Document


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
ANNUAL REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
þ
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016
OR
¨
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from   ___________ to ___________               
COMMISSION FILE 1-5224 
STANLEY BLACK & DECKER, INC.
(Exact Name Of Registrant As Specified In Its Charter)
Connecticut
 
06-0548860
(State Or Other Jurisdiction Of
Incorporation Or Organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
1000 Stanley Drive
New Britain, Connecticut
 
06053
(Address Of Principal Executive Offices)
 
(Zip Code)
860-225-5111
(Registrant’s Telephone Number)
Securities Registered Pursuant To Section 12(b) Of The Act:
Title Of Each Class
 
Name Of Each Exchange On Which Registered
Common Stock-$2.50 Par Value per Share
 
New York Stock Exchange
Securities Registered Pursuant To Section 12(g) Of The Act:
None 
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.
Yes  þ    No  ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes  ¨    No  þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes  þ    No  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).
Yes  þ    No  ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.
¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): 
Large accelerated filer
þ
  
Accelerated filer
¨
Non-accelerated filer
¨  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
  
Smaller reporting company
¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2).
Yes  ¨    No  þ
As of July 1, 2016, the aggregate market values of voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $16.9 billion based on the New York Stock Exchange closing price for such shares on that date. On February 1, 2017, the registrant had 152,584,499 shares of common stock outstanding. 
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after the end of the registrant’s fiscal year are incorporated by reference in Part III of the Annual Report on Form 10-K.



TABLE OF CONTENTS

 
 
 
 
ITEM 1.
ITEM 1A.
ITEM 1B.
ITEM 2.
ITEM 3.
ITEM 4.
 
 
 
ITEM 5.
ITEM 6.
ITEM 7.
ITEM 7A.
ITEM 8.
ITEM 9.
ITEM 9A.
ITEM 9B.
 
 
 
ITEM 10.
ITEM 11.
ITEM 12.
ITEM 13.
ITEM 14.
 
 
 
ITEM 15.
SIGNATURES
 
EX-3.2 (a)
 
 
EX-10.2 (c)
 
 
EX-10.2 (d)
 
 
EX-10.17 (e)
 
 
EX-12
 
 
EX-21
 
 
EX-23
 
 
EX-24
 
 
EX-31.1.A
 
 
EX-31.1.B
 
 
EX-32.1
 
 
EX-32.2
 
 



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FORM 10-K
PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
General
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. ("the Company") was founded in 1843 by Fredrick T. Stanley and incorporated in Connecticut in 1852. In March 2010, the Company completed a merger ("the Merger") with The Black & Decker Corporation (“Black & Decker”), a company founded by S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker and incorporated in Maryland in 1910. At that time, the Company changed its name from The Stanley Works ("Stanley") to Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
The Company is a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories, mechanical access solutions (i.e. automatic doors and commercial locking systems), electronic security and monitoring systems, healthcare solutions, engineered fastening systems and products and services for various industrial applications, with 2016 consolidated annual revenues of $11.4 billion. The Company continues to pursue a growth and acquisition strategy that involves industry, geographic and customer diversification to foster sustainable revenue, earnings and cash flow growth. The Company also remains focused on organic growth, including increasing its presence in emerging markets, with a goal of generating greater than 20% of annual revenues from those markets over time, and leveraging the Stanley Fulfillment System ("SFS"), a now expanded program ("SFS 2.0") focused on upgrading innovation and digital capabilities while maintaining commercial and supply chain excellence, and funding required investments, in part, through functional transformation. In 2016, approximately 52% of the Company’s annual revenues were generated in the United States, with the remainder largely from Europe (23%), emerging markets (16%) and Canada (4%).
Execution of the Company's strategy has resulted in approximately $6.3 billion of acquisitions since 2002 (excluding the Black & Decker merger and recently announced acquisitions discussed below), enabled by cash flow generation and increased debt capacity. This strategy is further exemplified by the Company's recently announced pending acquisitions of the Tools business of Newell Brands ("Newell Tools") and the Craftsman® brand. In October 2016, the Company announced an agreement to acquire Newell Tools, which includes the highly attractive industrial cutting, hand tool and power tool accessory brands Irwin® and Lenox®, for $1.95 billion in cash. The acquisition, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, will significantly increase the power tool accessories business and expand the Company's footprint in the plumbing and electrical channels. In January 2017, the Company announced an agreement to purchase the Craftsman brand from Sears Holdings for total expected cash payments of approximately $900 million on a discounted basis. The acquisition, which is expected to close in 2017, grants the Company the rights to develop, manufacture and sell Craftsman®-branded products in non-Sears Holdings channels. Refer to Note E, Acquisitions, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion.
Furthermore, in December 2016, the Company announced that it had reached an agreement to sell the majority of its mechanical security businesses to Dormakaba for $725 million in cash. The sale, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, will allow the Company to deploy capital in a more accretive and growth-oriented manner. The Company concurrently announced its intent to retain its commercial electronic security and automatic doors businesses. The Company has also divested several smaller businesses in recent years that did not fit into its long-term strategic objectives. Refer to Note T, Divestitures, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion.
At December 31, 2016, the Company employed 54,023 people worldwide. The Company’s principal executive office is located at 1000 Stanley Drive, New Britain, Connecticut 06053 and its telephone number is (860) 225-5111.
Description of the Business
During the first quarter of 2015, the Company combined the Construction & Do-It-Yourself ("CDIY") business with certain complementary elements of the Industrial and Automotive Repair ("IAR") and Healthcare businesses (formerly part of the Industrial and Security segments, respectively) to form one Tools & Storage business. As a result, the Company recast segment financial information for prior periods to align with this change in organizational structure. There was no impact to the consolidated financial statements of the Company as a result of this change.
The Company’s operations are classified into three reportable business segments, which also represent its operating segments: Tools & Storage, Security and Industrial. All segments have significant international operations and are exposed to translational and transactional impacts from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
Additional information regarding the Company’s business segments and geographic areas is incorporated herein by reference to the material captioned “Business Segment Results” in Item 7 and Note P, Business Segments and Geographic Areas, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

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Tools & Storage
The Tools & Storage segment is comprised of the Power Tools and Hand Tools, Accessories & Storage ("HTAS") businesses. The segment sells its products to professional end users, distributors, retail consumers and industrial customers in a wide variety of industries and geographies. The majority of sales are distributed through retailers, including home centers, mass merchants, hardware stores, and retail lumber yards, as well as third-party distributors and a direct sales force. Annual revenues in the Tools & Storage segment were $7.5 billion in 2016, representing 66% of the Company’s total revenues.
The Power Tools business includes both professional and consumer products. Professional products include professional grade corded and cordless electric power tools and equipment including drills, impact wrenches and drivers, grinders, saws, routers and sanders, as well as pneumatic tools and fasteners including nail guns, nails, staplers and staples, concrete and masonry anchors. Consumer products include corded and cordless electric power tools sold primarily under the BLACK+DECKER brand, lawn and garden products, including hedge trimmers, string trimmers, lawn mowers, edgers and related accessories, and home products such as hand-held vacuums, paint tools and cleaning appliances.
The HTAS business sells measuring, leveling and layout tools, planes, hammers, demolition tools, knives, saws, chisels and industrial and automotive tools. Power tool accessories include drill bits, router bits, abrasives and saw blades. Storage products include tool boxes, sawhorses, medical cabinets and engineered storage solution products.
Security
The Security segment is comprised of the Convergent Security Solutions ("CSS") and Mechanical Access Solutions ("MAS") businesses. Annual revenues in the Security segment were $2.1 billion in 2016, representing 18% of the Company’s total revenues.
The CSS business designs, supplies and installs electronic security systems and provides electronic security services, including alarm monitoring, video surveillance, fire alarm monitoring, systems integration and system maintenance. Purchasers of these systems typically contract for ongoing security systems monitoring and maintenance at the time of initial equipment installation. The business also sells healthcare solutions, which include asset tracking solutions, infant protection, pediatric protection, patient protection, wander management, fall management, and emergency call products. The CSS business sells to consumers, retailers, educational, financial and healthcare institutions, as well as commercial, governmental and industrial customers. Products are sold predominantly on a direct sales basis.
The MAS business sells automatic doors, commercial hardware, locking mechanisms, electronic keyless entry systems, keying systems, tubular and mortise door locksets. MAS sells to commercial customers primarily through independent distribution channels.
Industrial
The Industrial segment is comprised of the Engineered Fastening and Infrastructure businesses. Annual revenues in the Industrial segment were $1.8 billion in 2016, representing 16% of the Company’s total revenues.
The Engineered Fastening business primarily sells engineered fastening products and systems designed for specific applications. The product lines include stud welding systems, blind rivets and tools, blind inserts and tools, drawn arc weld studs, engineered plastic and mechanical fasteners, self-piercing riveting systems and precision nut running systems, micro fasteners, and high-strength structural fasteners. The business sells to customers in the automotive, manufacturing, electronics, and aerospace industries, amongst others, and its products are distributed through direct sales forces and, to a lesser extent, third-party distributors.
The Infrastructure business consists of the Oil & Gas and Hydraulics businesses. The Oil & Gas business sells and rents custom pipe handling, joint welding and coating equipment used in the construction of large and small diameter pipelines, and provides pipeline inspection services. The Hydraulics business sells hydraulic tools and accessories. The Infrastructure businesses sell to the oil and natural gas pipeline industry and other industrial customers. The products and services are primarily distributed through a direct sales force and, to a lesser extent, third-party distributors.

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Other Information
Competition
The Company competes on the basis of its reputation for product quality, its well-known brands, its commitment to customer service, strong customer relationships, the breadth of its product lines and its innovative products and customer value propositions.
The Company encounters active competition in the Tools & Storage and Industrial segments from both larger and smaller companies that offer the same or similar products and services. Certain large customers offer private label brands (“house brands”) that compete across a wider spectrum of the Company’s Tools & Storage segment product offerings. Competition in the Security segment is generally fragmented via both large international players and regional companies. Competition tends to be based primarily on price, the quality of service and comprehensiveness of the services offered to the customers.
Major Customers
A significant portion of the Company’s Tools & Storage products are sold to home centers and mass merchants in the U.S. and Europe. A consolidation of retailers both in North America and abroad has occurred over time. While this consolidation and the domestic and international expansion of these large retailers has provided the Company with opportunities for growth, the increasing size and importance of individual customers creates a certain degree of exposure to potential sales volume loss. As a result of the Company’s acquisition strategy, sales to U.S. and international home centers and mass merchants declined from approximately 31% of total sales in 2010 to approximately 28% in 2016.

Working Capital
The Company continues to practice the core operating principles encompassed by core SFS, which is a subset of the SFS 2.0 business system. Core SFS contains five core operating principles which work in concert: sales and operations planning ("S&OP"), operational lean, complexity reduction, global supply management, and order-to-cash excellence. The Company develops standardized business processes and system platforms to reduce costs and provide scalability. The core SFS principles are instrumental in the reduction of working capital as evidenced by the 80% improvement in the Company's working capital turns from 5.9 at the end of 2010 (directly after the Merger) to 10.6 at the end of 2016. The continued efforts to deploy SFS across the entire Company and increase working capital turns have created significant opportunities to generate incremental free cash flow (defined as cash flow from operations less capital and software expenditures). The Company plans to continue leveraging the core SFS principles to generate ongoing improvements, both in the existing business and future acquisitions, in working capital turns, cycle times, complexity reduction and customer service levels, with a long-term goal of sustaining 10+ working capital turns.
Raw Materials
The Company’s products are manufactured using ferrous and non-ferrous metals including, but not limited to, steel, zinc, copper, brass, aluminum and nickel as well as resins. The Company also purchases components such as batteries, motors, and electronic components to use in manufacturing and assembly operations along with resin-based molded parts. The raw materials required are procured globally and generally available from multiple sources at competitive prices. As part of the Company's Enterprise Risk Management, the Company has implemented a supplier risk mitigation strategy in order to identify and address any potential supply disruption associated with commodities, components, finished goods and critical services. The Company does not anticipate difficulties in obtaining supplies for any raw materials or energy used in its production processes.
Backlog
Due to short order cycles and rapid inventory turnover primarily in the Company's Tools & Storage segment, backlog is generally not considered a significant indicator of future performance. At February 4, 2017, the Company had approximately $838 million in unfilled orders, which mainly relate to the Engineered Fastening and Security businesses. Substantially all of these orders are reasonably expected to be filled within the current fiscal year. As of February 6, 2016 and January 31, 2015, unfilled orders amounted to $783 million and $888 million, respectively.
Patents and Trademarks
No business segment is solely dependent, to any significant degree, on patents, licenses, franchises or concessions, and the loss of one or several of these patents, licenses, franchises or concessions would not have a material adverse effect on any of the Company's businesses. The Company owns numerous patents, none of which individually is material to the Company's operations as a whole. These patents expire at various times over the next 20 years. The Company holds licenses, franchises

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and concessions, none of which individually or in the aggregate are material to the Company's operations as a whole. These licenses, franchises and concessions vary in duration, but generally run from one to 40 years.

