and new customers during the period.

EMEA Revenues.During the year ended December 31, 2021, EMEA revenue increased by $158.8 million or 8% (7% on a constant currency basis). Growth in EMEA revenues was primarily due to:

•approximately $32.0 million of incremental revenues generated from our IBX data center expansions;

•$28.2 million of incremental revenues from services provided to our joint ventures; and

•an increase in orders from both our existing customers and new customers during the period.

The increase was partially offset by a net increase of $75.0 million of realized cash flow hedge losses from foreign currency forward contracts.

Asia-Pacific Revenues. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Asia-Pacific revenue increased by $164.2 million or 13% (11% on a constant currency basis). Growth in Asia-Pacific revenue was primarily due to:

•approximately $86.4 million of incremental revenues generated from our IBX data center expansions;

•$20.6 million of incremental revenues from services provided to our joint ventures;

•$6.9 million of incremental revenues from the GPX India Acquisition; and

•an increase in orders from both our existing customers and new customers during the period.

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Cost of Revenues. Our cost of revenues for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were split among the following geographic regions (dollars in thousands):

Years Ended December 31, $ Change % Change

2021 % 2020 % Actual Actual Constant Currency

Cost of Revenues

(dollars in thousands; percentages indicate expenses as a percentage of revenues)

Americas Cost of Revenues. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Americas cost of revenues increased by $210.6 million or 17% (16% on a constant currency basis). The increase in our Americas cost of revenues was primarily due to:

•approximately $115.2 million of incremental cost of revenues from the Packet and Bell acquisitions;

•$33.5 million of higher depreciation driven by IBX data center expansions;

•$17.8 million of higher costs related to increased EIS product revenues;

•$11.2 million of higher other cost of sales related to an increase in bandwidth for new vendors and an increase in equipment;

•$11.1 million of higher repairs and maintenance expense driven by IBX data center expansions;

•$10.0 million of higher compensation costs, including salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation, primarily due to headcount growth;

•$8.8 million of higher tax, license, and insurance costs driven by IBX data center expansions; and

•$5.3 million of higher consulting services driven by increases in security and IBX data center expansions.

EMEA Cost of Revenues. During the year ended December 31, 2021, EMEA cost of revenues increased by $122.7 million or 11% (9% on a constant currency basis). The increase in our EMEA cost of revenues was primarily due to:

•$58.7 million of higher depreciation expenses driven by IBX data center expansions in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and the UK;

•$34.1 million of higher utilities costs driven by increased utility usage to support IBX data center expansions and utility price increases, primarily in Germany, the UK and France;

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•$18.5 million of higher rent and facilities costs and repairs and maintenance expense, primarily in the UK and the Netherlands;

•$18.2 million of higher compensation costs, including salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation, primarily due to headcount growth;

•$17.8 million of higher costs related to EIS product revenues; and

•$5.1 million of higher office expenses primarily due to additional software and support services.

This increase was partially offset by a net increase of $30.1 million of realized cash flow hedge gains from foreign currency forward contracts and $9.7 million decrease of other third party costs, primarily in the Netherlands and the UK.

Asia-Pacific Cost of Revenues. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Asia-Pacific cost of revenues increased by $64.9 million or 9% (7% on a constant currency basis). The increase in our Asia-Pacific cost of revenues was primarily due to:

•$27.5 million of higher depreciation expense, primarily from IBX data center expansions in Hong Kong, Australia and Japan;

•$10.1 million of higher costs related to increased EIS product revenues;

•$8.3 million of higher compensation costs, including salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation, primarily due to headcount growth;

•$7.2 million of higher utilities costs, primarily driven by increases in prices and higher utility usage in Singapore; and

•$5.2 million of higher costs related to dark fiber and customer installations, primarily in Hong Kong.

We expect Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific cost of revenues to increase in line with the growth of our business, including from the impacts of acquisitions.

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Sales and Marketing Expenses. Our sales and marketing expenses for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were split among the following geographic regions (dollars in thousands):

Years ended December 31, $ Change % Change

2021 % 2020 % Actual Actual Constant Currency

Sales and Marketing Expenses

(dollars in thousands; percentages indicate expenses as a percentage of revenues)

Americas Sales and Marketing Expenses. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Americas sales and marketing expenses increased by $13.4 million or 3% (and also 3% on a constant currency basis). The increase in our Americas sales and marketing expenses was primarily due to $12.0 million of higher compensation costs, including sales compensation, salaries and stock-based compensation, partially due to additional compensation expenses incurred related to our recent acquisitions and higher bonus and merit payments.

EMEA Sales and Marketing Expenses.During the year ended December 31, 2021, EMEA sales and marketing increased by $10.6 million or 7% (5% on a constant currency basis). The increase in our EMEA sales and marketing expenses was primarily due to $10.2 million of higher compensation costs, including sales compensation, salaries and stock-based compensation.

Asia-Pacific Sales and Marketing Expenses. Our Asia-Pacific sales and marketing expense did not materially change during the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.

We anticipate that we will continue to invest in sales and marketing initiatives across our three regions in line with the growth of our business. We also expect travel and entertainment expenses to increase as travel restrictions that were imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are eased. We expect our Americas sales and marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues to be higher than those of our other regions since certain global sales and marketing functions are located within the U.S.

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General and Administrative Expenses. Our general and administrative expenses for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were split among the following geographic regions (dollars in thousands):

Years Ended December 31, $ Change % Change

2021 % 2020 % Actual Actual Constant Currency

General and Administrative Expenses

(dollars in thousands; percentages indicate expenses as a percentage of revenues)

Americas General and Administrative Expenses. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Americas general and administrative expenses increased by $120.0 million or 15% (and also 15% on a constant currency basis). The increase in our Americas general and administrative expenses was primarily due to:

•$70.3 million of higher compensation costs, including salaries, bonuses, and stock-based compensation, primarily due to additional compensation expenses incurred related to headcount growth, including that from our recent acquisitions;

•$39.9 million of higher depreciation expense associated with systems to support the integration of recent acquisitions and the growth of our business; and

•$13.3 million of higher office expenses primarily due to additional software and support services.

EMEA General and Administrative Expenses. During the year ended December 31, 2021, EMEA general and administrative expenses increased by $44.7 million or 22% (20% on a constant currency basis). The increase in our EMEA general and administrative expenses was primarily due to:

•$41.1 million of higher compensation costs, including salaries, bonuses, and stock-based compensation, primarily due to headcount growth; and

•$5.7 million of higher other operating expenses, primarily due to the prior year having lower costs attributable to a favorable legal settlement in the first quarter of 2020.

