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Employee Benefit Plans
12 Months Ended
Oct. 29, 2023
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Employee Benefit Plans Employee Benefit Plans
Employee Bonus Plans
We have various employee bonus plans. A discretionary bonus plan provides for the distribution of a percentage of pre-tax income to our employees who are not participants in other performance-based incentive plans, up to a maximum percentage of eligible compensation. Other plans provide for bonuses to our executives and other key contributors based on the achievement of profitability and/or other specified performance criteria. Charges under these plans for fiscal 2023, 2022 and 2021 were $702 million, $623 million and $631 million, respectively.
Employee Savings and Retirement Plan
Our Employee Savings and Retirement Plan (the 401(k) Plan) is qualified under Sections 401(a) and (k) of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code). Eligible employees may make salary deferral and catch-up contributions under the 401(k) Plan on a pre-tax basis and on a Roth basis, subject to an annual dollar limit established by the Code. We match 100% of participant salary and/or Roth deferral contributions up to the first 3% of eligible contribution and then 50% of every dollar between 4% and 6% of eligible contribution. We do not make matching contributions on any catch-up contributions made by participants. Plan participants who were employed by us or any of our affiliates are 100% vested in their matching contribution account balances. Our matching contributions under the 401(k) Plan were approximately $85 million for fiscal 2023, $67 million for fiscal 2022 and $61 million for fiscal 2021.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans of Foreign Subsidiaries and Other Postretirement Benefits
Several of our foreign subsidiaries have defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all of their eligible employees. Benefits under these plans are typically based on years of service and final average compensation levels. The plans are managed in accordance with applicable local statutes and practices. We deposit funds for certain of these plans with insurance companies, pension trustees, government-managed accounts, and/or accrue the expense for the unfunded portion of the benefit obligation on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Our practice is to fund the various pension plans in amounts sufficient to meet the minimum requirements as established by applicable local governmental oversight and taxing authorities. Depending on the design of the plan, local custom and market circumstances, the liabilities of a plan may exceed the qualified plan assets. The differences between the aggregate projected benefit obligations and aggregate plan assets of these plans have been recorded as liabilities by us and are included in other liabilities and accrued expenses in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
A summary of the changes in benefit obligations and plan assets, which includes post-retirement benefits, for each fiscal year is presented below:
 
202320222021
 (In millions, except percentages)
Change in projected benefit obligation
Beginning projected benefit obligation$414 $685 $674 
Service cost10 14 15 
Interest cost16 
Plan participants’ contributions
Actuarial (gain) loss(38)(201)(1)
Foreign currency exchange rate changes15 (84)
Benefits paid(10)(10)(15)
Plan amendments and other adjustments— — — 
Ending projected benefit obligation$408 $414 $685 
Ending accumulated benefit obligation$351 $371 $626 
Range of assumptions to determine benefit obligations
Discount rate
1.3% - 7.1%
1.5% - 7.3%
0.6% - 6.6%
Rate of compensation increase
3.3% - 10.3%
2.7% - 10.0%
2.4% - 10.0%
Change in plan assets
Beginning fair value of plan assets$351 $491 $431 
Return on plan assets(78)49 
Employer contributions11 22 
Plan participants’ contributions
Foreign currency exchange rate changes18 (64)
Benefits paid(10)(10)(15)
Ending fair value of plan assets$374 $351 $491 
Funded status$(34)$(63)$(194)
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets
Noncurrent asset$95 $45 $
Current liability(3)(1)(2)
Noncurrent liability(126)(107)(193)
Total$(34)$(63)$(194)
Estimated amortization from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal period
Actuarial loss$$$11 
Prior service credit— — — 
Total$$$11 
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss
Net actuarial loss$70 $98 $200 
Prior service credit
Total$71 $99 $201 
Plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets
Projected benefit obligation$146 $126 $472 
Fair value of plan assets$18 $17 $277 
Plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets
Accumulated benefit obligation$97 $88 $413 
Fair value of plan assets$18 $17 $277 
 