The Company has numerous trademarks that are used in its businesses worldwide. In the Tools & Storage segment, significant trademarks include STANLEY®, BLACK+DECKER®, DEWALT®, DEWALT FLEXVOLT™, Porter-Cable®, BOSTITCH®, FatMax®, Powers®, Guaranteed Tough®, Innerspace®, MAC®, MAC Tools®, Proto®, Vidmar®, Facom®, USAG™, DIYZ®, Lista®, and the yellow & black color scheme for power tools and accessories. The recently announced acquisitions of Newell Tools and Craftsman® will further bolster the Tools & Storage portfolio with the addition of the Irwin®, Lenox® and Craftsman® brands. The Security segment includes significant trademarks such as STANLEY®, BEST®, Blick™, HSM®, Sargent & Greenleaf®, S&G®, SONITROL®, Stanley Access Technologies™, AeroScout®, Hugs®, WanderGuard®, Roam Alert®, MyCall®, Arial® and Bed-Check®. Significant trademarks in the Industrial segment include STANLEY®, CRC®, LaBounty®, Dubuis®, AeroScout®, Cribmaster®, Expert®, SIDCHROME™, POP®, Warren®, GRIPCO®, Avdel®, HeliCoil®, MasterFix®, Tucker®, NPR®, Dodge®, and Spiralock®. The terms of these trademarks typically vary from 10 to 20 years, with most trademarks being renewable indefinitely for like terms.
Environmental Regulations
The Company is subject to various environmental laws and regulations in the U.S. and foreign countries where it has operations. Future laws and regulations are expected to be increasingly stringent and will likely increase the Company’s expenditures related to environmental matters.
In the normal course of business, the Company is involved in various legal proceedings relating to environmental issues. The Company’s policy is to accrue environmental investigatory and remediation costs for identified sites when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. In the event that no amount in the range of probable loss is considered most likely, the minimum loss in the range is accrued. The amount of liability recorded is based on an evaluation of currently available facts with respect to each individual site and includes such factors as existing technology, presently enacted laws and regulations, and prior experience in remediation of contaminated sites. The liabilities recorded do not take into account any claims for recoveries from insurance or third parties. As assessments and remediation progress at individual sites, the amounts recorded are reviewed periodically and adjusted to reflect additional technical and legal information that becomes available. As of December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016, the Company had reserves of $160.9 million and $170.7 million, respectively, for remediation activities associated with Company-owned properties, as well as for Superfund sites, for losses that are probable and estimable. Of the 2016 amount, $18.9 million is classified as current and $142.0 million as long-term, which is expected to be paid over the estimated remediation period. As of December 31, 2016, the Company has recorded $13.2 million in other assets related to funding by the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") and monies received have been placed in trust in accordance with the Consent Decree associated with the West Coast Loading Corporation ("WCLC") proceedings, as further discussed in Note S, Contingencies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. Accordingly, the Company's cash obligation as of December 31, 2016 associated with the aforementioned remediation activities is $147.7 million. The range of environmental remediation costs that is reasonably possible is $128.3 million to $267.1 million, which is subject to change in the near term. The Company may be liable for environmental remediation of sites it no longer owns. Liabilities have been recorded on those sites in accordance with policy.
The amount recorded for identified contingent liabilities is based on estimates. Amounts recorded are reviewed periodically and adjusted to reflect additional technical and legal information that becomes available. Actual costs to be incurred in future periods may vary from the estimates, given the inherent uncertainties in evaluating certain exposures. Subject to the imprecision in estimating future contingent liability costs, the Company does not expect that any sum it may have to pay in connection with these matters in excess of the amounts recorded will have a materially adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or liquidity. Additional information regarding environmental matters is available in Note S, Contingencies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

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Employees
At December 31, 2016, the Company had 54,023 employees, 13,958 of whom are employed in the U.S. Employees in the U.S. totaling 1,111 are covered by collective bargaining agreements negotiated with 29 different local labor unions who are, in turn, affiliated with approximately 6 different international labor unions. The majority of the Company’s hourly-paid and weekly-paid employees outside the U.S. are not covered by collective bargaining agreements. The Company’s labor agreements in the U.S. expire between 2017 and 2021. There have been no significant interruptions of the Company’s operations in recent years due to labor disputes. The Company believes that its relationship with its employees is good.
Research and Development Costs
Research and development costs, which are classified in SG&A, were $204.4 million, $188.0 million and $174.6 million for fiscal years 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
Available Information
The Company’s website is located at http://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com. This URL is intended to be an inactive textual reference only. It is not intended to be an active hyperlink to the Company's website. The information on the Company's website is not, and is not intended to be, part of this Form 10-K and is not incorporated into this report by reference. The Company makes its Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and amendments to each available free of charge on its website as soon as reasonably practicable after filing them with, or furnishing them to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
The Company’s business, operations and financial condition are subject to various risks and uncertainties. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including those risks set forth under the heading entitled "Cautionary Statements Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995," and in other documents that the Company files with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, before making any investment decision with respect to its securities. If any of the risks or uncertainties actually occur or develop, the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects could change. Under these circumstances, the trading prices of the Company’s securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment in the Company’s securities.
Changes in customer preferences, the inability to maintain mutually beneficial relationships with large customers, inventory reductions by customers, and the inability to penetrate new channels of distribution could adversely affect the Company’s business.
The Company has certain significant customers, particularly home centers and major retailers, although no single customer represented more than 10% of consolidated net sales in 2016. However, the two largest customers comprised approximately 19% of net sales, with U.S. and international mass merchants and home centers collectively comprising approximately 28% of net sales. The loss or material reduction of business, the lack of success of sales initiatives, or changes in customer preferences or loyalties, for the Company’s products related to any such significant customer could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations and cash flows. In addition, the Company’s major customers are volume purchasers, a few of which are much larger than the Company and have strong bargaining power with suppliers. This limits the ability to recover cost increases through higher selling prices. Furthermore, unanticipated inventory adjustments by these customers can have a negative impact on net sales.
If customers in the Convergent Security Solutions ("CSS") business are dissatisfied with services and switch to competitive services, or disconnect for other reasons such as preference for digital technology products or other technology enhancements not then offered by CSS, the Company's attrition rates may increase. In periods of increasing attrition rates, recurring revenue and results of operations may be materially adversely affected. The risk is more pronounced in times of economic uncertainty, as customers may reduce amounts spent on the products and services the Company provides.
In times of tough economic conditions, the Company has experienced significant distributor inventory corrections reflecting de-stocking of the supply chain associated with difficult credit markets. Such distributor de-stocking exacerbated sales volume declines pertaining to weak end user demand and the broader economic recession. The Company’s results may be adversely impacted in future periods by such customer inventory adjustments. Further, the inability to continue to penetrate new channels of distribution may have a negative impact on the Company’s future results.

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The Company faces active global competition and if it does not compete effectively, its business may suffer.
The Company faces active competition and resulting pricing pressures. The Company’s products compete on the basis of, among other things, its reputation for product quality, its well-known brands, price, innovation and customer service capabilities. The Company competes with both larger and smaller companies that offer the same or similar products and services or that produce different products appropriate for the same uses. These companies are often located in countries such as China, Taiwan and India where labor and other production costs are substantially lower than in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe. Also, certain large customers offer house brands that compete with some of the Company’s product offerings as a lower-cost alternative. To remain profitable and defend market share, the Company must maintain a competitive cost structure, develop new products and services, lead product innovation, respond to competitor innovations and enhance its existing products in a timely manner. The Company may not be able to compete effectively on all of these fronts and with all of its competitors, and the failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on its sales and profit margins.
SFS is a continuous operational improvement process applied to many aspects of the Company’s business such as procurement, quality in manufacturing, maximizing customer fill rates, integrating acquisitions and other key business processes. In the event the Company is not successful in effectively applying the core SFS principles to its key business processes, including those of acquired businesses, its ability to compete and future earnings could be adversely affected.
In addition, the Company may have to reduce prices on its products and services, or make other concessions, to stay competitive and retain market share. Price reductions taken by the Company in response to customer and competitive pressures, as well as price reductions and promotional actions taken to drive demand that may not result in anticipated sales levels, could also negatively impact its business. The Company engages in restructuring actions, sometimes entailing shifts of production to low-cost countries, as part of its efforts to maintain a competitive cost structure. If the Company does not execute restructuring actions well, its ability to meet customer demand may decline, or earnings may otherwise be adversely impacted. Similarly, if such efforts to reform the cost structure are delayed relative to competitors or other market factors, the Company may lose market share and profits.
Customer consolidation could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business.
A significant portion of the Company’s products are sold through home centers and mass merchant distribution channels in the U.S. and Europe. A consolidation of retailers in both North America and abroad has occurred over time and the increasing size and importance of individual customers creates risk of exposure to potential volume loss. The loss of certain larger home centers as customers would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business until either such customers were replaced or the Company made the necessary adjustments to compensate for the loss of business.
Low demand for new products and the inability to develop and introduce new products at favorable margins could adversely impact the Company’s performance and prospects for future growth.
The Company’s competitive advantage is due in part to its ability to develop and introduce new products in a timely manner at favorable margins. The uncertainties associated with developing and introducing new products, such as market demand and costs of development and production may impede the successful development and introduction of new products on a consistent basis. Introduction of new technology may result in higher costs to the Company than that of the technology replaced. That increase in costs, which may continue indefinitely or until increased demand and greater availability in the sources of the new technology drive down its cost, could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations. Market acceptance of the new products introduced in recent years and scheduled for introduction in future years may not meet sales expectations due to various factors, such as the failure to accurately predict market demand, end-user preferences, and evolving industry standards. Moreover, the ultimate success and profitability of the new products may depend on the Company’s ability to resolve technical and technological challenges in a timely and cost-effective manner, and to achieve manufacturing efficiencies. The Company’s investments in productive capacity and commitments to fund advertising and product promotions in connection with these new products could erode profits if those expectations are not met.

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The Company’s brands are important assets of its businesses and violation of its trademark rights by imitators, or the failure of its licensees or vendors to comply with the Company’s product quality, manufacturing requirements, marketing standards, and other requirements could negatively impact revenues and brand reputation.
The Company’s trademarks have a reputation for quality and value and are important to the Company's success and competitive position. Unauthorized use of the Company’s trademark rights may not only erode sales of the Company’s products, but may also cause significant damage to its brand name and reputation, interfere with its ability to effectively represent the Company to its customers, contractors, suppliers, and/or licensees, and increase litigation costs. Similarly, failure by licensees or vendors to adhere to the Company’s standards of quality and other contractual requirements could result in loss of revenue, increased litigation, and/or damage to the Company’s reputation and business. There can be no assurance that the Company’s ongoing efforts to protect its brand and trademark rights and ensure compliance with its licensing and vendor agreements will prevent all violations.
Successful sales and marketing efforts depend on the Company’s ability to recruit and retain qualified employees.
The success of the Company’s efforts to grow its business depends on the contributions and abilities of key executives, its sales force and other personnel, including the ability of its sales force to adapt to any changes made in the sales organization and achieve adequate customer coverage. The Company must therefore continue to recruit, retain and motivate management, sales and other personnel sufficiently to maintain its current business and support its projected growth. A shortage of these key employees might jeopardize the Company’s ability to implement its growth strategy.
The Company has significant operations outside of the United States, which are subject to political, economic and other risks inherent in operating outside of the United States.
The Company generates a significant portion of its total revenue outside of the United States. Business operations outside of the United States are subject to political, economic and other risks inherent in operating in certain countries, such as:
•
the difficulty of enforcing agreements and protecting assets through legal systems outside the U.S.;
•
managing widespread operations and enforcing internal policies and procedures such as compliance with U.S. and foreign anti-bribery and anti-corruption regulations;
•
trade protection measures and import or export licensing requirements;
•
the application of certain labor regulations outside of the United States;
•
compliance with a wide variety of non-U.S. laws and regulations;
•
changes in the general political and economic conditions in the countries where the Company operates, particularly in emerging markets;
•
the threat of nationalization and expropriation;
•
increased costs and risks of doing business in a wide variety of jurisdictions;
•
government controls limiting importation of goods;
•
government controls limiting payments to suppliers for imported goods;
•
limitations on repatriation of earnings; and
•
exposure to wage, price and capital controls.
Changes in the political or economic environments in the countries in which the Company operates could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