This increase was partially offset by a net increase of $5.7 million of realized cash flow hedge gains from foreign currency forward contracts.

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Asia-Pacific General and Administrative Expenses.During the year ended December 31, 2021, Asia-Pacific general and administrative expenses increased by $46.1 million or 44% (41% on a constant currency basis). The increase in our Asia-Pacific general and administrative expense was primarily due to:

•$28.5 million of higher compensation costs, including salaries, bonuses, and stock-based compensation, primarily due to additional compensation expenses incurred related to headcount growth, including that from our recent acquisitions;

•$9.1 million of higher rent and facility costs, primarily related to our offices in Japan and Singapore; and

•$6.7 million of consulting costs in support of our business growth.

Going forward, although we are carefully monitoring our spending, we expect our general and administrative expenses to increase across all three regions as we continue to invest in our operations to support our growth, including investments to enhance our technology platform, to maintain our qualification for taxation as a REIT and to integrate recent acquisitions. We also expect travel and entertainment expenses to increase as travel restrictions that were imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are eased. Additionally, given that our corporate headquarters is located in the U.S., we expect the Americas general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenues to be higher than those of other regions.

Transaction Costs. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded transaction costs totaling $22.8 million, primarily related to costs incurred in connection with the formation of the new joint ventures and the GPX India Acquisition. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded transaction costs totaling $55.9 million, primarily related to costs incurred in connection with the acquisitions of Bell, Packet, and Axtel and the formation of the Asia-Pacific 1 Joint Venture.

Impairment Charges. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we did not record any impairment charge. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded impairment charges totaling $7.3 million in the Asia-Pacific region as a result of the fair value adjustment of the Asia-Pacific 1 Joint Venture xScale data centers, which were classified as held for sale assets before they were sold on December 17, 2020.

Gain on Asset Sales. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded a gain of $10.8 million primarily related to the sale of the Dublin 5 ("DB5") data center. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we did not record a significant amount of gain on asset sales.

Income from Operations. Our income from operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was split among the following geographic regions (dollars in thousands):

Years Ended December 31, $ Change % Change

2021 % 2020 % Actual Actual Constant Currency

Americas Income from Operations. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Americas income from operations decreased by $13.1 million or 7% (5% on a constant currency basis), primarily due to higher operating expenses as a percentage of revenues, which included higher depreciation expenses driven by expansion activity and an increase in compensation costs, as well as margin dilution from recent acquisitions and increases in EIS product sales.

EMEA Income from Operations. During the year ended December 31, 2021, EMEA income from operations did not materially change as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.

Asia-Pacific Income from Operations. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Asia-Pacific income from operations increased by $69.0 million or 20% (18% on a constant currency basis), primarily due to higher revenues as a result of our IBX data center expansion activity and organic growth, as described above, as well as lower cost of revenues and sales and marketing expense as a percentage of revenues.

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Interest Income. Interest income was not significant for the year ended December 31, 2021 and was $8.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The average yield for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 0.17% versus 0.43% for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Interest Expense. Interest expense decreased to $336.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 from $406.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to interest savings as a result of our recent refinancing activities. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we capitalized $24.5 million and $26.8 million, respectively, of interest expense to construction in progress. See Note 11 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Other Income or Expense. We recorded net other expense of $50.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to approximately $32.0 million impairment charge resulting from the settlement of a pre-acquisition uncertain tax position, refer to below "Income Taxes" section for further information, as well as foreign currency exchange gains and losses. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded net other income of $6.9 million, which was primarily due to foreign currency exchange gains and losses, net of the impact from derivative instruments used to manage foreign exchange risks.

Loss on Debt Extinguishment. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded $115.1 million of net loss on debt extinguishment primarily due to the redemption of 2.875% Euro Senior Notes due 2026 and the 5.375% Senior Notes due 2027. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded $145.8 million of loss on debt extinguishment primarily related to the redemption of the Senior Notes due 2022, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Income Taxes. We operate as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, we are generally not subject to U.S. federal income taxes on our taxable income distributed to stockholders. We intend to distribute or have distributed the entire taxable income generated by the operations of our REIT and QRSs for the tax years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. As such, other than tax attributable to state income taxes and foreign income and withholding taxes, no provision for income taxes has been included for the REIT and its QRSs in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

We have made TRS elections for some of our subsidiaries in and outside the U.S. In general, a TRS may provide services that would otherwise be considered impermissible for REITs to provide and may hold assets that may not be REIT compliant.

U.S. income taxes for the TRS entities located in the U.S. and foreign income taxes for our foreign operations regardless of whether the foreign operations are operated as QRSs or TRSs have been accrued, as necessary, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recorded $109.2 million and $146.2 million of income tax expenses, respectively. Our effective tax rates were 17.9% and 28.3%, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. The lower effective tax rate in 2021 as compared to 2020 is primarily due to the reversal of uncertain tax positions of $69.8 million resulting from the settlements of various tax audits in the United Kingdom ("UK"), Germany, and Australia, partially offset by $12.3 million resulting from the revaluation of our deferred tax liabilities in the EMEA region due to the UK corporate tax rate increase from 19% to 25% and the Dutch corporate tax rate increase from 25% to 25.8% enacted in the current period.

Of the unrecognized tax benefits being realized in the year ended December 31, 2021, approximately $32.0 million is related to the uncertain tax position inherited from the Metronode Acquisition in 2018. The uncertain tax position was covered by an indemnification agreement with the Seller. The realization of the unrecognized tax benefits resulted in an impairment of the indemnification asset for the same amount, which has been included in Other Income (Expense) on the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is a key factor in how we assess the operating performance of our segments and develop regional growth strategies such as IBX data center expansion decisions. We define adjusted EBITDA as income or loss from operations excluding depreciation, amortization, accretion, stock-based compensation expense, restructuring charges, impairment charges, transaction costs and gain on asset sales. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for more information about adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to income or loss from operations. Our adjusted EBITDA for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was split among the following geographic regions (dollars in thousands):

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Years Ended December 31, $ Change % Change

2021 % 2020 % Actual Actual Constant Currency

Americas Adjusted EBITDA.During the year ended December 31, 2021, Americas adjusted EBITDA increased by $140.4 million or 12% (and also 12% on a constant currency basis), primarily due to higher revenues as a result of our IBX data center expansion activity and organic growth as described above.

EMEA Adjusted EBITDA. During the year ended December 31, 2021, EMEA adjusted EBITDA increased by $59.1 million or 6% (5% on a constant currency basis), primarily due to higher revenues as a result of our IBX data center expansion activity and organic growth, as described above.