20232022
Plan assets — allocation
Equity securities29 %26 %
Debt securities31 %37 %
Insurance contracts19 %21 %
Other investments20 %15 %
Cash%%
The following table presents a summary of the ending fair value of the plan assets:
 October 29, 2023October 30, 2022
 Level 1Level 2Level 3TotalLevel 1Level 2Level 3Total
 (In millions)
Equity securities$102 $— $— $102 $84 $— $— $84 
Debt securities60 — — 60 56 — — 56 
Insurance contracts— — 72 72 — — 72 72 
Other investments— 57 — 57 — 52 — 52 
Cash— — — — 
Total assets at fair value$167 $57 $72 296 $143 $52 $72 267 
Assets measured at net asset value78 84 
Total$374 $351 

The following table presents the activity in Level 3 instruments for each fiscal year:
20232022
 (In millions)
Balance, beginning of year$72 $110 
Actual return on plan assets:
Relating to assets still held at reporting date(4)(24)
Purchases, sales, settlements, net— — 
Currency impact(14)
Balance, end of year$72 $72 
Our investment strategy for our defined benefit plans is to invest plan assets in a prudent manner, maintaining well-diversified portfolios with the long-term objective of meeting the obligations of the plans as they come due. Asset allocation decisions are typically made by plan fiduciaries with input from our international pension committee. Our asset allocation strategy incorporates a sufficient equity exposure in order for the plans to benefit from the expected better long-term performance of equities relative to the plans’ liabilities. We retain investment managers, where appropriate, to manage the assets of the plans. Performance of investment managers is monitored by plan fiduciaries with the assistance of local investment consultants. The investment managers make investment decisions within the guidelines set forth by plan fiduciaries. Risk management practices include diversification across asset classes and investment styles, and periodic rebalancing toward target asset allocation ranges. Investment managers may use derivative instruments for efficient portfolio management purposes.
 
A summary of the components of net periodic benefit costs and the weighted average assumptions used for net periodic benefit cost calculations for each fiscal year is presented below:
 
202320222021
 (In millions, except percentages)
Components of net periodic benefit cost
Service cost$10 $14 $15 
Interest cost16 
Expected return on plan assets(20)(21)(21)
Amortization of actuarial loss and prior service credit10 14 
Net periodic benefit cost$10 $12 $16 
Weighted average assumptions
Discount rate3.48 %1.41 %1.18 %
Expected long-term return on assets5.15 %4.56 %4.80 %
Rate of compensation increase3.39 %2.89 %2.74 %
Asset return assumptions are derived based on actuarial and statistical methodologies, from analysis of long-term historical data relevant to the country in which each plan is in effect and the investments applicable to the corresponding plan. The discount rate for each plan was derived by reference to appropriate benchmark yields on high quality corporate bonds, allowing for the approximate duration of both plan obligations and the relevant benchmark yields.
Future expected benefit payments for the pension plans and the postretirement plan over the next ten fiscal years are as follows:
 Benefit Payments
(In millions)
2024$11 
202514 
202615 
202716 
202816 
2029-2033108 
Total$180 
Company contributions to these plans for fiscal 2024 are expected to be approximately $8 million.
Executive Deferred Compensation Plans
We sponsor two unfunded deferred compensation plans, the Executive Deferred Compensation Plan (Predecessor EDCP) and the 2016 Deferred Compensation Plan (2016 DCP) (formerly known as the 2005 Executive Deferred Compensation Plan), under which certain employees may elect to defer a portion of their following year’s eligible earnings. The Predecessor EDCP was frozen as of December 31, 2004 such that no new deferrals could be made under the plan after that date and the plan would qualify for “grandfather” relief under Section 409A of the Code. The Predecessor EDCP participant accounts continue to be maintained under the plan and credited with deemed interest. The 2016 DCP was originally implemented by us effective as of January 1, 2005, and amended and restated as of October 12, 2015, and is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. In addition, we also sponsor a non-qualified deferred compensation plan as a result of the acquisition of Varian. Amounts payable for all plans, including accrued deemed interest, totaled $245 million and $200 million at October 29, 2023 and October 30, 2022, respectively, which were included in other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.