9


The Company’s business is subject to risks associated with sourcing and manufacturing overseas.
The Company imports large quantities of finished goods, component parts and raw materials. Substantially all of its import operations are subject to customs requirements and to tariffs and quotas set by governments through mutual agreements, bilateral actions or, in some cases unilateral action. In addition, the countries in which the Company’s products and materials are manufactured or imported from (including importation into the U.S. of our products manufactured overseas) may from time to time impose additional quotas, duties, tariffs or other restrictions on its imports (including restrictions on manufacturing operations) or adversely modify existing restrictions. Furthermore, imported products and materials may be subject to future border adjustment taxes or tariffs in the U.S. Imports are also subject to unpredictable foreign currency variation which may increase the Company’s cost of goods sold. Adverse changes in these import costs and restrictions, or the Company’s suppliers’ failure to comply with customs regulations or similar laws, could harm the Company’s business.
The Company’s operations are also subject to the effects of international trade agreements and regulations such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the activities and regulations of the World Trade Organization. Although these trade agreements generally have positive effects on trade liberalization, sourcing flexibility and cost of goods by reducing or eliminating the duties and/or quotas assessed on products manufactured in a particular country, trade agreements can also impose requirements that adversely affect the Company’s business, such as setting quotas on products that may be imported from a particular country into key markets including the U.S. or the European Union, or making it easier for other companies to compete, by eliminating restrictions on products from countries where the Company’s competitors source products.
The Company’s ability to import products in a timely and cost-effective manner may also be affected by conditions at ports or issues that otherwise affect transportation and warehousing providers, such as port and shipping capacity, labor disputes, severe weather or increased homeland security requirements in the U.S. and other countries. These issues could delay importation of products or require the Company to locate alternative ports or warehousing providers to avoid disruption to customers. These alternatives may not be available on short notice or could result in higher transit costs, which could have an adverse impact on the Company’s business and financial condition.
The Company’s success depends on its ability to improve productivity and streamline operations to control or reduce costs.
The Company is committed to continuous productivity improvement and evaluating opportunities to reduce fixed costs, simplify or improve processes, and eliminate excess capacity. The Company has undertaken restructuring actions, the savings of which may be mitigated by many factors, including economic weakness, competitive pressures, and decisions to increase costs in areas such as sales promotion or research and development above levels that were otherwise assumed. Failure to achieve, or delays in achieving, projected levels of efficiencies and cost savings from such measures, or unanticipated inefficiencies resulting from manufacturing and administrative reorganization actions in progress or contemplated, would adversely affect the Company’s results.
The performance of the Company may suffer from business disruptions associated with information technology, cyber attacks, system implementations, or catastrophic losses affecting distribution centers and other infrastructure.
The Company relies heavily on computer systems to manage and operate its businesses, and record and process transactions. Computer systems are important to production planning, customer service and order fulfillment among other business-critical processes. Consistent and efficient operation of the computer hardware and software systems is imperative to the successful sales and earnings performance of the various businesses in many countries.
Despite efforts to prevent such situations, insurance policies and loss control and risk management practices that partially mitigate these risks, the Company’s systems may be affected by damage or interruption from, among other causes, power outages, system failures or computer viruses. Computer hardware and storage equipment that is integral to efficient operations, such as e-mail, telephone and other functionality, is concentrated in certain physical locations in the various continents in which the Company operates.
Further, security threats and sophisticated computer crime pose a potential risk to the security of the Company’s information technology systems, networks, services and assets, as well as the confidentiality and integrity of the Company’s data. If the Company suffers a loss or disclosure of business or stakeholder information due to security breaches, and business continuity plans do not effectively address these issues on a timely basis, the Company may suffer interruptions in its ability to manage operations as well as reputational, competitive or business harm, which may adversely impact the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, the Company is in the process of system conversions to SAP as well as other applications to provide a common platform across most of its businesses. There can be no assurances that expected expense synergies will be achieved or that there will not be delays to the expected timing of such synergies. It is possible the costs to complete the system conversions

10


may exceed current expectations, and that significant costs may be incurred that will require immediate expense recognition as opposed to capitalization. The risk of disruption to key operations is increased when complex system changes such as SAP conversions are undertaken. If systems fail to function effectively, or become damaged, operational delays may ensue and the Company may be forced to make significant expenditures to remedy such issues. Any significant disruption in the Company’s computer operations could have a material adverse impact on its business and results.
The Company’s operations are significantly dependent on infrastructure, notably certain distribution centers and security alarm monitoring facilities, which are concentrated in various geographic locations. If any of these were to experience a catastrophic loss, such as a fire, earthquake, hurricane, or flood, it could disrupt operations, delay production, shipments and revenue and result in large expenses to repair or replace the facility. The Company maintains business interruption insurance, but it may not fully protect the Company against all adverse effects that could result from significant disruptions.
Unforeseen events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts and public health issues, whether occurring in the United States or abroad, could disrupt the Company's operations, disrupt the operations of its suppliers or customers, or result in political or economic instability. These events could reduce demand for the Company's products and make it difficult or impossible to manufacture products, deliver products to customers, or receive materials from suppliers.
The Company’s results of operations could be negatively impacted by inflationary or deflationary economic conditions which could affect the ability to obtain raw materials, component parts, freight, energy, labor and sourced finished goods in a timely and cost-effective manner.
The Company’s products are manufactured using both ferrous and non-ferrous metals including, but not limited to, steel, zinc, copper, brass, aluminum, and nickel. Additionally, the Company uses other commodity-based materials for components and packaging including, but not limited to, plastics, resins, wood and corrugated products. The Company’s cost base also reflects significant elements for freight, energy and labor. The Company also sources certain finished goods directly from vendors. If the Company is unable to mitigate any inflationary increases through various customer pricing actions and cost reduction initiatives, its profitability may be adversely affected.
Conversely, in the event there is deflation, the Company may experience pressure from its customers to reduce prices, and there can be no assurance that the Company would be able to reduce its cost base (through negotiations with suppliers or other measures) to offset any such price concessions which could adversely impact results of operations and cash flows.
Further, as a result of inflationary or deflationary economic conditions, the Company believes it is possible that a limited number of suppliers may either cease operations or require additional financial assistance from the Company in order to fulfill their obligations. In a limited number of circumstances, the magnitude of the Company’s purchases of certain items is of such significance that a change in established supply relationships with suppliers or increase in the costs of purchased raw materials, component parts or finished goods could result in manufacturing interruptions, delays, inefficiencies or an inability to market products. Changes in value-added tax rebates, currently available to the Company or to its suppliers, could also increase the costs of the Company’s manufactured products as well as purchased products and components and could adversely affect the Company’s results.
Uncertainty about the financial stability of economies outside the U.S. could have a significant adverse effect on the Company's business, results of operations and financial condition.
The Company generates approximately 48% of its revenues from outside the U.S., including 23% of its revenues from Europe and 16% from various emerging market countries. Each of the Company’s segments generates sales from these marketplaces. While the Company believes any downturn in the European or emerging marketplaces might be offset to some degree by the relative stability in North America, the Company’s future growth, profitability and financial liquidity could be affected, in several ways, including but not limited to the following:
•
depressed consumer and business confidence may decrease demand for products and services;
•
customers may implement cost-reduction initiatives or delay purchases to address inventory levels;
•
significant declines of foreign currency values in countries where the Company operates could impact both the revenue growth and overall profitability in those geographies;
•
a slowing or contracting Chinese economy could reduce China’s consumption and negatively impact the Company’s sales in that region, as well as globally;
•
a devaluation of foreign currencies could have an effect on the credit worthiness (as well as the availability of funds) of customers in those regions impacting the collectability of receivables;

11


•
a devaluation of foreign currencies could have an adverse effect on the value of financial assets of the Company in the effected countries;
•
the impact of an event (individual country default, Brexit, or break up of the Euro) could have an adverse impact on the global credit markets and global liquidity potentially impacting the Company’s ability to access these credit markets and to raise capital.
The Company is exposed to market risk from changes in foreign currency exchange rates which could negatively impact profitability.
The Company manufactures and sells its products in many countries throughout the world. As a result, there is exposure to foreign currency risk as the Company enters into transactions and makes investments denominated in multiple currencies. The Company’s predominant currency exposures are related to the Euro, Canadian Dollar, British Pound, Australian Dollar, Brazilian Real, Argentine Peso, Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”) and the Taiwan Dollar. In preparing its financial statements, for foreign operations with functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar, asset and liability accounts are translated at current exchange rates, and income and expenses are translated using weighted-average exchange rates. With respect to the effects on translated earnings, if the U.S. dollar strengthens relative to local currencies, the Company’s earnings could be negatively impacted. In 2016, translational and transactional foreign currency fluctuations negatively impacted pre-tax earnings by approximately $155 million and diluted earnings per share by approximately $0.82. The translational and transactional impacts will vary over time and may be more material in the future. Although the Company utilizes risk management tools, including hedging, as it deems appropriate, to mitigate a portion of potential market fluctuations in foreign currencies, there can be no assurance that such measures will result in all market fluctuation exposure being eliminated. The Company generally does not hedge the translation of its non-U.S. dollar earnings in foreign subsidiaries, but may choose to do so in certain instances.
The Company sources many products from China and other low-cost countries for resale in other regions. To the extent the RMB or other currencies appreciate, the Company may experience cost increases on such purchases. The Company may not be successful at implementing customer pricing or other actions in an effort to mitigate the related cost increases and thus its profitability may be adversely impacted.
The Company has incurred, and may incur in the future, significant indebtedness, or issue additional equity securities, in connection with mergers or acquisitions which may impact the manner in which it conducts business or the Company’s access to external sources of liquidity. The potential issuance of such securities may limit the Company’s ability to implement elements of its growth strategy and may have a dilutive effect on earnings.
As described in Note H, Long-Term Debt and Financing Arrangements, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, the Company has a five-year $1.75 billion committed credit facility. No amounts were outstanding against this facility at December 31, 2016.
The instruments and agreements governing certain of the Company’s current indebtedness contain requirements or restrictive covenants that include, among other things:
•
a limitation on creating liens on certain property of the Company and its subsidiaries;
•
a restriction on entering into certain sale-leaseback transactions;
•
customary events of default. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the Company might be required to repay all amounts outstanding under the respective instrument or agreement; and
•
maintenance of a specified financial ratio. The Company has an interest coverage covenant that must be maintained to permit continued access to its committed revolving credit facilities. The interest coverage ratio tested for covenant compliance compares adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization to adjusted Interest Expense (“adjusted EBITDA”/”adjusted Interest Expense”); such adjustments to interest or EBITDA include, but are not limited to, removal of non-cash interest expense and stock-based compensation expense. The interest coverage ratio must not be less than 3.5 times and is computed quarterly, on a rolling twelve months (last twelve months) basis. Under this covenant definition, the interest coverage ratio was 10 times EBITDA or higher in each of the 2016 quarterly measurement periods. Management does not believe it is reasonably likely the Company will breach this covenant. Failure to maintain this ratio could adversely affect further access to liquidity.
Future instruments and agreements governing indebtedness may impose other restrictive conditions or covenants. Such covenants could restrict the Company in the manner in which it conducts business and operations as well as in the pursuit of its growth and repositioning strategies.

12


The Company is exposed to counterparty risk in its hedging arrangements.
From time to time, the Company enters into arrangements with financial institutions to hedge exposure to fluctuations in currency and interest rates, including forward contracts, options and swap agreements. The failure of one or more counterparties to the Company’s hedging arrangements to fulfill their obligations could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.
Tight capital and credit markets or the failure to maintain credit ratings could adversely affect the Company by limiting the Company’s ability to borrow or otherwise access liquidity.
The Company’s long-term growth plans are dependent on, among other things, the availability of funding to support corporate initiatives and complete appropriate acquisitions and the ability to increase sales of existing product lines. While the Company has not encountered financing difficulties to date, the capital and credit markets experienced extreme volatility and disruption in recent years. Market conditions could make it more difficult for the Company to borrow or otherwise obtain the cash required for significant new corporate initiatives and acquisitions. In addition, there could be a number of follow-on effects from such a credit crisis on the Company’s businesses, including insolvency of key suppliers resulting in product delays; inability of customers to obtain credit to finance purchases of the Company’s products and services and/or customer insolvencies.
In addition, the major rating agencies regularly evaluate the Company for purposes of assigning credit ratings. The Company’s ability to access the credit markets, and the cost of these borrowings, is affected by the strength of its credit ratings and current market conditions. Failure to maintain credit ratings that are acceptable to investors may adversely affect the cost and other terms upon which the Company is able to obtain financing, as well as access to the capital markets.
The Company’s acquisitions, as well as general business reorganizations, may result in significant costs and certain risks for its business and operations.
In addition to a number of smaller acquisitions completed in recent years, the Company has also entered into definitive agreements in October 2016 and January 2017 to acquire Newell Tools and the Craftsman brand, respectively. The Company may make additional acquisitions in the future.
Acquisitions involve a number of risks, including:
•
the failure to identify the most suitable candidates for acquisitions;
•
the ability to identify and close on appropriate acquisition opportunities within desired time frames at reasonable cost;
•
the anticipated additional revenues from the acquired companies do not materialize, despite extensive due diligence;
•
the possibility that the acquired companies will not be successfully integrated or that anticipated cost savings, synergies, or other benefits will not be realized;
•
the acquired businesses will lose market acceptance or profitability;
•
the diversion of Company management’s attention and other resources;
•
the incurrence of unexpected costs and liabilities, including those associated with undisclosed pre-closing regulatory violations by the acquired business; and
•
the loss of key personnel and clients or customers of acquired companies.
In addition, the success of the Company’s long-term growth and repositioning strategy will depend in part on successful general reorganization including its ability to:
•
combine businesses and operations;
•
integrate departments, systems and procedures; and
•
obtain cost savings and other efficiencies from such reorganizations, including the Company's functional transformation initiative.
Failure to effectively consummate or manage the pending acquisitions and any future acquisitions or general business reorganizations, and mitigate the related risks, may adversely affect the Company’s existing businesses and harm its operational results due to large write-offs, significant restructuring costs, contingent liabilities, substantial depreciation, adverse tax or other consequences. The Company cannot ensure that such integrations and reorganizations will be successfully completed or that all of the planned synergies and other benefits will be realized.

13


Expansion of the Company's activity in emerging markets may result in risks due to differences in business practices and cultures.
The Company's growth plans include efforts to increase revenue from emerging markets through both organic growth and acquisitions. Local business practices in these regions may not comply with U.S. laws, local laws or other laws applicable to the Company. When investigating potential acquisitions, the Company seeks to identify historical practices of target companies that would create liability or other exposures for the Company were they to continue post-completion or as a successor to the target. Where such practices are discovered, the Company assesses the risk to determine whether it is prepared to proceed with the transaction. In assessing the risk, the Company looks at, among other factors, the nature of the violation, the potential liability, including any fines or penalties that might be incurred, the ability to avoid, minimize or obtain indemnity for the risks, and the likelihood that the Company would be able to ensure that any such practices are discontinued following completion of the acquisition through implementation of its own policies and procedures. Due diligence and risk assessment are, however, imperfect processes, and it is possible that the Company will not discover problematic practices until after completion, or that the Company will underestimate the risks associated with historical activities. Should that occur, the Company may incur fees, fines, penalties, injury to its reputation or other damage that could negatively impact the Company's earnings.