Asia-Pacific Adjusted EBITDA. During the year ended December 31, 2021, Asia-Pacific adjusted EBITDA increased by $92.0 million or 13% (11% on a constant currency basis), primarily due to higher revenues as a result of our IBX data center expansion activity and organic growth as described above.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We provide all information required in accordance with GAAP, but we believe that evaluating our ongoing operating results may be difficult if limited to reviewing only GAAP financial measures. Accordingly, we use non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our operations.

Non-GAAP financial measures are not a substitute for financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation, but should be considered together with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. We have presented such non-GAAP financial measures to provide investors with an additional tool to evaluate our results of operations in a manner that focuses on what management believes to be our core, ongoing business operations. We believe that the inclusion of these non-GAAP financial measures provides consistency and comparability with past reports and provides a better understanding of the overall performance of the business and ability to perform in subsequent periods. We believe that if we did not provide such non-GAAP financial information, investors would not have all the necessary data to analyze Equinix effectively.

Investors should note that the non-GAAP financial measures used by us may not be the same non-GAAP financial measures, and may not be calculated in the same manner, as those of other companies. Investors should therefore exercise caution when comparing non-GAAP financial measures used by us to similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures of other companies.

Our primary non-GAAP financial measures, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted funds from operations ("AFFO"), exclude depreciation expense as these charges primarily relate to the initial construction costs of our IBX data centers and do not reflect our current or future cash spending levels to support our business. Our IBX data centers are long-lived assets and have an economic life greater than 10 years. The construction costs of an IBX data center do not recur with respect to such data center, although we may incur initial construction costs in future periods with respect to additional IBX data centers, and future capital expenditures remain minor relative to our initial investment. This is a trend we expect to continue. In addition, depreciation is also based on the estimated useful lives of our IBX data centers. These estimates could vary from actual performance of the asset, are based on historical costs incurred to build out our IBX data centers and are not indicative of current or expected future capital expenditures. Therefore, we exclude depreciation from our results of operations when evaluating our operations.

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In addition, in presenting adjusted EBITDA and AFFO, we exclude amortization expense related to acquired intangible assets. Amortization expense is significantly affected by the timing and magnitude of our acquisitions and these charges may vary in amount from period to period. We exclude amortization expense to facilitate a more meaningful evaluation of our current operating performance and comparisons to our prior periods. We exclude accretion expense, both as it relates to asset retirement obligations as well as accrued restructuring charge liabilities, as these expenses represent costs which we believe are not meaningful in evaluating our current operations. We exclude stock-based compensation expense, as it can vary significantly from period to period based on share price, the timing, size and nature of equity awards. As such, we, and many investors and analysts, exclude stock-based compensation expense to compare our results of operations with those of other companies. We also exclude restructuring charges. The restructuring charges relate to our decisions to exit leases for excess space adjacent to several of our IBX data centers, which we did not intend to build out, or our decision to reverse such restructuring charges. We also exclude impairment charges generally related to certain long-lived assets. The impairment charges are related to expense recognized whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of long-lived assets are not recoverable. We also exclude gain or loss on asset sales as it represents profit or loss that is not meaningful in evaluating the current or future operating performance. Finally, we exclude transaction costs from AFFO and adjusted EBITDA to allow more comparable comparisons of our financial results to our historical operations. The transaction costs relate to costs we incur in connection with business combinations and the formation of joint ventures, including advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees. Such charges generally are not relevant to assessing our long-term performance. In addition, the frequency and amount of such charges vary significantly based on the size and timing of the transactions. Management believes items such as restructuring charges, impairment charges, gain or loss on asset sales and transaction costs are non-core transactions; however, these types of costs may occur in future periods.

Adjusted EBITDA

The following table shows the reconciliation from income from operations to adjusted EBITDA (in thousands):

Years Ended December 31,

Our adjusted EBITDA results have improved each year in total dollars due to our steady operating results, as discussed in "Results of Operations", as well as the nature of our business model consisting of a recurring revenue stream and a cost structure which has a large base that is fixed in nature, as also discussed in "Overview".

Funds from Operations ("FFO") and AFFO

We use FFO and AFFO, which are non-GAAP financial measures commonly used in the REIT industry. FFO is calculated in accordance with the standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. FFO represents net income (loss), excluding gain (loss) from the disposition of real estate assets, depreciation and amortization on real estate assets and adjustments for unconsolidated joint ventures' and non-controlling interests' share of these items.

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In presenting AFFO, we exclude certain items that we believe are not good indicators of our current or future operating performance. AFFO represents FFO excluding depreciation and amortization expense on non-real estate assets, accretion, stock-based compensation, restructuring charges, impairment charges, transaction costs, an installation revenue adjustment, a straight-line rent expense adjustment, a contract cost adjustment, amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discounts and premiums, gain (loss) on debt extinguishment, an income tax expense adjustment, recurring capital expenditures, net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax, and adjustments from FFO to AFFO for unconsolidated joint ventures' and noncontrolling interests' share of these items. The adjustments for installation revenue, straight-line rent expense and contract costs are intended to isolate the cash activity included within the straight-lined or amortized results in the consolidated statement of operations. We exclude the amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discounts and premiums as these expenses relate to the initial costs incurred in connection with debt financings that have no current or future cash obligations. We exclude gain (loss) on debt extinguishment since it generally represents the write-off of initial costs incurred in connection with debt financings or a cost that is incurred to reduce future interest costs and is not a good indicator of our current or future operating performance. We include an income tax expense adjustment, which represents the non-cash tax impact due to changes in valuation allowances, uncertain tax positions and deferred taxes that do not relate to current period's operations. We deduct recurring capital expenditures, which represent expenditures to extend the useful life of its IBX data centers or other assets that are required to support current revenues. We also exclude net income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax, which represents results that may not recur and are not a good indicator of our current future operating performance.

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Our FFO and AFFO were as follows (in thousands):

Years Ended December 31,

Net gain (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests 463 (297) 205

Adjustments:

(Gain) loss on disposition of real estate property (6,439) 4,063 (39,337)

Adjustments for FFO from unconsolidated joint ventures 6,097 2,726 645

Years Ended December 31,

Adjustments:

Adjustments for AFFO from unconsolidated joint ventures 3,259 2,195 2,080

(1)Impairment charges for 2021 relate to the impairment of an indemnification asset in Q2 2021 resulting from the settlement of a pre-acquisition uncertain tax position, which was recorded as Other Income (Expense) on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. This impairment charge was offset by the recognition of tax benefits in the same amount, which was included within the Income tax expense (benefit) adjustment line on the table above.

Our AFFO results have improved due to the improved operating results discussed earlier in "Results of Operations," as well as due to the nature of our business model which consists of a recurring revenue stream and a cost structure which has a large base that is fixed in nature as discussed earlier in "Overview."

