UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by the Registrant ☒ Filed by a party other than the Registrant ☐
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| ☐ | Preliminary Proxy Statement | |
| ☐ | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) | |
| ☐ | Definitive Proxy Statement | |
| ☒ | Definitive Additional Materials | |
| ☐ | Soliciting Material under Rule 14a-12 | |
The Procter & Gamble Company
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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On September 7, 2017, The Procter & Gamble Company distributed the following communication and may in the future send or use the same or substantially similar communications from time to time:
Our FY2017 results show the actions we’ve taken and the plans we have in place are working. $PG SEC Legend: voteblue.pg.com
P&G is implementing significant productivity improvements to fuel growth and investment in brands. $PG SEC Legend: voteblue.pg.com
P&G has strengthened its portfolio and is much better positioned to win. $PG SEC Legend: voteblue.pg.com
We’re dramatically transforming our supply chain – in North America, followed by other regions. $PG SEC Legend: voteblue.pg.com
We’ve chosen a single organizing principle for P&G for a simpler, faster, more accountable structure. $PG SEC Legend: voteblue.pg.com
Superior Products: We create advantage to build consumers’ affinity for our brands & category expectations. $PG SEC Legend: voteblue.pg.com
Superior Packaging attracts consumers, helps them select products, conveys brand equity and closes the sale. $PG SEC Legend: voteblue.pg.com
Superior Brand Communication: Product & packaging benefits are communicated with exceptional advertising. $PG SEC Legend: voteblue.pg.com
We’re redefining retail excellence to a higher standard in-store & online – growing categories & our brands. $PG SEC Legend: voteblue.pg.com
Superior value includes noticeably superior product, great package, price & compelling communication. $PG SEC Legend: voteblue.pg.com
Non-GAAP Reconciliation: This document contains certain non-GAAP measurements that management believes are meaningful to investors because they provide useful perspective on underlying business trends (i.e. trends excluding non-recurring or unusual items) and results, provide a supplemental measure of year-on-year results, and provide a view of our business results through the eyes of management. These measures are also a factor in determining senior management’s at-risk compensation. These non-GAAP measures are not intended to be considered in place of the related GAAP measure and may not be the same as similar measures used by other companies. This data should be read in conjunction with previously published company reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K, which are available on www.PGInvestor.com under Financial Reporting. Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to GAAP are provided below.
The Core earnings measures included in the following reconciliation tables refer to the equivalent GAAP measures adjusted as applicable for the following items:
| • | Incremental restructuring: The Company has had and continues to have an ongoing level of restructuring activities. Such activities have resulted in ongoing annual restructuring related charges of approximately $250 - $500 million before tax. Beginning in 2012 Procter & Gamble began a $10 billion strategic productivity and cost savings initiative that includes incremental restructuring activities. In 2017, the company announced elements of an additional multi-year productivity and cost savings plan. These plans result in incremental restructuring charges to accelerate productivity efforts and cost savings. The adjustment to Core earnings includes only the restructuring costs above what we believe are the normal recurring level of restructuring costs. |
| • | Early debt extinguishment charges: During the three months ended December 31, 2016, the Company recorded a charge of $345 million after tax due to the early extinguishment of certain long-term debt. This charge represents the difference between the reacquisition price and the par value of the debt extinguished. Management does not view this charge as indicative of the Company’s operating performance or underlying business results. |
We do not view the above items to be part of our sustainable results, and their exclusion from core earnings measures provides a more comparable measure of year-on-year results.
Organic sales growth: Organic sales growth is a non-GAAP measure of sales growth excluding the impacts of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange from year-over-year comparisons. Managements believes this measure provides investors with a supplemental understanding of underlying sales trends by providing sales growth on a consistent basis, and this measure is used in assessing achievement of management goals for at-risk compensation.
Core EPS: Core earnings per share, or Core EPS, is a measure of the Company’s diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations adjusted as indicated. Management views this non-GAAP measure as a useful supplemental measure of Company performance over time.
Adjusted free cash flow: Adjusted free cash flow is defined as operating cash flow less capital spending and excluding tax payments related to the Beauty Brands divestiture, which are non-recurring and not considered indicative of underlying cash flow performance. Adjusted free cash flow represents the cash that the Company is able to generate after taking into account planned maintenance and asset expansion. Management views adjusted free cash flow as an important measure because it is one factor used in determining the amount of cash available for dividends and discretionary investment.
Adjusted free cash flow productivity: Adjusted free cash flow productivity is defined as the ratio of adjusted free cash flow to net earnings excluding the loss on early debt extinguishment and gain on the sale of the Beauty Brands, which are non-recurring and not considered indicative of underlying earnings performance. Management views adjusted free cash flow productivity as a useful measure to help investors understand P&G’s ability to generate cash. Adjusted free cash flow productivity is used by management in making operating decisions, allocating financial resources and for budget planning purposes. The Company’s long-term target is to generate annual adjusted free cash flow productivity at or above 90 percent.
| 1. | Organic sales growth: |
| Total Company | Net Sales Growth |
Foreign Exchange Impact |
Acquisition/ Divestiture Impact* |
Organic Sales Growth | ||||
| FY 2017 |
--% | 2% | -% | 2% |
*Acquisition/Divestiture Impact includes mix impacts of acquired and divested businesses and rounding impacts necessary to reconcile net sales to organic sales.