Significant judgment and certain estimates are required in determining the Company’s worldwide provision for income taxes. Future tax law changes and audit results may materially increase the Company’s prospective income tax expense.

The Company is subject to income taxation in the U.S. as well as numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining the Company’s worldwide income tax provision and accordingly there are many transactions and computations for which the final income tax determination is uncertain. The Company considers many factors when evaluating and estimating its tax positions and tax benefits, which may require periodic adjustments and which may not accurately anticipate actual outcomes. The Company periodically assesses its liabilities and contingencies for all tax years still subject to audit based on the most currently available information, which involves inherent uncertainty. The Company is routinely audited by income tax authorities in many tax jurisdictions. Although management believes the recorded tax estimates are reasonable, the ultimate outcome of any audit (or related litigation) could differ materially from amounts reflected in the Company’s income tax accruals. Additionally, it is possible that future income tax legislation may be enacted that could have a material impact on the Company’s worldwide income tax provision beginning with the period that such legislation becomes enacted. Lastly, the global income tax provision can be materially impacted due to foreign currency fluctuations against the U.S. dollar since a significant amount of the Company’s earnings are generated outside the United States.
The Company’s failure to continue to successfully avoid, manage, defend, litigate and accrue for claims and litigation could negatively impact its results of operations or cash flows.
The Company is exposed to and becomes involved in various litigation matters arising out of the ordinary routine conduct of its business, including, from time to time, actual or threatened litigation relating to such items as commercial transactions, product liability, workers compensation, the Company’s distributors and franchisees, intellectual property claims and regulatory actions.
In addition, the Company is subject to environmental laws in each jurisdiction in which business is conducted. Some of the Company’s products incorporate substances that are regulated in some jurisdictions in which it conducts manufacturing operations. The Company could be subject to liability if it does not comply with these regulations. In addition, the Company is currently, and may in the future be held responsible for remedial investigations and clean-up costs resulting from the discharge of hazardous substances into the environment, including sites that have never been owned or operated by the Company but at which it has been identified as a potentially responsible party under federal and state environmental laws and regulations. Changes in environmental and other laws and regulations in both domestic and foreign jurisdictions could adversely affect the Company’s operations due to increased costs of compliance and potential liability for non-compliance.
The Company manufactures products, configures and installs security systems and performs various services that create exposure to product and professional liability claims and litigation. If such products, systems and services are not properly manufactured, configured, installed, designed or delivered, personal injuries, property damage or business interruption could result, which could subject the Company to claims for damages. The costs associated with defending product liability claims and payment of damages could be substantial. The Company’s reputation could also be adversely affected by such claims, whether or not successful.
There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to continue to successfully avoid, manage and defend such matters. In addition, given the inherent uncertainties in evaluating certain exposures, actual costs to be incurred in future periods may vary from the Company’s estimates for such contingent liabilities.

14


The Company’s products could be recalled.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission or other applicable regulatory bodies may require the recall, repair or replacement of the Company’s products if those products are found not to be in compliance with applicable standards or regulations. A recall could increase costs and adversely impact the Company’s reputation.
The Company is exposed to credit risk on its accounts receivable.
The Company’s outstanding trade receivables are not generally covered by collateral or credit insurance. While the Company has procedures to monitor and limit exposure to credit risk on its trade and non-trade receivables, there can be no assurance such procedures will effectively limit its credit risk and avoid losses, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
If the Company were required to write-down all or part of its goodwill, indefinite-lived trade names, or other definite-lived intangible assets, its net income and net worth could be materially adversely affected.
As a result of the Black and Decker merger and other acquisitions, the Company has $6,694.0 million of goodwill, $1,508.5 million of indefinite-lived trade names and $791.0 million of net definite-lived intangible assets at December 31, 2016. These amounts exclude approximately $302.8 million of goodwill, $65.2 million of an indefinite-lived trade name and $31.8 million of net definite-lived intangibles that are classified within Assets held for sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2016. Refer to Note T, Divestitures, for further discussion. The Company is required to periodically, at least annually, determine if its goodwill or indefinite-lived trade names have become impaired, in which case it would write down the impaired portion of the asset. The definite-lived intangible assets, including customer relationships, are amortized over their estimated useful lives and are evaluated for impairment when appropriate. Impairment of intangible assets may be triggered by developments outside of the Company’s control, such as worsening economic conditions, technological change, intensified competition or other factors resulting in deleterious consequences.
If the investments in employee benefit plans do not perform as expected, the Company may have to contribute additional amounts to these plans, which would otherwise be available to cover operating expenses or other business purposes.
The Company sponsors pension and other post-retirement defined benefit plans. The Company’s defined benefit plan assets are currently invested in equity securities, government and corporate bonds and other fixed income securities, money market instruments and insurance contracts. The Company’s funding policy is generally to contribute amounts determined annually on an actuarial basis to provide for current and future benefits in accordance with applicable law which require, among other things, that the Company make cash contributions to under-funded pension plans. During 2016, the Company made cash contributions to its defined benefit plans of $57 million and it expects to contribute $66 million to its defined benefit plans in 2017.
There can be no assurance that the value of the defined benefit plan assets, or the investment returns on those plan assets, will be sufficient in the future. It is therefore possible that the Company may be required to make higher cash contributions to the plans in future years which would reduce the cash available for other business purposes, and that the Company will have to recognize a significant pension liability adjustment which would decrease the net assets of the Company and result in higher expense in future years. The fair value of these assets at December 31, 2016 was $2.082 billion.
Risks associated with hostilities involving North Korea.
The Company has a number of key suppliers in South Korea. Escalation of hostilities with North Korea and/or military action in the region could cause disruptions in the Company's supply chain which could, in turn, cause product shortages, delays in delivery and/or increases in the Company's cost incurred to produce and deliver products to its customers.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.


15


ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
As of December 31, 2016, the Company and its subsidiaries owned or leased significant facilities used for manufacturing, distribution and sales offices in 19 states and 17 foreign countries. The Company leases its corporate headquarters in New Britain, Connecticut. The Company has 79 other facilities that are larger than 100,000 square feet. These facilities are broken out by segment as follows:
 
Owned
 
Leased
 
Total
Tools & Storage
41
 
17
 
58
Security
5
 
3
 
8
Industrial
9
 
4
 
13
Total
55
 
24
 
79
The combined size of these facilities is approximately 20 million square feet. The buildings are in good condition, suitable for their intended use, adequate to support the Company’s operations, and generally fully utilized.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

In the normal course of business, the Company is involved in various lawsuits and claims, including product liability, environmental and distributor claims, and administrative proceedings. The Company does not expect that the resolution of these matters will have a materially adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.

16


PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
The Company’s common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (“NYSE”) under the abbreviated ticker symbol “SWK”, and is a component of the Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) 500 Composite Stock Price Index. The Company’s high and low quarterly stock prices on the NYSE for the years ended December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016 follow:
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
High
 
Low
 
Dividend Per
Common
Share
 
High
 
Low
 
Dividend Per
Common
Share
QUARTER:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First
 
$
106.64

 
$
90.14

 
$
0.55

 
$
100.17

 
$
90.51

 
$
0.52

Second
 
$
115.05

 
$
104.24

 
$
0.55

 
$
107.71

 
$
95.93

 
$
0.52

Third
 
$
124.46

 
$
111.40

 
$
0.58

 
$
108.17

 
$
94.66

 
$
0.55

Fourth
 
$
125.78

 
$
113.49

 
$
0.58

 
$
110.17

 
$
98.15

 
$
0.55

Total
 
 
 
 
 
$
2.26

 
 
 
 
 
$
2.14

As of February 1, 2017, there were 10,317 holders of record of the Company’s common stock. Information required by Item 201(d) of Regulation S-K concerning securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans can be found under Item 12 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table provides information about the Company’s purchases of equity securities that are registered by the Company pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act for the three months ended December 31, 2016:
 
2016
 
(a) Total Number Of Shares Purchased
 
Average Price Paid Per Share
  
Total Number Of Shares Purchased As Part Of A Publicly Announced Plan
or Program
 
(b) Maximum Number Of Shares That May
Yet Be Purchased Under The Program
October 2 - November 5
 
1,911,039

 
$
95.85

  
—

 
10,100,000

November 6 - December 3
 
122,305

 
$
120.89

  
—

 
10,000,000

December 4 - December 31
 
84,922

 
$
118.86

  
—

 
10,000,000

Total
 
2,118,266

 
$
98.22

  
—

 
10,000,000

 
(a)
In October and November 2016, the Company net-share settled capped call options on its common stock and received 295,929 and 122,305 shares, respectively, using an average reference price of $117.84 per common share. Additionally, in October 2016, the Company physically settled its forward share repurchase contract entered into in October 2014, receiving 1,603,822 shares for a settlement amount of $147.4 million. The remaining shares of common stock in this column were deemed surrendered to the Company by participants in various benefit plans of the Company to satisfy the participants’ taxes related to vesting or delivery of time-vesting restricted share units under those plans.
(b)
On July 23, 2014, the Board of Directors approved a repurchase of up to 25 million shares of the Company's common stock. As of December 31, 2016, the remaining authorized shares for repurchase is 10.0 million shares. Furthermore, approximately 3.6 million shares are reserved for purchase in connection with the forward share purchase contract entered into in March 2015, which obligates the Company to pay $350.0 million plus an additional amount related to the forward component of the contract to the financial institution counterparty not later than April 2019 or earlier at the Company's option. Refer to Note J, Capital Stock, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion.

17


Stock Performance Graph
The following line graph compares the yearly percentage change in the Company’s cumulative total shareholder return for the last five years to that of the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index and the S&P 500 Industrials Index.  Also included below is a reference to the Company’s Peer Group used in prior years.  The Company has decided that the use of the S&P 500 Industrials Index, which is utilized by a number of the Company’s industrial peers for the purpose of this disclosure, is a better comparative index than the prior Peer Group which only consisted of eight companies and requires adjustment from time to time due to acquisitions and divestitures.
item5grapha01.jpg
THE POINTS IN THE ABOVE TABLE ARE AS FOLLOWS:
2011
 
2012
 
2013
 
2014
 
2015
 
2016
Stanley Black & Decker
$
100.00

 
$
109.44

 
$
126.08

 
$
152.90

 
$
170.51

 
$
192.05

S&P 500
$
100.00

 
$
114.06

 
$
152.95

 
$
174.51

 
$
174.28

 
$
199.78

S&P 500 Industrials
$
100.00

 
$
112.79

 
$
151.30

 
$
170.59

 
$
173.08

 
$
195.25

Peer Group
$
100.00

 
$
144.18

 
$
207.65

 
$
241.71

 
$
257.33

 
$
302.93

The comparison assumes $100 invested at the closing price on December 31, 2011 in the Company’s common stock, S&P 500 Index, S&P 500 Industrials Index and the Company’s Peer Group.   Total return assumes reinvestment of dividends.   The Peer Group consists of the following eight companies:  Eaton Corporation plc, Danaher Corporation, Illinois Tool Works, Inc., Ingersoll-Rand Company, Masco Corporation, Newell Brands, Inc., Snap-on Incorporated and The Sherwin-Williams Company. Prior to 2013, the Company included Cooper Industries, Inc. in its Peer Group. Due to the acquisition of Cooper Industries, Inc. by Eaton Corporation in November 2012, the results of Eaton Corporation have been included in the Peer Group in place of Cooper Industries, Inc. for all years.      