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Constant Currency Presentation

Our revenues and certain operating expenses (cost of revenues, sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses) from our international operations have represented and will continue to represent a significant portion of our total revenues and certain operating expenses. As a result, our revenues and certain operating expenses have been and will continue to be affected by changes in the U.S. dollar against major international currencies. During the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020, the U.S. dollar was stronger relative to the Brazilian real and Japanese yen, which resulted in an unfavorable foreign currency impact on revenue, operating income and adjusted EBITDA, and a favorable foreign currency impact on operating expenses. During the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the same period in 2020, the U.S. dollar was weaker relative to the Australian dollar, British Pound, Euro and Singapore dollar, which resulted in a favorable foreign currency impact on revenue, operating income and adjusted EBITDA, and an unfavorable foreign currency impact on operating expenses. In order to provide a framework for assessing how each of our business segments performed excluding the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, we present period-over-period percentage changes in our revenues and certain operating expenses on a constant currency basis in addition to the historical amounts as reported. Our constant currency presentation excludes the impact of our foreign currency cash flow hedging activities. Presenting constant currency results of operations is a non-GAAP financial measure and is not meant to be considered in isolation or as an alternative to GAAP results of operations. However, we have presented this non-GAAP financial measure to provide investors with an additional tool to evaluate our results of operations. To present this information, our current period revenues and certain operating expenses from entities reporting in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at constant exchange rates rather than the actual exchange rates in effect during the respective periods (i.e. average rates in effect for the year ended December 31, 2020 are used as exchange rates for the year ended December 31, 2021 when comparing the year ended December 31, 2021 with the year ended December 31, 2020).

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Sources and Uses of Cash

Customer collections are our primary source of cash. We believe we have a strong customer base, and have continued to experience relatively strong collections. As of December 31, 2021, our principle sources of liquidity were $1.5 billion of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. In addition to our cash and investment portfolio, we had $1.9 billion of additional liquidity available to us from our $2.0 billion revolving facility and general access to both public and private debt and the equity capital markets. We also have additional liquidity available to us from our ATM program, under which we may offer and sell from time to time our common stock in "at the market" transactions. As of December 31, 2021, we had $1.0 billion available for sale under the 2020 ATM Program.

We believe we have sufficient cash, coupled with anticipated cash generated from operating activities and external financing sources, to meet our operating requirements, including repayment of the current portion of our debt as it becomes due, distribution of dividends and completion of our publicly-announced acquisitions, ordinary costs to operate the business, and expansion projects. We also believe that our financial resources will allow us to manage future possible impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on our business operations for the foreseeable future, which could include reductions in revenue and delays in payments from customers and partners.

As we continue to grow, we may pursue additional expansion opportunities, primarily the build out of new IBX data centers, in certain of our existing markets which are at or near capacity within the next year, as well as potential acquisitions and joint ventures. If the opportunity to expand is greater than planned we may further increase the level of capital expenditure to support this growth as well as pursue additional business and real estate acquisitions or joint ventures provided that we have or can access sufficient funding to pursue such expansion opportunities. We may elect to access the equity or debt markets from time to time opportunistically, particularly if financing is available on attractive terms. We will continue to evaluate our operating requirements and financial resources in light of future developments, including those relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Cash Flow

Years Ended December 31,

(in thousands)

Operating Activities

Our cash provided by our operations is generated by colocation, interconnection, managed infrastructure and other revenues. Our primary uses of cash from our operating activities include compensation and related costs, interest payments, other general corporate expenditures and taxes. Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $237.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to December 31, 2020, primarily driven by improved results of operations partially offset by increases in cash paid for costs and operating expenses.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities decreased by $420.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to December 31, 2020, primarily due to $1.0 billion less spent on business acquisitions, which consisted of the Bell, Packet and Axtel acquisitions in 2020 and the GPX acquisition in 2021 and a $20.2 million decrease in purchases of investments. This decrease was partially offset by a $469.0 million increase in capital expenditures as a result of our expansion activity, a $125.8 million decrease in the proceeds from the sale of assets to our Joint Ventures and a $25.3 million decrease in proceeds from the sale of investments.

Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities decreased by $401.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to December 31, 2020, primarily driven by a decrease of $1.7 billion in proceeds from public offerings of common stock, a $750.8 million decrease in proceeds from the revolving credit facility and term loan facilities, a $553.0 million decrease in proceeds from senior notes, a $95.0 million increase in dividend distributions and a $50.3 million increase in repayments of finance lease liabilities. This decrease is partially offset by a $2.4 billion decrease in the repayment of senior notes, a $199.6 million increase in proceeds from the ATM program, a $112.5 million decrease in the repayment of mortgage and loans payable, a $17.1 million decrease in debt issuance costs, a $15.5 million increase in proceeds from employee awards and a $12.5 million decrease in debt extinguishment costs.

Material Cash Commitments

As of December 31, 2021, our principle commitments were primarily comprised of:

•approximately $11.1 billion of principal from our senior notes (gross of debt issuance cost and debt discount);

•approximately $2.7 billion of interest on mortgage payable, loans payable, senior notes and term loans, based on their respective interest rates and recognized over the life of these instruments, and the credit facility fee for the revolving credit facility;

•$620.0 million of principal from our term loans, mortgage and loans payable (gross of debt issuance cost, debt discount, plus mortgage premium);

•approximately $4.9 billion of total lease payments, which represents lease payments under finance and operating lease arrangements, including renewal options that are reasonably certain to be exercised;

•approximately $1.0 billion of unaccrued capital expenditure contractual commitments, primarily for IBX equipment not yet delivered and labor not yet provided in connection with the work necessary to complete construction and open IBX data center expansion projects prior to making them available to customers for installation, the majority of which is payable within the next 12 months; and

•approximately $1.3 billion of other non-capital purchase commitments, such as commitments to purchase power in select locations and other open purchase orders, which contractually bind us for goods, services

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or arrangements to be delivered or provided during 2022 and beyond, the majority of which is payable within the next two years.

We believe that our sources of liquidity, including our expected future operating cash flows, are sized to adequately meet both the near and long term material cash commitments for the foreseeable future. For further information on maturities of lease liabilities and debt instruments, see Notes 10 and 11, respectively,within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Other Contractual Obligations

We have additional future equity contributions and commitments to the Joint Ventures with GIC that are in EMEA and APAC. For additional information, see the "Equity Method Investments" footnote within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Additionally, we entered into lease agreements with various landlords primarily for data center spaces and ground leases which have not yet commenced as of December 31, 2021. For additional information, see “Maturities of Lease Liabilities” in Note 10 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of our financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates the accounting policies, assumptions, estimates and judgments to ensure that our consolidated financial statements are presented fairly and in accordance with GAAP. Management bases its assumptions, estimates and judgments on historical experience, current trends and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. However, because future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual results may differ from these assumptions and estimates, and such differences could be material.

Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 1 to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Management believes that the following accounting policies and estimates are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial statements, and they require significant judgments, resulting from the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain:

• Accounting for income taxes;

• Accounting for business combinations;

• Accounting for impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets;

• Accounting for property, plant and equipment; and

• Accounting for leases.

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See "Recent Accounting Pronouncements" in Note 1 within the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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ITEM 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Market Risk

The following discussion about market risk involves forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. We may be exposed to market risks related to changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in the prices of certain commodities, primarily electricity.

The uncertainty that exists with respect to the economic impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant volatility in the financial markets. See Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors for additional information regarding potential risks to our business, financial condition and results of operations related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

We employ foreign currency forward and option contracts, cross-currency interest rate swaps and interest rate locks for the purpose of hedging certain specifically identified exposures. The use of these financial instruments is intended to mitigate some of the risks associated with fluctuations in currency exchange and interest rates, but does not eliminate such risks. We do not use financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

Investment Portfolio Risk

We maintain an investment portfolio of various holdings, types, and maturities that is prioritized on meeting REIT asset requirements. All of our marketable securities are recorded on our consolidated balance sheets at fair value with changes in fair values recognized in net income. We consider various factors in determining whether we should recognize an impairment charge for our securities, including the length of time and extent to which the fair value has been less than our cost basis and our intent and ability to hold the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery. We anticipate that we will recover the entire cost basis of these securities and have determined that no other-than-temporary impairments associated with credit losses were required to be recognized during the year ended December 31, 2021.

As of December 31, 2021, our investment portfolio of cash equivalents and marketable securities consisted of money market funds, certificates of deposits and publicly traded equity securities. The amount in our investment portfolio that could be susceptible to market risk totaled $585.7 million.

Interest Rate Risk

We are exposed to interest rate risk related to our outstanding debt. An immediate increase or decrease in current interest rates from their position as of December 31, 2021 would not have a material impact on our interest expense due to the fixed coupon rate on the majority of our debt obligations. However, the interest expense associated with our senior credit facility and term loans that bear interest at variable rates could be affected. For every 100-basis point increase or decrease in interest rates, our annual interest expense could increase by approximately $5.5 million or decrease by approximately $1.4 million based on the total balance of our term loan borrowings as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we had not employed any interest rate derivative products to hedge our variable rate debt obligations. However, we may enter into interest rate hedging agreements in the future to mitigate our exposure to interest rate risk.

We periodically enter into interest rate locks to hedge the interest rate exposure created by anticipated fixed rate debt issuances, which are designated as cash flow hedges. When interest rate locks are settled, any accumulated gain or loss included as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) will be amortized to interest expense over the term of the forecasted hedged transaction which is equivalent to the term of the interest rate locks.

The fair value of our long-term fixed interest rate debt is subject to interest rate risk. Generally, the fair value of fixed interest rate debt will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. These interest rate changes may affect the fair value of the fixed interest rate debt but do not impact our earnings or cash flows. The fair value of our mortgage and loans payable, which are not traded in the market, is estimated by considering our credit rating, current rates available to us for debt of the same remaining maturities and the terms of the debt. The fair value of our other senior notes, which are traded in the market, was based on quoted market prices. The following table represents the carrying value and estimated fair value of our mortgage and loans payable and senior notes as of (in thousands):

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Carrying Value (1) Fair Value Carrying Value (1) Fair Value

(1)The carrying value is gross of debt issuance cost, debt discount and debt premium.

Foreign Currency Risk

To help manage the exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, we have implemented a number of hedging programs, in particular (i) a cash flow hedging program to hedge the forecasted revenues and expenses in our EMEA region, (ii) a balance sheet hedging program to hedge the re-measurement of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies, and (iii) a net investment hedging program to hedge the long term investments in our foreign subsidiaries. Our hedging programs reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the impact of currency exchange rate movements and their impact on the consolidated statements of operations.

We have entered into various foreign currency debt obligations. As of December 31, 2021, the total principal amount of foreign currency debt obligations was $1.8 billion, including $1.3 billion denominated in Euro and $549.7 million denominated in British Pound. As of December 31, 2021, we have designated $1.5 billion of the total principal amount of foreign currency debt obligations as net investment hedges against our net investments in foreign subsidiaries. For a net investment hedge, changes in the fair value of the hedging instrument designated as a net investment hedge are recorded as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated balance sheets. Fluctuations in the exchange rates between these foreign currencies and the U.S. Dollar will impact the amount of U.S. Dollars that we will require to settle the foreign currency debt obligations at maturity. If the U.S. Dollar would have been weaker or stronger by 10% in comparison to these foreign currencies as of December 31, 2021, we estimate our obligation to cash settle the principal of these foreign currency debt obligations in U.S. Dollars would have increased or decreased by approximately $200.2 million and $163.8 million, respectively.

We are also party to cross-currency interest rate swaps. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the total notional amounts of cross-currency interest rate swap contracts outstanding were $4.0 billion and $3.3 billion, respectively. The cross-currency interest rate swaps are designated as hedges of our net investment in foreign subsidiaries and changes in the fair value of these swaps are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated balance sheets. If the U.S. Dollar weakened or strengthened by 10% in comparison to foreign currencies, we estimate our obligation to cash settle these hedges would have increased or decreased by approximately $456.3 million and $374.0 million, respectively.

The U.S. Dollar strengthened relative to certain of the currencies of the foreign countries in which we operate during the year ended December 31, 2021. This has impacted our consolidated financial position and results of operations during this period, including the amount of revenues that we reported. Continued strengthening or weakening of the U.S. Dollar will continue to impact us in future periods.

With the existing cash flow hedges in place, a hypothetical additional 10% strengthening of the U.S. Dollar during the year ended December 31, 2021 would have resulted in a reduction of our revenues and a reduction of our operating expenses including depreciation and amortization expense by approximately $205.1 million and $202.2 million, respectively.

With the existing cash flow hedges in place, a hypothetical additional 10% weakening of the U.S. Dollar during the year ended December 31, 2021 would have resulted in an increase of our revenues and an increase of our operating expenses including depreciation and amortization expenses, by approximately $255.4 million and $253.7 million, respectively.

