HIGHLIGHTS FROM P&G'S PRESENTATION AT THE CONSUMER
ANALYST GROUP OF NEW YORK (CAGNY) CONFERENCE 2020
Today, P&G’s Chairman, President and CEO David Taylor and Vice Chairman, COO and CFO Jon Moeller spoke at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) Conference, a high-profile meeting of investors and analysts who follow consumer goods companies, attended by P&G and many of our global competitors each year.
Jon shared a short recap of Company results as reported in January, reminding investors that the first half of FY20 was a strong start to the year in sales, earnings per share, and cash generation.
Then David reminded the audience how four years ago at CAGNY 2016 we first laid out P&G’s plans to return to growth and value creation. The results we’ve achieved flow directly from this strategy.
- We’ve focused our portfolio in 10 categories – in daily-use products where performance drives brand choice.
- We’re extending our margin of superiority in product, package, brand communication, retail execution and consumer/customer value.
- We’re driving productivity improvements to fund our investments and improve profitability.
- We’re leading constructive disruption across the value chain in our industry in order to
meet challenges. - We’ve created a more focused, agile, and accountable organization operating at the speed
of the market.
Our progress in each area is evident in our strong results, and we highlighted examples of how superiority and constructive disruption, funded by productivity and enabled by our new organization design and culture, are helping us deliver against our objective of sustainable, balanced growth.
Jon also delivered to investors an update on the currently anticipated impact of the Coronavirus on P&G, as we continue to address this challenge, as follows:
“We face the demand and supply challenges associated with the coronavirus outbreak. China is our second largest market—sales and profit. Store traffic is down considerably, with many stores closed or operating with reduced hours. Some of the demand has shifted online but supply of delivery operators and labor is limited. There are also impacts outside of China: travel retail, a significant reduction in department store traffic in many Asian metro areas, and global supply. We access 387 suppliers in China that ship to us globally more than 9,000 different materials, impacting approximately 17,600 different finished product items. Each of these suppliers faces their own challenges in resuming operations. The operating challenges change with the hour, and of course the path of the virus is unknown, making it very difficult to provide precise estimates of impact.
Results for the January to March quarter in China and for the total Company will be materially impacted on both the top and bottom line by these dynamics.
We continue to believe, based on what we know today, that our fiscal year top and bottom line guidance ranges—and I emphasize ranges—remain the right ones. We will continue to monitor the situation and obviously update you if and when a different reality becomes apparent.
The best response to each of the uncertainties and sources of volatility we face is to double down on the integrated set of strategies that we have put in place over the last several years, which are driving the strong results we shared this morning.
These integrated and mutually reinforcing strategies position us well within our industry to deal with near-term macro, operational, and competitive challenges. They are a foundation for strong, balanced growth and value creation over the short, mid, and long term.
The best response is to push forward, not to pull back. And that is exactly what we intend to do.”
Certain of these remarks were also filed in an 8-K with the SEC today, available publicly here, at www.pginvestor.com under Financial Reporting-SEC Filings.
The replay of P&G’s full CAGNY presentation is available at www.pginvestor.com/event, and a one-pager of highlights from our presentation is available below.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this message, 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, 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, for example, reduced market growth rates and other business disruptions related to the coronavirus outbreak, 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, acts of war or terrorism, or epidemics; (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 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, contract manufacturers, 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, product and packaging composition, intellectual property, antitrust, data protection, 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.