18


ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Acquisitions made by the Company during the five-year period presented below affect comparability of results. Refer to Note E, Acquisitions, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 and prior year 10-K filings for further information.
(Millions of Dollars)
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
2013 (a)
 
2012 (b)
Continuing Operations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net sales
 
$
11,407

 
$
11,172

 
$
11,339

 
$
10,890

 
$
10,022

Net earnings from continuing operations attributable to common shareowners
 
$
965

 
$
904

 
$
857

 
$
520

 
$
458

Net (loss) earnings from discontinued operations (c)
 
$
—

 
$
(20
)
 
$
(96
)
 
$
(30
)
 
$
426

Net earnings attributable to common shareowners
 
$
965

 
$
884

 
$
761

 
$
490

 
$
884

Basic earnings (loss) per share:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Continuing operations
 
$
6.61

 
$
6.10

 
$
5.49

 
$
3.35

 
$
2.81

Discontinued operations (c)
 
$
—

 
$
(0.14
)
 
$
(0.62
)
 
$
(0.19
)
 
$
2.61

Total basic earnings per share
 
$
6.61

 
$
5.96

 
$
4.87

 
$
3.16

 
$
5.41

Diluted earnings (loss) per share:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Continuing operations
 
$
6.51

 
$
5.92

 
$
5.37

 
$
3.28

 
$
2.75

Discontinued operations (c)
 
$
—

 
$
(0.13
)
 
$
(0.60
)
 
$
(0.19
)
 
$
2.55

Total diluted earnings per share
 
$
6.51

 
$
5.79

 
$
4.76

 
$
3.09

 
$
5.30

Percent of net sales (Continuing operations):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cost of sales
 
62.6
%
 
63.6
%
 
63.8
%
 
64.2
%
 
63.5
%
Selling, general and administrative (d)
 
23.0
%
 
22.3
%
 
22.9
%
 
24.7
%
 
24.7
%
Other-net
 
1.7
%
 
2.0
%
 
2.1
%
 
2.6
%
 
3.0
%
Interest, net
 
1.5
%
 
1.5
%
 
1.4
%
 
1.4
%
 
1.3
%
Earnings before income taxes
 
10.7
%
 
10.3
%
 
9.6
%
 
5.4
%
 
5.3
%
Net earnings from continuing operations attributable to common shareowners
 
8.5
%
 
8.1
%
 
7.6
%
 
4.8
%
 
4.6
%
Balance sheet data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total assets (e)
 
$
15,635

 
$
15,128

 
$
15,803

 
$
16,486

 
$
15,805

Long-term debt (e)
 
$
3,815

 
$
3,792

 
$
3,794

 
$
3,750

 
$
3,488

Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.’s shareowners’ equity
 
$
6,367

 
$
5,812

 
$
6,429

 
$
6,799

 
$
6,667

Ratios:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total debt to total capital
 
37.5
%
 
39.5
%
 
37.2
%
 
37.9
%
 
34.4
%
Income tax rate - continuing operations
 
21.3
%
 
21.6
%
 
20.9
%
 
11.7
%
 
14.2
%
Common stock data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dividends per share
 
$
2.26

 
$
2.14

 
$
2.04

 
$
1.98

 
$
1.80

Equity per share at year-end
 
$
42.76

 
$
39.08

 
$
41.34

 
$
43.73

 
$
43.19

Market price per share - high
 
$
125.78

 
$
110.17

 
$
97.36

 
$
92.36

 
$
81.34

Market price per share - low
 
$
90.14

 
$
90.51

 
$
75.64

 
$
73.97

 
$
59.25

Average shares outstanding (in 000’s):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
 
146,041

 
148,234

 
156,090

 
155,237

 
163,067

Diluted
 
148,207

 
152,706

 
159,737

 
158,776

 
166,701

Other information:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Average number of employees
 
53,231

 
51,815

 
50,375

 
49,445

 
45,327

Shareowners of record at end of year
 
10,313

 
10,603

 
10,932

 
11,235

 
11,285


(a)
The Company's 2013 results include $390 million of pre-tax charges related to merger and acquisition-related charges, as well as the charges associated with the extinguishment of debt during the fourth quarter of 2013. As a result of these charges, net earnings attributable to common shareowners were reduced by $270 million (or $1.70 per diluted share). As a percentage of Net sales, Cost of sales was 27 basis points higher, Selling, general & administrative was 125 basis points higher, Other-net was 47 basis points higher, Earnings before income taxes was 358 basis points lower, and Net

19


earnings attributable to common shareowners was 248 basis points lower. The Income tax rate - continuing operations ratio was 761 basis points lower.
(b)
The Company's 2012 results include $442 million of pre-tax charges related to merger and acquisition-related charges, the charges associated with the $200 million in cost actions implemented in 2012, as well as the charges associated with the extinguishment of debt during the third quarter of 2012. As a result of these charges, net earnings attributable to common shareowners were reduced by $329 million (or $1.97 per diluted share). As a percentage of Net sales, Cost of sales was 30 basis points higher, Selling, general & administrative was 138 basis points higher, Other-net was 53 basis points higher, Earnings before income taxes was 441 basis points lower, and Net earnings attributable to common shareowners was 328 basis points lower. The Income tax rate - continuing operations ratio was 514 basis points lower. During 2012, the Company recognized an income tax benefit attributable to the settlement of certain tax contingencies of $49 million, or $0.29 per diluted share.
(c)
Discontinued operations in 2015 reflects a $20 million loss, or $0.13 per diluted share, primarily related to operating losses associated with the Security segment’s Spain and Italy operations (“Security Spain and Italy”), which were classified as held for sale in the fourth quarter of 2014 and subsequently sold in 2015. Amounts in 2014 reflect a $96 million loss, or $0.60 per diluted share, associated with Security Spain and Italy as well as two small businesses that were divested in 2014. Amounts in 2013 reflect a $30 million loss, or $0.19 per diluted share, associated with Security Spain and Italy, Hardware & Home Improvement business ("HHI"), and two small businesses that were divested in 2014. Amounts in 2012 reflect earnings of $426 million, or $2.55 per diluted share, related to Security Spain and Italy as well as HHI, partially offset by losses associated with two small businesses previously discussed. The net (loss) earnings from discontinued operations in 2013 and 2012 include net gains related to the HHI sale of $4.7 million and $358.9 million, respectively. Refer to Note T, Divestitures, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion.
(d)
SG&A is inclusive of the Provision for Doubtful Accounts.
(e)
In the first quarter of 2016, the Company adopted ASU 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. ASU 2015-03 requires debt issuance costs related to recognized debt liabilities to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct reduction from the debt liability rather than an asset. Accordingly, amounts reported in prior years have been reclassified to conform to the 2016 presentation.


20


ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The financial and business analysis below provides information which the Company believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows. This financial and business analysis should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes. All references to “Notes” in this Item 7 refer to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report.
The following discussion and certain other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K contain statements reflecting the Company’s views about its future performance that constitute “forward-looking statements” under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry and markets in which the Company operates as well as management’s beliefs and assumptions. Any statements contained herein (including without limitation statements to the effect that Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. or its management “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “plans” and similar expressions) that are not statements of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation, those set forth, or incorporated by reference, below under the heading “Cautionary Statements.” The Company does not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Strategic Objectives
The Company continues to employ the following strategic framework:
•
Continue organic growth momentum by utilizing the Stanley Fulfillment System ("SFS"), a now expanded program ("SFS 2.0") as a catalyst, diversifying toward higher growth, higher margin businesses, and increasing the relative weighting of emerging markets;
•
Be selective and operate in markets where brand is meaningful, the value proposition is definable and sustainable through innovation and global cost leadership is achievable; and
•
Pursue acquisitive growth on multiple fronts by building upon its existing global tools platform, expanding the Industrial platform in Engineered Fastening and Infrastructure, and consolidating the commercial electronic security industry.
The Company is continuing to pursue a growth and acquisition strategy that involves industry, geographic and customer diversification to foster sustainable revenue, earnings and cash flow growth. The Company also remains focused on growing organically, including increasing its presence in emerging markets, with a goal of generating greater than 20% of annual revenues from those markets over time, and leveraging SFS 2.0 focused on upgrading innovation and digital capabilities while maintaining commercial and supply chain excellence, and funding required investments, in part, through functional transformation. Strategic acquisitions, combined with strong organic growth performance, will help enable the Company to reach its objective of doubling its size to $22 billion in revenue by 2022 while expanding the margin rate. Furthermore, the Company's strategic framework, including its focus on diversification, has driven continued improvements in financial performance. Sales outside the U.S. represented 48% of total net sales in 2016, up from 29% in 2002, while sales to U.S. and international home centers and mass merchants have decreased to 28% of total sales in 2016 compared to 31% in 2010.
Execution of the above strategy has resulted in approximately $6.3 billion of acquisitions since 2002 (excluding the Black & Decker merger and recently announced acquisitions discussed below), several divestitures, improved efficiency in the supply chain and manufacturing operations, and enhanced investments in organic growth, enabled by cash flow generation and increased debt capacity.

21


The Company’s long-term financial objectives are as follows:

•
4-6% organic revenue growth;
•
10-12% total revenue growth;
•
10-12% earnings per share growth including acquisitions (6-8% organic earnings per share growth);
•
Free cash flow equal to, or exceeding, net income; and
•
Sustain 10+ working capital turns.
In terms of capital allocation, the Company remains committed, over time, to returning approximately 50% of free cash flow to shareholders through a strong and growing dividend as well as opportunistically repurchasing shares. The remaining free cash flow (approximately 50%) will be deployed towards acquisitions.
The following represents recent examples of the Company executing its strategic objectives:
Pending Acquisitions of Newell Tools and Craftsman Brand
On October 12, 2016, the Company announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Tools business of Newell Brands ("Newell Tools"), which includes the highly attractive industrial cutting, hand tool and power tool accessory brands Irwin® and Lenox®, for $1.95 billion in cash. This acquisition will enhance the Company’s position within the global tools & storage industry and broadens the Company’s product offerings and solutions to customers and end-users, particularly within power tool accessories. The acquisition of Newell Tools is expected to be approximately $0.20 to $0.25 accretive to the Company's diluted earnings per share in 2017 (increasing to approximately $0.60 per diluted share by the third year), excluding approximately $125 to $140 million of restructuring and other deal related costs and approximately $40 million of non-cash inventory step-up charges, which in the aggregate will largely be incurred in the first two years. The transaction, which has received antitrust clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act in the U.S., is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017.
On January 5, 2017, the Company announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to purchase the Craftsman® brand from Sears Holdings, which provides the Company with the rights to develop, manufacture and sell Craftsman®-branded products in non-Sears Holdings channels. The agreement consists of cash payments of $525 million at closing and $250 million at the end of year three, and future payments to Sears Holdings of between 2.5% and 3.5% on new Stanley Black & Decker sales of Craftsman® products through year 15. The Company plans to significantly increase the availability of Craftsman®-branded products to consumers in previously underpenetrated channels, enhance innovation, and add manufacturing jobs in the U.S. to support growth. The transaction is expected to be accretive to earnings, excluding charges, by approximately $0.10 to $0.15 per share in year one, increasing to approximately $0.35 to $0.45 by year five and to approximately $0.70 to $0.80 by year ten. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, is expected to close during 2017.

Refer to Note E, Acquisitions, for further discussion of the Company's acquisitions.
Pending Sale of Majority of Mechanical Security Businesses
In December 2016, the Company announced the sale of the majority of its mechanical security businesses to Dormakaba for $725 million in cash. The sale, which includes the commercial hardware brands of Best Access, phi Precision and GMT, will allow the Company to sharpen its focus on the more strategically attractive commercial electronic security and automatic doors businesses, and to deploy capital in a more accretive and growth-oriented manner. This tax-efficient sale transaction is expected to generate net after-tax cash proceeds of approximately $700 million. The Company expects the 2017 diluted earnings per share impact of this transaction to be approximately $0.15 to $0.20 dilutive. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017. The assets and liabilities expected to be included in the sale have been classified as held for sale on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016.

Refer to Note T, Divestitures, for further discussion of the Company's divestitures.
Conclusion of Previously Announced Security Portfolio Assessment
Concurrent with the announcement of the sale above, the Company announced its intent to retain its commercial electronic security and automatic doors businesses. The commercial electronic security business, with its inherent linkage to the digital world, provides both a stable recurring revenue stream and an opportunity to develop and market high-value, high-growth customer solutions, while the automatic doors business represents an attractive growth opportunity for market expansion through both core and breakthrough innovation.

22


Driving Further Profitable Growth By Fully Leveraging Existing Franchises
Each of the Company's franchises share common attributes: they have world-class brands and attractive growth characteristics, they are scalable and defensible, and they can differentiate through innovation.
•
The Tools & Storage business is the tool company to own with its strong brands, proven innovation machine, global scale, and broad offering of power and hand tools across many channels in both developed and developing markets.
•
The Engineered Fastening business is a highly profitable, GDP+ growth business offering highly engineered, value-added innovative solutions with recurring revenue attributes and global scale.
•
The Convergent Security Solutions ("CSS") business, with its value-add vertical market offerings and attractive recurring revenue, presents a significant margin accretion opportunity over the longer term. The Security business, which has historically provided a stable revenue stream through economic cycles, is a gateway into the digital world and an avenue to capitalize on rapid digital changes.
While diversifying the business portfolio through strategic acquisitions remains important, management recognizes that the existing franchises described above are important foundations that continue to provide strong cash flow and growth prospects. Management is committed to growing these businesses through innovative product development via SFS 2.0, brand support via innovative and customer centric digital experience, continued investment in emerging markets and a sharp focus on global cost-competitiveness.
Continuing to Invest in the Stanley Black & Decker Brands
The Company has a strong portfolio of brands associated with high-quality products including STANLEY®, BLACK+DECKER®, DEWALT®, Porter-Cable®, Bostitch®, Proto®, MAC®, FACOM®, AeroScout®, Powers®, LISTA®, SIDCHROME®, Vidmar®, SONITROL®, DIYZ® and GQ®. The STANLEY®, BLACK+DECKER® and DEWALT® brands are recognized as three of the world's great brands and are amongst the Company's most valuable assets. The recently announced acquisitions above will further bolster the Company's portfolio with the addition of the Irwin®, Lenox® and Craftsman® brands.
During 2016, the STANLEY® and DEWALT® brands had prominent signage at eight major league baseball stadiums and 27% of all Major League Baseball games. The Company has also maintained long-standing NASCAR and NHRA racing sponsorships, which provided brand exposure during 53 events in 2016. The Company has continued its ten-year alliance agreement with the Walt Disney World Resort® whereby STANLEY® logos are displayed on construction walls throughout the theme parks. Brand logos and/or products are featured in various attractions where they are seen by approximately 44 million visitors each year. In 2009, the Company also began advertising in the English Premier League, which is the number one soccer league in the world, watched weekly by approximately 648 million people. Starting in 2014, the Company became a sponsor for one of the world’s most popular football clubs, FC Barcelona, including player image rights, hospitality assets and stadium signage. The Company advertises in televised Professional Bull Riding events, as well as sponsoring 3 riders in 'The Built Ford Tough Series,' which is broadcast in 129 territories and to more than 400 million households globally. Additionally, the Company sponsors Moto GP, the world's premiere motorcycle racing series reaching 150 million fans per race and airing in over 200 countries, and the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team. The Company also has a partnership with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), the most popular sport in China with over 800 million fans. In 2016, STANLEY®, BLACK+DECKER® and DEWALT®, partnered with three of the fastest growing and thrilling extreme sports categories - BMX, Freeride Mountain Biking (MTB) and Skateboarding - supporting 18 athletes from grass-roots to professional level, to drive the Company's millennial marketing objectives.
The above marketing initiatives highlight the Company's strong emphasis on brand building and support, which has resulted in more than 200 billion brand impressions annually and a steady improvement across the spectrum of brand awareness measures. The Company will continue allocating its brand and advertising spend wisely to capture the emerging digital landscape, whilst continuing to evolve proven marketing programs.
The Stanley Fulfillment System and SFS 2.0
The core Stanley Fulfillment System ("SFS") employs continuous improvement techniques to streamline operations (front end & back office) and drive efficiency throughout the supply chain. SFS has five core principles that work in concert: sales and operations planning (“S&OP”), operational lean, complexity reduction, global supply management, and order-to-cash excellence. S&OP is a dynamic and continuous unified process that links and balances supply and demand in a manner that produces world-class fill rates while minimizing DSI (Days Sales of Inventory). Operational lean is the systemic application of lean principles in progressive steps throughout the enterprise to optimize flow toward a pre-defined end state by eliminating