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Commodity Price Risk

Certain operating costs incurred by us are subject to price fluctuations caused by the volatility of underlying commodity prices. The commodities most likely to have an impact on our results of operations in the event of price changes are electricity, supplies and equipment used in our IBX data centers. We closely monitor the cost of electricity at all of our locations. We have entered into several power contracts to purchase power at fixed prices in certain locations in the Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the U.S..

In addition, as we are building new, or expanding existing, IBX data centers, we are subject to commodity price risk for building materials related to the construction of these IBX data centers, such as steel and copper. In addition, the lead-time to procure certain pieces of equipment, such as generators, is substantial. Any delays in procuring the necessary pieces of equipment for the construction of our IBX data centers could delay the anticipated openings of these new IBX data centers and, as a result, increase the cost of these projects.

We do not currently employ forward contracts or other financial instruments to address commodity price risk other than the power contracts discussed above.

ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

The financial statements and supplementary data required by this Item 8 are listed in Item 15(a)(1) and begin at page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

There is no disclosure to report pursuant to Item 9.

ITEM 9A. Controls and Procedures

Conclusion Regarding the Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined under Rule 13a-15(e) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level as of December 31, 2021.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013), our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included herein on page F-1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls

Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, believes that our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting are designed and operated to be effective at the reasonable assurance level. However, our management does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of a simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is also based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There was no change in our internal controls over financial reporting during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 that has materially affected, or is reasonable likely to affect, our internal controls over financial reporting.

ITEM 9B. Other Information

There is no disclosure to report pursuant to Item 9B.

ITEM 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

There is no disclosure to report pursuant to Item 9C.

PART III

ITEM 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement for our 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after December 31, 2021 pursuant to Regulation 14A.

We have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable for the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers and a Code of Business Conduct, which are both "Code(s) of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers" as defined by applicable rules of the SEC. This information is incorporated by reference to the Equinix Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and is also available on our website, www.equinix.com.

ITEM 11. Executive Compensation

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ITEM 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the Equinix Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after December 31, 2021 pursuant to Regulation 14A.

ITEM 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

ITEM 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

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PART IV

ITEM 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

(a)(1) Financial Statements:

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID 238) F-1

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 F-4

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements F-10

(a)(2) Financial statements and schedule:

(a)(3) Exhibits:

Incorporated by Reference

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Incorporated by Reference

3.6 Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant. 8-K 3/29/2016 3.1

4.8 Form of 5.00% Senior Notes due October 2020 (see Exhibit 4.7).

4.9 Form of 5.00% Senior Notes due April 2021 (see Exhibit 4.7).

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Incorporated by Reference

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Incorporated by Reference

4.43 Description of Securities. X

10.2** 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended. X

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Incorporated by Reference

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Incorporated by Reference

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Incorporated by Reference

21.1 Subsidiaries of Equinix, Inc. X

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Incorporated by Reference

101.SCH Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document. X

101.CAL Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document. X

101.DEF Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document. X

101.LAB Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document. X

101.PRE Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document. X

** Management contracts or compensation plans or arrangements in which directors or executive officers are eligible to participate.

(b)Exhibits.

See (a) (3) above.

(c)Financial Statement Schedule.

See (a) (2) above.

ITEM 16. Form 10-K Summary

Not applicable.

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Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Annual Report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

EQUINIX, INC.(Registrant)

February 18, 2022 By /s/ CHARLES MEYERS

Charles Meyers

Chief Executive Officer and President

Power of Attorney

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Charles Meyers or Keith D. Taylor, or either of them, each with the power of substitution, their attorney-in-fact, to sign any amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K (including post-effective amendments), and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or their substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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Signature Title Date

Charles Meyers

Keith D. Taylor

Simon Miller

/s/ PETER F. VAN CAMP Executive Chairman February 18, 2022

Peter F. Van Camp

/s/ NANCI CALDWELL Director February 18, 2022

Nanci Caldwell

/s/ ADAIRE FOX-MARTIN Director February 18, 2022

Adaire Fox-Martin

Director

Ron Guerrier

/s/ GARY F. HROMADKO Director February 18, 2022

Gary F. Hromadko

/s/ IRVING F. LYONS, III Director February 18, 2022

Irving F. Lyons, III

/s/ CHRISTOPHER B. PAISLEY Director February 18, 2022

Christopher B. Paisley

/s/ SANDRA RIVERA Director February 18, 2022

Sandra Rivera

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Index to Exhibits

ExhibitNumber Description of Document

4.43 Description of Securities

10.2** 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended

21.1 Subsidiaries of Equinix, Inc.

101.SCH Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.

101.CAL Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Document.

101.DEF Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Document.

101.LAB Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Document.

101. PRE Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Document.

** Management contracts or compensation plans or arrangements in which directors or executive officers are eligible to participate.

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Equinix, Inc.

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Equinix, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related consolidated statements of operations, of comprehensive income (loss), of stockholders' equity and other comprehensive income (loss) and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, including the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(2) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for leases as of January 1, 2019.

Basis for Opinions

The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company's consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

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Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Income taxes - Real estate investment trust asset tests

As described in Notes 1 and 14 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company recorded income tax expense of $109.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Company has been operating as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes ("REIT") effective January 1, 2015. As a result, the Company may deduct the dividends made to its stockholders from taxable income generated by the Company and that of its qualified REIT subsidiaries ("QRSs"). The Company’s qualification and taxation as a REIT depend on its satisfaction of certain asset, income, organizational, distribution, stockholder ownership and other requirements on a continuing basis. The Company’s ability to satisfy quarterly asset tests depends upon its analysis and the fair market values of its REIT and non-REIT assets. For purposes of the quarterly REIT asset tests, management estimates the fair market value of assets within its QRSs and taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRSs”) using a discounted cash flow approach, by calculating the present value of forecasted future cash flows. Management applies discount rates based on industry benchmarks relative to the market and forecasting risks. Other significant assumptions used by management to estimate the fair market value of assets in QRSs and TRSs include projected revenue growth, projected operating margins, and projected capital expenditures. Management revisits significant assumptions periodically to reflect any changes due to business or economic environment.

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to income taxes - REIT asset tests is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management when determining the fair market value of REIT and non-REIT assets, which in turn led to a high degree of subjectivity in performing procedures relating to the REIT asset tests, (ii) the significant audit effort and judgment in evaluating audit evidence related to the significant assumptions used in the REIT asset test, related to the discount rates, projected revenue growth, projected operating margins, and projected capital expenditures, and (iii) the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the REIT asset tests, including controls over management's determination of the fair market value of REIT and non-REIT assets. These procedures also included, among others, testing management’s process for estimating the fair market value of the REIT and non-REIT assets; evaluating the appropriateness of the

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discounted cash flow approach; testing the completeness and accuracy of underlying data used in the approach; and evaluating the significant assumptions used by management related to the discount rates, projected revenue growth, projected operating margins, and projected capital expenditures. Evaluating management’s assumptions related to projected revenue growth, projected operating margins, and projected capital expenditures involved considering the current and past performance of the Company, economic and industry trends, as well as whether these assumptions were consistent with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in the evaluation of the Company’s discounted cash flow approach and the assumptions related to discount rates.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

San Jose, California

February 18, 2022

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2000.