2. Core EPS:
| FY 16 | 2017 | |||
|
Diluted Net Earnings Per Share from Continuing Operations, attributable to P&G |
$3.49 | $3.69 | ||
| Incremental Restructuring |
0.18 | 0.10 | ||
| Early Debt Extinguishment Charges |
- | 0.13 | ||
| Core EPS |
$3.67 | $3.92 | ||
| Percentage change vs. prior year Core EPS |
7% | |||
Note – All reconciling items are presented net of tax. Tax effects are calculated consistent with the nature of the underlying transaction.
3. Adjusted free cash flow:
| Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2017 | ||||||||
| Operating Cash Flow | Capital Spending | Free Cash Flow |
Cash Tax Payment – Beauty Sale |
Adjusted Free Cash Flow | ||||
|
$12,753 |
$(3,384) | $9,369 | $418 | $9,787 | ||||
4. Adjusted free cash flow productivity:
| Twelve Months Ended June 30, 2017 | ||||||||||
|
Adjusted Free Cash Flow |
Net Earnings | Loss on Early Debt |
Gain on Sale of Beauty Brands |
Adjusted Net Earnings | Adjusted Free Cash Flow Productivity | |||||
|
$9,787 |
$15,411 | $345 | (5,335) | $10,421 | 94% | |||||
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this release or presentation, other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives, and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions, which are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise.
Risks and uncertainties to which our forward-looking statements are subject include, without limitation: (1) the ability to successfully manage global financial risks, including foreign currency fluctuations, currency exchange or pricing controls and localized volatility; (2) the ability to successfully manage local, regional or global economic volatility, including reduced market growth rates, and to generate sufficient income and cash flow to allow the Company to affect the expected share repurchases and dividend payments; (3) the ability to manage disruptions in credit markets or changes to our credit rating; (4) the ability to maintain key manufacturing and supply arrangements (including execution of supply chain optimizations, and sole supplier and sole manufacturing plant arrangements) and to manage disruption of business due to factors outside of our control, such as natural disasters and acts of war or terrorism; (5) the ability to successfully manage cost fluctuations and pressures, including prices of commodity and raw materials, and costs of labor, transportation, energy, pension and healthcare; (6) the ability to stay on the leading edge of innovation, obtain necessary intellectual property protections and successfully respond to changing consumer habits and technological advances attained by, and patents granted to, competitors; (7) the ability to compete with our local and global competitors in new and existing sales channels, including by successfully responding to competitive factors such as prices, promotional incentives and trade terms for products; (8) the ability to manage and maintain key customer relationships; (9) the ability to protect our reputation and brand equity by successfully managing real or perceived issues, including concerns about safety, quality, ingredients, efficacy or similar matters that may arise; (10) the ability to successfully manage the financial, legal, reputational and operational risk associated with third party relationships, such as our suppliers, distributors, contractors and external business partners; (11) the ability to rely on and maintain key company and third party information technology systems, networks and services, and maintain the security and functionality of such systems, networks and services and the data contained therein; (12) the ability to successfully manage uncertainties related to changing political conditions (including the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union) and potential implications such as exchange rate fluctuations and market contraction; (13) the ability to successfully manage regulatory and legal requirements and matters (including, without limitation, those laws and regulations involving product liability, intellectual property, antitrust, privacy, tax, environmental, and accounting and financial reporting) and to resolve pending matters within current estimates; (14) the ability to manage changes in applicable tax laws and regulations including maintaining
our intended tax treatment of divestiture transactions; (15) the ability to successfully manage our ongoing acquisition, divestiture and joint venture activities, in each case to achieve the Company’s overall business strategy and financial objectives, without impacting the delivery of base business objectives; and (16) the ability to successfully achieve productivity improvements and cost savings and manage ongoing organizational changes, while successfully identifying, developing and retaining key employees, including in key growth markets where the availability of skilled or experienced employees may be limited. For additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those projected herein, please refer to our most recent 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports.
Important Additional Information and Where to Find It
The Company has filed a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A and form of associated BLUE proxy card with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in connection with the solicitation of proxies for its 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Definitive Proxy Statement”). The Company, its directors and certain of its executive officers will be participants in the solicitation of proxies from shareholders in respect of the 2017 Annual Meeting. Information regarding the names of the Company’s directors and executive officers and their respective interests in the Company by security holdings or otherwise is set forth in the Definitive Proxy Statement. Details concerning the nominees of the Company’s Board of Directors for election at the 2017 Annual Meeting are included in the Definitive Proxy Statement. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC, INCLUDING THE COMPANY’S DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY SUPPLEMENTS THERETO AND ACCOMPANYING BLUE PROXY CARD, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Shareholders may obtain a free copy of the Definitive Proxy Statement and other relevant documents that the Company files with the SEC from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or the Company’s website at http://www.pginvestor.com as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.