23


waste, increasing efficiency and driving value. Complexity reduction is a focused and overt effort to eradicate costly and unnecessary complexity from the Company's products, supply chain and back room process and organizations. Complexity reduction enables all other SFS elements and, when successfully deployed, results in world-class cost, speed of execution and customer satisfaction. Global supply management focuses on strategically leveraging the Company’s scale to achieve the best possible price and payment terms with the best possible quality, service and delivery among all categories of spend. Order-to-cash excellence is a methodical, process-based approach that provides a user-friendly, automated and error-proof customer experience from intent-to-purchase to shipping and billing to payment, while minimizing cash collection cycle time and DSO (Days Sales Outstanding). Other benefits of SFS include reductions in lead times, rapid realization of synergies during acquisition integrations, and focus on employee safety. The core SFS principles also help to mitigate the impact of material and energy price inflation.

SFS is also instrumental in the reduction of working capital as evidenced by the 80% improvement in the Company's working capital turns from 5.9 at the end of 2010 (directly after the Merger) to 10.6 at the end of 2016, ahead of the Company's top-quartile goal of 10 turns. The continued efforts to deploy SFS across the entire Company and increase turns have created significant opportunities to generate incremental free cash flow. Going forward, the Company plans to further leverage the core SFS principles to generate ongoing improvements both in its existing businesses and future acquisitions in working capital turns, cycle times, complexity reduction and customer service levels, with a long-term goal of sustaining 10+ working capital turns.

In late 2014, the Company embarked on an initiative to drive from a more programmatic growth mentality to a true organic growth culture by more deeply embedding breakthrough innovation and commercial excellence into its businesses, and at the same time, becoming a significantly more digitally-enabled enterprise. To that end, the Company spent considerable time and effort developing the next iteration of the successful SFS program, which has driven working capital turns to world-class levels and vastly improved the supply chain and customer-facing metrics. Entitled “SFS 2.0” this refreshed and revitalized business system continues the progress on core SFS, but importantly, provide resources and added focus into functional transformation, digital excellence, commercial excellence and breakthrough innovation.

SFS 2.0 was launched in 2015 and immediately created a positive impact by driving organic growth, improving margins and reaching new levels of innovation and digitization across the entire organization. The positive impacts of SFS 2.0 continued into 2016, as evidenced by the launch of the DEWALT FLEXVOLT™ battery system in June 2016. This new battery technology, which is the first major output of the SFS 2.0 Breakthrough Innovation initiative, changes voltages as the user changes tools allowing for 20V - 60V - 120V (when two batteries are combined) power all within the same battery system and is fully backward compatible with the Company's existing 20V line of cordless tools.

The Company has made a significant commitment to SFS 2.0 and management believes that its success will be characterized by more consistent organic growth in the 4-6% range as well as expanded operating margin rates over the next 3 to 5 years as the Company leverages the growth and reduces structural SG&A levels.

SFS 2.0 is transforming the Company by focusing its employees on the following five key pillars:
•
Core SFS, which targets asset efficiency, remains as the foundation for the Company's operating system and has yielded significant advances in improving working capital turns and free cash flow generation. The Company plans to continue leveraging the core SFS principles to further enhance the Company's already strong asset efficiency performance.
•
Functional Transformation takes a clean-sheet approach to redesigning the Company's key support functions such as Finance, HR, IT and others, which although highly effective, after almost a hundred acquisitions are not as efficient as they can be, based on external benchmarks. This presents the Company with an opportunity to reduce its SG&A as a percent of sales and becomes a cost effectiveness enabler with the side benefit of helping to fund the following other aspects of SFS 2.0, which together act as enablers for outsized organic growth and margin expansion.
•
Digital Excellence uses the power of digital to be disruptive and more effective and far reaching through the Company's products, solutions and analytics. Digital Excellence means leveraging the power of emerging technologies across the Company's businesses to connected devices, the Internet of Things, and big data, as well as social and mobile, even more than what is being done today. Digital will touch all aspects of the organization and feeds into and supports the other elements of SFS 2.0 - enabling better asset efficiency through core SFS, greater cost effectiveness via the Company's support functions, and improving revenues and margins via customer-facing opportunities.
•
Commercial Excellence is about how the Company becomes more effective and efficient in its customer-facing processes resulting in continued share gains and margin expansion throughout its businesses. The Company views

24


Commercial Excellence as world-class execution across seven areas: customer insights, innovation and portfolio management, pricing and promotion, brand and marketing, sales force deployment and effectiveness, channel programs, and the customer experience.
•
Breakthrough Innovation is aimed at developing a breakthrough innovation culture to identify market disruptive technologies. The Company's focus remains on coming up with the next major breakthrough in the industries in which the Company operates which, when combined with its existing strong core innovation machine, will drive outsized share gains and margin expansion.
These five pillars will serve as a powerful value driver in the years ahead, feeding the Company's new product innovation machine, embracing outstanding commercial and supply chain excellence, embedding digital into the various business models, and funding it with world-class functional efficiency. Taken together, these pillars will directly support achievement of the Company's long-term financial objectives and further enable its shareholder-friendly capital allocation approach, which has served the Company well in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
Outlook for 2017
This outlook discussion is intended to provide broad insight into the Company’s near-term earnings and cash flow generation prospects. The Company expects 2017 diluted earnings per share to approximate $6.85 to $7.05 (excluding the estimated earnings per share impacts of the pending acquisitions and divestiture discussed previously), up approximately 7% at the mid-point compared to 2016, with free cash flow conversion, defined as free cash flow divided by net income, approximating 100%. The 2017 outlook assumes organic sales growth of 4% resulting in approximately $0.45 to $0.55 of diluted earnings per share accretion. The net impact of cost and productivity actions, partially offset by higher share count, is expected to result in approximately $0.45 to $0.50 of diluted earnings per share accretion. Commodity inflation, approximating $50 to $55 million, and foreign exchange headwinds, approximating $50 million, are expected to negatively impact diluted earnings per share by $0.50 to $0.55. Core restructuring charges and the tax rate are expected to be relatively consistent with 2016 levels.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Below is a summary of the Company’s operating results at the consolidated level, followed by an overview of business segment performance.
Terminology: The term “organic” is utilized to describe results aside from the impacts of foreign currency fluctuations and acquisitions during their initial 12 months of ownership. This ensures appropriate comparability to operating results of prior periods.
Net Sales: Net sales were $11.407 billion in 2016, up 2%, compared to $11.172 billion in 2015. Organic sales volume and pricing provided increases of 3% and 1%, respectively, partially offset by a 2% decrease due to negative impacts from foreign currency. In the Tools & Storage segment, net sales increased 5% compared to 2015 due to strong organic growth of 7%, driven by solid growth across all regions, bolstered by the launch of the DEWALT FLEXVOLT™ battery system, partially offset by foreign currency pressures of 2%. Net sales in the Security segment were relatively flat compared to 2015 as organic growth of 1% and small bolt-on electronic acquisitions of 1% were offset by foreign currency headwinds of 2%. Industrial net sales declined 5% relative to 2015 primarily due to a 4% decrease in organic sales volume, which was mainly driven by weaker electronics volumes attributable to a major customer and pressured industrial volumes in the Engineered Fastening business as well as fewer off-shore pipeline projects and an ongoing difficult scrap steel market in the Infrastructure business. Excluding the impact of the electronics customer, the Industrial segment's organic growth was relatively flat in 2016.
Net sales were $11.172 billion in 2015, down 1% compared to $11.339 billion in 2014. Organic sales volume and pricing provided increases of 5% and 1%, respectively, but were more than offset by a 7% decrease due to negative impacts from foreign currency. In the Tools & Storage segment, organic sales increased 8% compared to 2014 as a result of strong growth across all regions primarily due to share gains from innovative new products and an expanded retail footprint. Net sales in the Security segment decreased 7% compared to 2014 primarily due to foreign currency declines of 7% and lower volumes in North America and emerging markets, which more than offset organic growth in Europe. In the Industrial segment, organic sales grew 2% relative to 2014 due to strong organic growth in the Engineered Fastening business primarily as a result of strong global automotive revenues.
Gross Profit: The Company reported gross profit of $4.267 billion, or 37.4% of net sales, in 2016 compared to $4.072 billion, or 36.4% of net sales, in 2015. The increase in the profit rate reflects favorable impacts from price, productivity, cost actions and commodity deflation, which more than offset unfavorable foreign currency.

25


The Company reported gross profit of $4.072 billion, or 36.4% of net sales, in 2015 compared to $4.103 billion, or 36.2% of net sales, in 2014. The increase in the profit rate reflects favorable impacts from volume leverage, price, productivity, cost actions and commodity deflation, which more than offset significant unfavorable foreign currency fluctuations.
SG&A Expense: Selling, general and administrative expenses, inclusive of the provision for doubtful accounts (“SG&A”), were $2.624 billion, or 23.0% of net sales, in 2016 compared to $2.486 billion, or 22.3% of net sales, in 2015. The increase in the SG&A rate was driven by investments in key SFS 2.0 initiatives moderated by continued tight management of costs.
SG&A expenses were $2.486 billion, or 22.3% of net sales, in 2015 compared to $2.596 billion, or 22.9% of net sales in 2014. The decrease in the SG&A rate reflects the positive impacts of volume leverage and cost controls.
Distribution center costs (i.e. warehousing and fulfillment facility and associated labor costs) are classified within SG&A. This classification may differ from other companies who may report such expenses within cost of sales. Due to diversity in practice, to the extent the classification of these distribution costs differs from other companies, the Company’s gross margins may not be comparable. Such distribution costs classified in SG&A amounted to $235.6 million in 2016, $229.3 million in 2015 and $243.2 million in 2014.
Corporate Overhead: The corporate overhead element of SG&A and gross profit, which is not allocated to the business segments, amounted to $197.2 million in 2016, $164.0 million in 2015 and $177.4 million in 2014. The increase in 2016 compared to 2015 was primarily due to investments in SFS 2.0 initiatives and higher employee-related costs. The decrease in 2015 compared to 2014 reflects positive impacts from the Company's effort to reduce certain indirect expenses. Corporate overhead represented 1.7%, 1.5%, and 1.6% of net sales in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Other-net: Other-net totaled $196.9 million in 2016, $222.0 million in 2015 and $239.6 million in 2014. The decrease in 2016 compared to 2015 was primarily driven by lower unfavorable impacts of foreign currency and lower amortization expense, partially offset by higher acquisition-related costs. The decrease in 2015 compared to 2014 was primarily driven by lower amortization expense partially offset by negative impacts of foreign currency.

Interest, net: Net interest expense in 2016 was $171.3 million compared to $165.2 million in 2015 and $163.6 million in 2014. The increase in net interest expense in 2016 versus 2015 was primarily due to amortization of debt issuance costs partially offset by an increase in interest income as a result of higher average cash balances during 2016. The increase in net interest expense in 2015 versus 2014 was primarily attributable to the termination of interest rate swaps in 2014 hedging the Company's $400 million 5.20% notes due 2040.

Income Taxes: The Company's effective tax rate was 21.3% in 2016, 21.6% in 2015, and 20.9% in 2014. The effective tax rate in both 2016 and 2015 differed from the U.S. statutory rate primarily due to a portion of the Company's earnings being realized in lower-taxed foreign jurisdictions, adjustments to tax positions relating to undistributed foreign earnings, and reversals of valuation allowances for certain foreign and U.S. state net operating losses, which have become realizable. The effective tax rate in 2014 differed from the U.S. statutory rate primarily due to a portion of the Company's earnings being realized in lower-taxed foreign jurisdictions, the passage of U.S. tax legislation, settlement of various income tax audits and the reversal of valuation allowances for certain foreign net operating losses which had become realizable.