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EQUINIX, INC.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

December 31,

Assets

Current assets:

Short-term investments — 4,532

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

Current liabilities:

Current portion of operating lease liabilities 144,029 154,207

Current portion of mortgage and loans payable 33,087 82,289

Current portion of senior notes — 150,186

Mortgage and loans payable, less current portion 586,577 1,287,254

Commitments and contingencies (Note 15)

Equinix stockholders' equity:

Non-controlling interests (318) 130

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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EQUINIX, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in thousands, except per share data)

Years Ended December 31,

Costs and operating expenses:

Net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests 463 (297) 205

Earnings per share ("EPS") attributable to Equinix:

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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EQUINIX, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(in thousands)

Years Ended December 31,

Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:

Net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests 463 (297) 205

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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EQUINIX, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity and Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

For the Three Years Ended December 31, 2021

(in thousands, except share data)

Common stock Treasury stock AdditionalPaid-in Capital AccumulatedDividends

Shares Amount Shares Amount

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EQUINIX INC.

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity and Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) - Continued

For the Three Years Ended December 31, 2021

(in thousands, except share data)

Common stock Treasury stock AdditionalPaid-in Capital AccumulatedDividends

Shares Amount Shares Amount

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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EQUINIX, INC.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

Years Ended December 31,

Cash flows from operating activities:

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Cash flows from investing activities:

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from mortgage and loans payable — 750,790 —

Supplemental cash flow information

Non-current portion of restricted cash included in other assets 908 9,691 9,946

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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EQUINIX, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business

Equinix, Inc. ("Equinix," the "Company," "we," "our," or "us") was incorporated in Delaware on June 22, 1998. Equinix provides colocation space and related offerings. Global enterprises, content providers, financial companies and network service providers rely upon Equinix's insight and expertise to safehouse and connect their most valued information assets. We operate International Business ExchangeTM ("IBX®") data centers, or IBX data centers, across the Americas; Europe, Middle East and Africa ("EMEA") and Asia-Pacific geographic regions where customers directly interconnect with a network ecosystem of partners and customers. More than 2,000 network service providers offer access to the world's internet routes inside our IBX data centers. This access to internet routes provides Equinix customers improved reliability and streamlined connectivity while significantly reducing costs by reaching a critical mass of networks within a centralized physical location. As of December 31, 2021, we operated 240 IBX data centers in 66 markets around the world.

We have been operating as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes ("REIT") effective January 1, 2015. See "Income Taxes" in Note 14 below for additional information.

Basis of Presentation, Consolidation and Foreign Currency

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Equinix and its subsidiaries, including the acquisitions of:

•Switch Datacenters' AMS1 data center business in Amsterdam, Netherlands from April 18, 2019;

•Three data centers in Mexico acquired from Axtel S.A.B. de C.V ("Axtel") from January 8, 2020;

•Packet Host, Inc. (“Packet”), including its operations and technology, from March 2, 2020;

•12 data center sites across Canada from BCE Inc. ("Bell") from October 1, 2020 and one additional data center site from November 2, 2020; and

•Two data center sites in Mumbai, India from GPX India ("GPX India Acquisition") from September 1, 2021.

We consolidate all entities that are wholly owned and those entities in which we own less than 100% of the equity but control, including variable interest entities ("VIEs") for which we are the primary beneficiary. Our investment in consolidated VIEs have not been material to our consolidated financial statements as of and for the periods presented. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Foreign exchange gains or losses resulting from foreign currency transactions, including intercompany foreign currency transactions, that are anticipated to be repaid within the foreseeable future, are reported within other income (expense) on our accompanying consolidated statements of operations. For additional information on the impact of foreign currencies to our consolidated financial statements, see "Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss" in Note 12.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including, but not limited to, those related to the allowance for credit losses, fair values of financial and derivative instruments, intangible assets and goodwill, assets acquired and liabilities assumed from acquisitions, useful lives of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment, leases, asset retirement obligations, other accruals, and income taxes. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable.

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EQUINIX, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

We consider all highly liquid instruments with an original maturity from the date of purchase of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist of money market mutual funds and certificates of deposit with original maturities up to 90 days. Short-term investments generally consist of certificates of deposit with original maturities of between 90 days and 1 year. Publicly traded equity securities are measured at fair value with changes in the fair values recognized within other income (expense) in our consolidated statements of operations. We review our investment portfolio quarterly to determine if any securities may be other-than-temporarily impaired due to increased credit risk, changes in industry or sector of a certain instrument or ratings downgrades.

Equity Method Investments

We enter into joint venture or partnership arrangements to invest in certain entities for business development objectives. At the inception of these arrangements and if a reconsideration event has occurred, we assess our interests with such entities to determine whether any of the entities meet the definition of a VIE. A VIE is an entity that either (i) has insufficient equity to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support, or (ii) has equity investors who lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. We are required to consolidate the assets and liabilities of VIEs when we are deemed to be the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is the entity that meets both of the following criteria: (i) has the power to make decisions that most significantly affect the economic performance of the VIE; and (ii) has the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that in either case could potentially be significant to the VIE. For VIEs where we are not the primary beneficiary, and other joint ventures or partnerships that are not VIEs, where we have the ability to exercise significant influence over the entity, we account for our investment under the equity method of accounting.

Equity method investments are initially measured at cost, or at fair value when the investment represents a retained equity interest in a deconsolidated business or derecognized distinct non-financial assets. Equity investments are subsequently adjusted for cash contributions, distributions and our share of the income and losses of the investees. We record our equity method investments in other assets in the consolidated balance sheet. Our proportionate shares of the income or loss from our equity method investments are recorded in other income in the consolidated statement of operations.

We review our investments quarterly to determine if any investments may be impaired considering both qualitative and quantitative factors that may have a significant impact on the investees' fair value. We did not record any impairment charges related to our equity method investments for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019. For further information on our Equity Method Investments, see Note 6.

