Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this report, 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. Forward-looking statements may appear throughout this report, including without limitation, the following sections: “Management’s Discussion and Analysis,” “Risk Factors” and “Notes 4, 8 and 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.” 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, except to the extent required by law.
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 effect the expected share repurchases and dividend payments; (3) the ability to manage disruptions in credit markets or to our banking partners 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 various factors, including ones outside of our control, such as natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism, or disease outbreaks; (5) the ability to successfully manage cost fluctuations and pressures, including prices of commodities 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, evolving digital marketing and selling platform requirements, 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, packaging content, supply chain practices, 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, contract manufacturers, distributors, contractors and external business partners; (11) the ability to rely on and maintain key company and third party information and operational 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 and potential implications such as exchange rate fluctuations and market contraction; (13) the ability to successfully manage current and expanding regulatory and legal requirements and matters (including, without limitation, those laws and regulations involving product liability, product and packaging composition, intellectual property, labor and employment, antitrust, privacy and data protection, tax, environmental, due diligence, risk oversight, and accounting and financial reporting) and to resolve new and 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; (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; and (17) the ability to successfully manage the demand, supply, and operational challenges associated with a disease outbreak, including epidemics, pandemics, or similar widespread public health concerns (including the COVID-19 outbreak). A detailed discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those projected herein, is included in the section titled “Economic Conditions and Uncertainties” and the section titled “Risk Factors” (Part I, Item 1A) of this Form 10-K.
The purpose of Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) is to provide an understanding of Procter & Gamble’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows by focusing on changes in certain key measures from year to year. The MD&A is provided as a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, our Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes. The MD&A is organized in the following sections:
• Overview • Summary of 2021 Results
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• Economic Conditions and Uncertainties • Results of Operations • Segment Results • Cash Flow, Financial Condition and Liquidity • Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates • Other Information
Throughout the MD&A we refer to measures used by management to evaluate performance, including unit volume growth, net sales, net earnings, diluted net earnings per share and operating cash flow. We also refer to a number of financial measures that are not defined under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP), consisting of organic sales growth, core earnings per share (Core EPS), adjusted free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow productivity. Organic sales growth is net sales growth excluding the impacts of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange from year-over-year comparisons. Core EPS is diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations excluding certain items that are not judged to be part of the Company’s sustainable results or trends. Adjusted free cash flow is operating cash flow less capital spending, transitional tax payments related to the U.S. Tax Act and tax payments related to the Merck OTC consumer healthcare acquisition. Adjusted free cash flow productivity is the ratio of adjusted free cash flow to net earnings excluding certain one-time items. We believe these measures provide our investors with additional information
about our underlying results and trends, as well as insight to some of the metrics used to evaluate management. The explanation at the end of the MD&A provides more details on the use and the derivation of these measures, as well as reconciliations to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures.
Management also uses certain market share and market consumption estimates to evaluate performance relative to competition despite some limitations on the availability and comparability of share and consumption information. References to market share and consumption in the MD&A are based on a combination of vendor purchased traditional brick-and-mortar and online data in key markets as well as internal estimates. All market share references represent the percentage of sales of our products in dollar terms on a constant currency basis, relative to all product sales in the category. The Company measures quarter and fiscal-year-to-date market shares through the most recent period for which market share data is available, which typically reflects a lag time of one or two months as compared to the end of the reporting period. Management also uses unit volume growth to evaluate and explain drivers of changes in net sales. Organic volume growth reflects year- over-year changes in unit volume excluding the impacts of acquisitions and divestitures and certain one-time items, if applicable, and is used to explain changes in organic sales.
OVERVIEW
Procter & Gamble is a global leader in the fast-moving consumer goods industry, focused on providing branded consumer packaged goods of superior quality and value to our consumers around the world. Our products are sold in more than 180 countries and territories primarily through mass merchandisers, e-commerce, grocery stores, membership club stores, drug stores, department stores, distributors, wholesalers, specialty beauty stores (including airport duty-free stores), high- frequency stores, pharmacies, electronics stores and professional channels. We also sell direct to consumers. We have on-the-ground operations in approximately 70 countries.
Our market environment is highly competitive with global, regional and local competitors. In many of the markets and industry segments in which we sell our products, we compete against other branded products, as well as retailers’ private-label brands. Additionally, many of the product segments in which we compete are differentiated by price tiers (referred to as super-premium, premium, mid-tier and value-tier products). We believe we are well positioned in the industry segments and markets in which we operate, often holding a leadership or significant market share position.
14 The Procter & Gamble Company
Organizational Structure
Our organizational structure is comprised of Sector Business Units (SBUs), Enterprise Markets (EMs), Corporate Functions (CF) and Global Business Services (GBS).