Business Segment Results
The Company’s reportable segments are aggregations of businesses that have similar products, services and end markets, among other factors. The Company utilizes segment profit which is defined as net sales minus cost of sales and SG&A inclusive of the provision for doubtful accounts (aside from corporate overhead expense), and segment profit as a percentage of net sales to assess the profitability of each segment. Segment profit excludes the corporate overhead expense element of SG&A, other-net (inclusive of intangible asset amortization expense), restructuring charges, interest income, interest expense, and income tax expense. Corporate overhead is comprised of world headquarters facility expense, cost for the executive management team and the expense pertaining to certain centralized functions that benefit the entire Company but are not directly attributable to the businesses, such as legal and corporate finance functions. Refer to Note O, Restructuring Charges and Asset Impairments, and Note F, Goodwill and Intangible Assets, for the amount of net restructuring charges and intangibles amortization expense, respectively, attributable to each segment.

As previously discussed, in the first quarter of 2015, the Company combined the Construction & Do-It-Yourself ("CDIY") business with certain complementary elements of the Industrial and Automotive Repair ("IAR") and Healthcare businesses (formerly part of the Industrial and Security segments, respectively) to form one Tools & Storage business. The Company recast segment net sales and profit for all periods presented to align with this change in organizational structure. There was no impact to the consolidated financial statements of the Company as a result of this change.

26



The Company classifies its business into three reportable segments, which also represent its operating segments: Tools & Storage, Security and Industrial.
Tools & Storage:
The Tools & Storage segment is comprised of the Power Tools and Hand Tools, Accessories & Storage ("HTAS") businesses. The Power Tools business includes both professional and consumer products. Professional products include professional grade corded and cordless electric power tools and equipment including drills, impact wrenches and drivers, grinders, saws, routers and sanders, as well as pneumatic tools and fasteners including nail guns, nails, staplers, and staples, concrete and masonry anchors. Consumer products include corded and cordless electric power tools sold primarily under the BLACK+DECKER brand, lawn and garden products including hedge trimmers, string trimmers, lawn mowers, edgers, and related accessories and home products such as hand held vacuums, paint tools and cleaning appliances. The HTAS business sells measuring, leveling and layout tools, planes, hammers, demolition tools, knives, saws, chisels and industrial and automotive tools. Power tool accessories include drill bits, router bits, abrasives and saw blades. Storage products include tool boxes, sawhorses, medical cabinets and engineered storage solution products.
(Millions of Dollars)
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Net sales
$
7,469

 
$
7,141

 
$
7,033

Segment profit
$
1,267

 
$
1,170

 
$
1,074

% of Net sales
17.0
%
 
16.4
%
 
15.3
%
Tools & Storage net sales increased $328.5 million, or 5%, in 2016 compared to 2015. Organic sales increased 7% primarily due to organic growth of 7% in North America, 8% in Europe, and 5% in emerging markets, while unfavorable effects of foreign currency decreased net sales by 2%. North America growth was fueled by share gains from the successful launch of the DEWALT FLEXVOLT system, core product innovation and strong commercial execution. Europe achieved above-market organic growth leveraging the benefits of new products, growth investments and an expanded retail footprint. Growth in emerging markets, led by Latin America and Asia, was driven by successful commercial execution surrounding mid-price point products and regional pricing actions.

Segment profit amounted to $1,266.9 million, or 17.0% of net sales, in 2016 compared to $1,170.1 million, or 16.4% of net sales, in 2015. The increase in segment profit year-over-year was primarily driven by volume leverage, price, productivity, cost management and lower commodity prices, which more than offset currency and growth investments.
Tools & Storage net sales increased $107.7 million, or 2%, in 2015 compared to 2014. Organic sales increased 8% primarily due to organic growth of 11% in North America, 7% in Europe, and 3% in emerging markets, while unfavorable effects of foreign currency decreased net sales by 6%. Share gains from innovative new products and brand extensions combined with a healthy underlying U.S. tool market fueled growth in North America despite downward pressure in the industrial channels and Canada. Europe achieved above-market organic growth due to share gains from new products, an expanded retail footprint and solid commercial momentum. Organic growth within the emerging markets was driven by favorable impacts of pricing and successful mid-price-point product releases, which more than offset weakness in certain markets, particularly Russia and China.

Segment profit amounted to $1,170.1 million, or 16.4% of net sales, in 2015 compared to $1,074.4 million, or 15.3% of net sales, in 2014. The increase in segment profit year-over-year was primarily driven by volume leverage, price, productivity, cost management and lower commodity prices, which more than offset significant foreign currency headwinds.

Security:
The Security segment is comprised of the Convergent Security Solutions ("CSS") and the Mechanical Access Solutions ("MAS") businesses. The CSS business designs, supplies and installs electronic security systems and provides electronic security services, including alarm monitoring, video surveillance, fire alarm monitoring, systems integration and system maintenance. Purchasers of these systems typically contract for ongoing security systems monitoring and maintenance at the time of initial equipment installation. The business also sells healthcare solutions, which include asset tracking solutions, infant protection, pediatric protection, patient protection, wander management, fall management, and emergency call products. The MAS business sells automatic doors, commercial hardware, locking mechanisms, electronic keyless entry systems, keying systems, tubular and mortise door locksets.

27


(Millions of Dollars)
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Net sales
$
2,097

 
$
2,093

 
$
2,261

Segment profit
$
269

 
$
240

 
$
259

% of Net sales
12.8
%
 
11.4
%
 
11.5
%
Security net sales increased $4.5 million in 2016 compared to 2015. Organic sales and small bolt-on electronic acquisitions each provided increases of 1%, while foreign currency decreased net sales by 2%. Europe posted positive organic growth of 2% on higher installation revenues, while North America declined 1% organically primarily due to lower sales volume within the commercial electronic security business partially offset by higher prices and volumes in the automatic doors business. The Security segment's organic growth in 2016 was also bolstered by double-digit growth within the emerging markets on easing comparables.
Segment profit amounted to $269.2 million, or 12.8% of net sales, in 2016 compared to $239.6 million, or 11.4% of net sales, in 2015. The increase in segment profit year-over-year was mainly due to improved operating performance in both North America and Europe, driven by a more disciplined assessment of new commercial opportunities, improved field productivity, and cost actions, which in the aggregate more than offset currency headwinds.
Security net sales decreased $168.3 million, or 7%, in 2015 compared to 2014. Organic sales were relatively flat year-over-year while foreign currency fluctuations resulted in a 7% decrease in net sales. Organic growth of 3% in Europe was primarily driven by higher installation revenues in a number of countries and a stable recurring revenue portfolio. North America organic sales were relatively flat year-over-year as modest price increases were offset by lower sales volume within the commercial electronics business as 2014 benefited from a large retail installation. Organic sales declined in emerging markets due to relatively weak market conditions in China.
Segment profit amounted to $239.6 million, or 11.4% of net sales, in 2015 compared to $259.2 million, or 11.5% of net sales, in 2014. The segment profit rate was relatively flat year-over-year as improved operating performance within Europe was offset by field cost inefficiencies within the North America electronics business and the deleveraging impact of lower volumes in emerging markets.
Industrial:
The Industrial segment is comprised of the Engineered Fastening and Infrastructure businesses. The Engineered Fastening business primarily sells engineered fastening products and systems designed for specific applications. The product lines include stud welding systems, blind rivets and tools, blind inserts and tools, drawn arc weld studs, engineered plastic and mechanical fasteners, self-piercing riveting systems, precision nut running systems, micro fasteners, and high-strength structural fasteners. The Infrastructure business consists of the Oil & Gas and Hydraulics businesses. The Oil & Gas business sells and rents custom pipe handling, joint welding and coating equipment used in the construction of large and small diameter pipelines, and provides pipeline inspection services. The Hydraulics business sells hydraulic tools and accessories.
(Millions of Dollars)
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Net sales
$
1,840

 
$
1,938

 
$
2,044

Segment profit
$
304

 
$
340

 
$
351

% of Net sales
16.5
%
 
17.5
%
 
17.1
%
Industrial net sales decreased $97.9 million, or 5%, in 2016 compared with 2015, due to a 4% decline in organic sales and a 1% decrease from foreign currency. Engineered Fastening organic revenues declined 4% primarily due to weaker electronics volumes attributable to a major customer and pressured industrial volumes, which more than offset higher automotive growth. Excluding the impact of the major electronics customer, Engineered Fastening's organic sales were slightly positive in 2016. Infrastructure organic revenues decreased 5% due to a slowdown in Oil & Gas off-shore project activity as well as ongoing difficult scrap steel market conditions in the Hydraulics business.

Segment profit totaled $304.4 million, or 16.5% of net sales, in 2016 compared to $339.9 million, or 17.5% of net sales, in 2015. The year-over-year decrease in segment profit rate was primarily driven by lower volumes and currency, which more than offset productivity gains and cost control actions.

Industrial net sales decreased $106.2 million, or 5%, in 2015 compared with 2014 as organic growth of 2% was more than offset by unfavorable foreign currency of 7%. Engineered Fastening achieved organic growth of 4% during 2015, which was mainly attributable to strong global automotive revenues. Infrastructure organic sales decreased 4% primarily due to lower

28


Hydraulics volumes as a result of difficult scrap steel market conditions, which more than offset modest organic growth in Oil & Gas.

Segment profit totaled $339.9 million, or 17.5% of net sales, in 2015 compared to $350.6 million, or 17.1% of net sales, in 2014. The year-over-year increase in segment profit rate was primarily due to favorable volume leverage from Engineered Fastening, productivity gains and cost controls, which more than offset negative impacts from foreign currency and lower Hydraulics volumes.

RESTRUCTURING ACTIVITIES
A summary of the restructuring reserve activity from January 2, 2016 to December 31, 2016 is as follows:
(Millions of Dollars)
1/2/2016
 
Net Additions
 
Usage
 
Currency
 
12/31/2016
Severance and related costs
$
44.3

 
$
27.3

 
$
(50.0
)
 
$
(0.2
)
 
$
21.4

Facility closures and asset impairments
14.4

 
21.7

 
(21.0
)
 
(0.9
)
 
14.2

Total
$
58.7

 
$
49.0

 
$
(71.0
)
 
$
(1.1
)
 
$
35.6

During 2016, the Company recognized net restructuring charges and asset impairments of $49.0 million. This amount reflects $27.3 million of net severance charges associated with the reduction of 1,326 employees. The Company also recognized $11.0 million of facility closure costs and $10.7 million of asset impairments. The Company expects the 2016 actions to result in annual net cost savings of approximately $60 million by the end of 2017.
The majority of the $35.6 million of reserves remaining as of December 31, 2016 is expected to be utilized within the next twelve months.
During 2015, the Company recognized net restructuring charges and asset impairments of $47.6 million. Net severance charges totaled $32.7 million relating to the reduction of approximately 1,300 employees. The Company also recognized $5.1 million of facility closure costs and $9.8 million of asset impairments. The 2015 actions resulted in annual net cost savings of approximately $40 million in 2016, primarily in the Security and Industrial segments.
During 2014, the Company recognized $18.8 million of net restructuring charges. Net severance charges totaled $15.1 million and related to cost reductions associated with the severance of employees. Also included in net restructuring charges were facility closure costs of $3.7 million. The 2014 actions resulted in annual net cost savings of approximately $50 million in 2015, which was primarily related to the Tools & Storage segment.
Segments: The $49 million of net restructuring charges and asset impairments for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 includes: $13 million of net charges pertaining to the Tools & Storage segment; $17 million of net charges pertaining to the Security segment; $9 million of net charges pertaining to the Industrial segment; and $10 million of net charges pertaining to Corporate.
The anticipated annual net cost savings of approximately $60 million related to the 2016 restructuring actions include: $20 million pertaining to the Tools & Storage segment; $19 million relating to the Security segment; $18 million pertaining to the Industrial segment; and $3 million relating to Corporate.
FINANCIAL CONDITION
Liquidity, Sources and Uses of Capital: The Company’s primary sources of liquidity are cash flows generated from operations and available lines of credit under various credit facilities. The Company's cash flows are presented on a consolidated basis and include cash flows from discontinued operations in 2015 and 2014.
Operating Activities: Cash flows from operations were $1.485 billion in 2016 compared to $1.182 billion in 2015, representing a $303 million increase. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to higher earnings and cash flows from working capital (accounts receivable, inventory, accounts payable and deferred revenue). As discussed previously, working capital turns increased to 10.6 as of December 31, 2016, an improvement of 1.4 turns over the prior year, demonstrating the Company's continued commitment to its core SFS principles.
In 2015, cash flows from operations were $1.182 billion, a $114 million decrease compared to $1.296 billion in 2014. The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to higher outflows from working capital as a result of lower than expected sales volumes in the fourth quarter of 2015.
In 2014, cash flows from operations were $1.296 billion, a $428 million increase compared to $868 million in 2013. The year-over-year increase was primarily driven by an increase in earnings and lower one-time restructuring and related payments,

29


partially offset by higher employee benefit plan contributions. Furthermore, operating cash flows in 2014 were positively impacted by an increase in working capital turns from 8.1 at December 28, 2013 to 9.2 at January 3, 2015, demonstrating the continued success of SFS.
Free Cash Flow: Management considers free cash flow an important indicator of its liquidity, as well as its ability to fund future growth and provide dividends to shareowners. Free cash flow does not include deductions for mandatory debt service, other borrowing activity, discretionary dividends on the Company’s common stock and business acquisitions, among other items.
(Millions of Dollars)
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Net cash provided by operating activities
$
1,485

 
$
1,182

 
$
1,296

Less: capital expenditures
(347
)
 
(311
)
 