Non-marketable Equity Investments

We also have investments in non-marketable equity securities, where we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the investees. We elected the measurement alternative under which the securities are measured at cost minus impairment, if any, and adjusted for changes resulting from qualifying observable price changes. We record non-marketable equity investment in other assets in the consolidated balance sheet. We review our non-marketable equity investments quarterly to determine if any investments may be impaired considering both qualitative and quantitative factors that may have a significant impact on the investees' fair value. We did not record any impairment charges related to our non-marketable equity investments for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

Financial Instruments and Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments which potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and accounts receivable. Risks associated with cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments are mitigated by our investment policy, which limits our investing to only those marketable securities rated at least A-1/P-1 Short Term Rating or A-/A3 Long Term Rating, as determined by independent credit rating agencies.

A significant portion of our customer base is comprised of businesses throughout the Americas. However, a portion of our revenues are derived from our EMEA and Asia-Pacific operations.The following table sets forth percentages of our revenues by geographic region for the years ended December 31:

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EQUINIX, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)

For further information on segment information, see Note 17.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at our original cost or at fair value for property, plant and equipment acquired through acquisitions, net of depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets. Buildings under finance leases, Leasehold improvements and integral equipment at leased locations are amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the asset or improvement.

We capitalize certain internal and external costs associated with the development and purchase of internal-use software in property, plant and equipment, net on the consolidated balance sheets. This includes costs incurred in cloud computing arrangements ("CCA"), where it is both feasible and contractually permissible without significant penalty for us to take possession of the software. All other CCAs are considered service contracts, and the licensing and implementation costs incurred associated with such contracts are capitalized in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Capitalized internal-use software costs and capitalized implementation costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the software or arrangements.

Our estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment are generally as follows:

Core systems 3 - 40 years

Buildings 12 - 60 years

Leasehold improvements 12 - 40 years

Personal Property, including capitalized internal-use software 3 - 10 years

Our construction in progress includes direct and indirect expenditures for the construction and expansion of IBX data centers and is stated at original cost. We contracted out substantially all of the construction and expansion efforts of our IBX data centers to independent contractors under construction contracts. Construction in progress includes costs incurred under construction contracts including project management services, engineering and schematic design services, design development, construction services and other construction-related fees and services. In addition, we capitalized interest costs during the construction phase. Once an IBX data center or expansion project becomes operational, these capitalized costs are allocated to certain property, plant and equipment categories and are depreciated over the estimated useful life of the underlying assets.

We review our property, plant and equipment for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or an asset group may not be recoverable, such as a significant decrease in market price of an asset, a significant adverse change in the extent or manner in which an asset or an asset group is being used or its physical condition, a significant adverse change in legal factors or business climate that could affect the value of an asset or an asset group or a continuous deterioration of our financial condition. Recoverability of assets or asset groups to be held and used is assessed by comparing the carrying amount of an asset or an asset group to estimated undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset or the asset group. If the carrying amount of the asset or the asset group exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset or the asset group exceeds the fair value of the asset. We did not record any impairment charges related to our property, plant and equipment during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.

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EQUINIX, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)

We enter into non-cancellable lease arrangements as the lessee primarily for our data center spaces, office spaces and equipment. Assets acquired through finance leases are included in property, plant and equipment, net on the consolidated balance sheets. In addition, a portion of our property, plant and equipment are used for revenue arrangements which are accounted for as operating leases where we are the lessor.

Assets Held for Sale

Assets and liabilities to be disposed of that meet all of the criteria to be classified as held for sale are reported at the lower of their carrying amounts or fair values less costs to sell. We recorded an impairment charge of $7.3 million relating to assets held for sale for the year ended December 31, 2020. Assets are not depreciated or amortized while they are classified as held for sale. For further information on our assets held for sale, see Note 5.

Asset Retirement Costs and Asset Retirement Obligations

Our asset retirement obligations are primarily related to our IBX data centers, of which the majority are leased under long-term arrangements and are required to be returned to the landlords in their original condition. The majority of our IBX data center leases have been subject to significant development by us in order to convert them from, in most cases, vacant buildings or warehouses into IBX data centers. The fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation is recognized in the period in which it is incurred. The associated retirement costs are capitalized and included as part of the carrying value of the long-lived asset and amortized over the useful life of the asset. Subsequent to the initial measurement, we accrete the liability in relation to the asset retirement obligations over time and the accretion expense is recorded as a cost of revenue. For further information on our leases, see Note 7.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

We have three reportable segments comprised of the 1) Americas, 2) EMEA and 3) Asia-Pacific geographic regions, which we also determined are our reporting units. Goodwill is not amortized and is tested for impairment at least annually or more often if and when circumstances indicate that goodwill is not recoverable.

We assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. Qualitative factors considered in the assessment include industry and market conditions, overall financial performance, and other relevant events and factors affecting the reporting unit. If, after assessing the qualitative factors, we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then performing a quantitative impairment test is unnecessary. However, if we conclude otherwise, then we are required to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test. The quantitative impairment test, which is used to identify both the existence of impairment and the amount of impairment loss, compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not considered impaired. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, any excess of the reporting unit goodwill carrying value over the respective implied fair value is recognized as an impairment loss.

As of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, we concluded that it was more likely than not that goodwill attributed to our Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific reporting units was not impaired as the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded the carrying value of its respective reporting unit, including goodwill.

Substantially all of our intangible assets are subject to amortization and are amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated period of benefit. We perform a review of intangible assets for impairment by assessing events or changes in circumstances that indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is assessed by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. We did not record any impairment charges related to our other intangible assets during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019. For further information on goodwill and other intangible assets, see Note 3 and Note 7 below.

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EQUINIX, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - (Continued)

Debt Issuance Costs

Costs and fees incurred upon debt issuances are capitalized and are amortized over the life of the related debt based on the effective interest method. Such amortization is included as a component of interest expense. Debt issuance costs related to outstanding debt are presented as a reduction of the carrying amount of the debt obligation and debt issuance costs related to the revolving credit facility are presented as other assets. For further information on debt facilities, see Note 11 below.

Derivatives and Hedging Activities

EQIX US Equity

EQIX · 10-K · period ended 2021-12-31

ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

ITEM 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

ITEM 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

ITEM 9A. Controls and Procedures

ITEM 9B. Other Information

ITEM 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

ITEM 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

ITEM 11. Executive Compensation

ITEM 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

ITEM 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

ITEM 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

ITEM 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

ITEM 16. Form 10-K Summary

EQIX US Equity☆

EQIX · 10-K · period ended 2021-12-31

ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

ITEM 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

ITEM 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

ITEM 9A. Controls and Procedures

ITEM 9B. Other Information

ITEM 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

ITEM 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

ITEM 11. Executive Compensation

ITEM 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

ITEM 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

ITEM 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services

ITEM 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

ITEM 16. Form 10-K Summary

EQIX US Equity