(291
)
Free cash flow
$
1,138

 
$
871

 
$
1,005


Investing Activities: Cash flows used in investing activities were $284 million in 2016, primarily due to capital and software expenditures of $347 million and business acquisitions of $59 million, partially offset by $105 million of cash proceeds related to net investment hedge settlements, which were primarily driven by the significant fluctuations in foreign currency rates during 2016 associated with foreign exchange contracts hedging a portion of the Company's pound sterling, Canadian dollar, and Euro denominated net investments.
Cash flows used in investing activities in 2015 totaled $205 million, which primarily consisted of capital and software expenditures of $311 million partially offset by $137 million of cash proceeds related to net investment hedge settlements, which were primarily driven by the significant fluctuations in foreign currency rates during 2015 associated with foreign exchange contracts hedging a portion of the Company's pound sterling and Canadian dollar denominated net investments.
Cash flows used in investing activities in 2014 totaled $382 million, which primarily consisted of capital and software expenditures of $291 million and payments related to net investment hedge settlements of $61 million. The lower capital expenditures in 2014 was driven by management's continued focus to control spend in this area as well as lower integration-related capital expenditures. The payments related to net investment hedge settlements were mainly driven by the significant fluctuations in foreign currency rates during 2014 associated with foreign exchange contracts hedging a portion of the Company's pound sterling denominated net investment.
Financing Activities: Cash flows used in financing activities were $433 million in 2016 primarily due to share repurchases of $374 million, cash payments for dividends of $331 million, and the settlement of the October 2014 forward share purchase contract for $147 million, partially offset by proceeds from issuances of common stock of $419 million, which mainly related to the issuance of 3.5 million shares associated with the settlement of the 2013 Equity Purchase Contracts. The higher dividend payments in 2016 were driven by the increase in quarterly dividends per common share to $0.58. The dividend paid in December 2016 to shareholders of record extended the Company's record for the longest consecutive annual and quarterly dividend payments among industrial companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The Company also paid approximately $13 million in December 2016 to purchase the remaining 30% interest in GMT, which is included in the pending sale of the majority of the Company's mechanical security businesses, as discussed previously.
Cash flows used in financing activities in 2015 were $876 million, primarily due to the repurchase of 6.6 million common shares for $650 million and cash payments for dividends of $320 million, partially offset by proceeds from issuances of common stock of $164 million, which mainly related to the exercises of stock options. The Company also paid approximately $34 million in December 2015 to purchase the remaining 40% interest in GQ.
Cash flows used in financing activities in 2014 were $766 million, primarily due to net repayments of short-term borrowings of $391 million, cash payments for dividends of $321 million, and payments on long-term debt of $47 million related to the repurchase of $46 million of 2022 Term Notes. In 2014, the Company also terminated $400 million of interest rate swaps hedging the Company's $400 million, 5.20% notes due 2053, which resulted in cash payments of $33.4 million. Proceeds from issuances of common stock totaled $71 million, which was primarily related to stock option exercises.
Fluctuations in foreign currency rates negatively impacted cash by $102 million, $133 million and $147 million in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. These negative impacts were primarily driven by the continued strengthening of the U.S. Dollar, against the Company's other currencies.
Refer to Note H, Long-Term Debt and Financing Arrangements, and Note J, Capital Stock, for further discussion regarding the Company's debt and equity arrangements.

30


Credit Ratings and Liquidity:
The Company maintains strong investment grade credit ratings from the major U.S. rating agencies on its senior unsecured debt (S&P A, Fitch A-, Moody's Baa1), as well as its commercial paper program (S&P A-1, Fitch F2, Moody's P-2). There have been no changes to any of the ratings during 2016.  Failure to maintain strong investment grade rating levels could adversely affect the Company’s cost of funds, liquidity and access to capital markets, but would not have an adverse effect on the Company’s ability to access its existing committed credit facilities.
Cash and cash equivalents totaled $1.132 billion as of December 31, 2016, which was predominantly held in foreign jurisdictions. As of January 2, 2016 cash and cash equivalents totaled $465 million, comprised of $131 million in the U.S. and $334 million in foreign jurisdictions. Concurrent with the Black & Decker merger, the Company made a determination to repatriate certain legacy Black & Decker foreign earnings, on which U.S. income taxes had not previously been provided. As a result of this repatriation decision, the Company has recorded approximately $261 million of associated deferred tax liabilities at December 31, 2016. Current plans and liquidity requirements do not demonstrate a need to repatriate other foreign earnings. Accordingly, all other undistributed foreign earnings of the Company are considered to be permanently reinvested, or will be remitted substantially free of additional tax, consistent with the Company’s overall growth strategy internationally, including acquisitions and long-term financial objectives. No provision has been made for taxes that might be payable upon remittance of these undistributed foreign earnings. However, should management determine at a later point to repatriate additional foreign earnings, the Company would be required to accrue and pay taxes at that time.
At December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016, the Company had no commercial paper borrowings outstanding against the Company's $2.0 billion commercial paper program. In January 2017, the Company amended its $2.0 billion commercial paper program to increase the maximum amount of notes authorized to be issued to $3.0 billion and to include Euro denominated borrowings in addition to U.S. Dollars. In February 2017, the Company issued €600.0 million in Euro denominated commercial paper under its $3.0 billion U.S. Dollar and Euro commercial paper program which has been designated as a Net Investment Hedge as described in more detail in Note I, Derivative Financial Instruments.
Also, in January 2017, the Company executed a 364-day $1.3 billion committed credit facility (the "2017 Credit Agreement"). The 2017 Credit Agreement consists of a $1.3 billion revolving credit loan and a sub-limit of an amount equal to the EURO equivalent of $400 million for swing line advances. Borrowings under the 2017 Credit Agreement may be made in U.S. Dollars or Euros, pursuant to the terms of the agreement, and bear interest at a floating rate dependent on the denomination of the borrowing. Repayments must be made by January 17, 2018 or upon an earlier termination of the 2017 Credit Agreement at the election of the Company. The 2017 Credit Agreement serves as a liquidity back-stop for the Company’s $3.0 billion U.S. Dollar and Euro commercial paper program, also authorized and amended in January 2017, as discussed above.

The Company has a five-year $1.75 billion committed credit facility (the “Credit Agreement”). Borrowings under the Credit Agreement may include U.S. Dollars up to the $1.75 billion commitment or in Euro or Pounds Sterling subject to a foreign currency sub-limit of $400.0 million and bear interest at a floating rate dependent upon the denomination of the borrowing. Repayments must be made on December 18, 2020 or upon an earlier termination date of the Credit Agreement, at the election of the Company. The Credit Agreement is designated to be a liquidity back-stop for the Company's $2.0 billion commercial paper program. As of December 31, 2016, the Company has not drawn on this commitment.
In addition, the Company has short-term lines of credit that are primarily uncommitted, with numerous banks, aggregating $588.5 million, of which $493.8 million was available at December 31, 2016. Short-term arrangements are reviewed annually for renewal.
At December 31, 2016, the aggregate amount of committed and uncommitted, long- and short-term lines was $2.3 billion. At December 31, 2016, $4.3 million was recorded as short-term borrowings outstanding against uncommitted lines excluding commercial paper. In addition, $94.7 million of the short-term credit lines was utilized primarily pertaining to outstanding letters of credit for which there are no required or reported debt balances. The weighted average interest rates on short-term borrowings, primarily commercial paper, for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016 were 0.6% and 0.4%, respectively.
In March 2015, the Company entered into a forward share purchase contract with a financial institution counterparty for (3,645,510) shares of common stock. The contract obligates the Company to pay $350.0 million, plus an additional amount related to the forward component of the contract. In November 2016, the Company amended the settlement date to April 2019, or earlier at the Company's option.
In October 2014, the Company entered into a forward share purchase contract on its common stock. The contract obligated the Company to pay $150.0 million, plus an additional amount related to the forward component of the contract, to the financial

31


institution counterparty not later than October 2016, or earlier at the Company’s option, for the 1,603,822 shares purchased. In October 2016, the Company physically settled the contract, receiving 1,603,822 shares for a settlement amount of $147.4 million.
On February 10, 2015, the Company net-share settled 9.1 million of the 12.2 million capped call options on its common stock and received 911,077 shares using an average reference price of $96.46 per common share. Additionally, the Company purchased 3,381,162 shares directly from the counterparties participating in the net-share settlement of the capped call options for $326.1 million, equating to an average price of $96.46 per share. In February 2016, the Company net-share settled the remaining 3.1 million capped call options on its common stock and received 293,142 shares using an average reference price of $94.34 per common share. Additionally, the Company purchased 1,316,858 shares directly from the counterparty participating in the net-share settlement for $124.2 million. The Company also repurchased 2,446,287 shares of common stock in February 2016 for $230.9 million, equating to an average price of $94.34.
On December 3, 2013, the Company issued $400.0 million 5.75% fixed-to-floating rate junior subordinated debentures maturing December 15, 2053 (“2053 Junior Subordinated Debentures”) that bear interest at a fixed rate of 5.75% per annum, up to, but excluding December 15, 2018. From and including December 15, 2018, the 2053 Junior Subordinated Debentures will bear interest at an annual rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus 4.304%. The debentures subordination and long tenor provides significant credit protection measures for senior creditors and as a result, the debentures were awarded a 50% equity credit by S&P and Fitch, and 25% equity credit by Moody's. The net proceeds from the offering were primarily used to repay commercial paper borrowings.
On December 3, 2013, the Company issued 3,450,000 Equity Units (the “Equity Units”), each with a stated value of $100. The Equity Units were initially comprised of a 1/10, or 10%, undivided beneficial ownership in a $1,000 principal amount 2.25% junior subordinated note due 2018 (the “2018 Junior Subordinated Note”) and a forward common stock purchase contract (the “Equity Purchase Contract”). The Company received approximately $334.7 million in cash proceeds from the Equity Units, net of underwriting discounts and commissions, before offering expenses, and recorded $345.0 million in long-term debt. The proceeds were used primarily to repay commercial paper borrowings. The Company also used $9.7 million of the proceeds to enter into capped call transactions utilized to hedge potential economic dilution associated with the common shares issuable upon settlement of the Equity Purchase Contracts. The Company successfully remarketed the 2018 Junior Subordinated Note on November 17, 2016 ("Subordinated Notes"), which resulted in the interest rate being reset, effective on the settlement date, to a rate of 1.622% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on May 17 and November 17 of each year, commencing May 17, 2017 and maturing on November 17, 2018. Following settlement of the remarketing, the Subordinated Notes remain the Company’s direct, unsecured general obligations and are subordinated and junior in right of payment to the Company’s existing and future senior indebtedness, but the Subordinated Notes rank senior in right of payment to specified junior indebtedness on the terms and to the extent set forth in the indentures governing such junior indebtedness. In addition, the Company settled all Equity Purchase Contracts on November 17, 2016 by issuing 3,504,165 million common shares and receiving $345.0 million in cash proceeds, generated from the remarketing described above. Lastly, in October and November 2016, the Company’s capped call options on its common stock expired and were net-share settled resulting in the Company receiving 418,234 shares of common stock.
In November 2010, the Company issued 6,325,000 Convertible Preferred Units (the “Convertible Preferred Units”), each with a stated amount of $100. The Convertible Preferred Units were comprised of a 1/10, or 10%, undivided beneficial ownership in a $1,000 principal amount junior subordinated note (the “Note”) and a Purchase Contract (the “Purchase Contract”) obligating holders to purchase one share of the Company’s 4.75% Series B Perpetual Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Convertible Preferred Stock”). The Company successfully remarketed the Notes on November 5, 2015, which resulted in the interest rate on the notes being reset, effective on the November 17, 2015 settlement date of the remarketing, to a rate of 2.45% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on May 17 and November 17 of each year, commencing May 17, 2016. Following settlement of the remarketing, the Notes remain the Company’s direct, unsecured general obligations subordinated and junior in right of payment to the Company’s existing and future senior indebtedness, but the Notes rank senior in right of payment to specified junior indebtedness on the terms and to the extent set forth in the indentures governing such junior indebtedness. In addition, the Company settled the Purchase Contracts on November 17, 2015 by issuing 6.3 million shares of Convertible Preferred Stock and receiving cash proceeds of $632.5 million. On November 18, 2015, the Company informed holders that it would redeem all outstanding shares of Convertible Preferred Stock on December 24, 2015 (the “Redemption Date”) at $100.49 per share in cash (the “Redemption Price”), which was equal to the liquidation preference of $100 per share of Convertible Preferred Stock, plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date. The Company redeemed the Convertible Preferred Stock and settled all conversions on December 24, 2015 by paying cash for the $100 par value per share of Convertible Preferred Stock, or $632.5 million in total, and issuing 2.9 million common shares for the excess value of the conversion feature above the $100 face value per share of Convertible Preferred Stock.

32


Refer to Note H, Long-Term Debt and Financing Arrangements, and Note J, Capital Stock, for further discussion regarding the Company's debt and equity arrangements.
Contractual Obligations: The following table summarizes the Company’s significant contractual obligations and commitments that impact its liquidity:
Payments Due by Period
(Millions of Dollars)
Total
 
2017
 
2018-2019
 
2020-2021
 
Thereafter
Long-term debt (a)
$
3,854

 
$
6

 
$
989

 
$
404

 
$
2,455

Interest payments on long-term debt (b)
3,232

 
154

 
285

 
265

 
2,528

Operating leases
405

 
95

 
141

 
82

 
87

Inventory purchase commitments (c)
305

 
305

 
—

 
—

 
—

Deferred compensation
26

 
1

 
3

 
2

 
20

Marketing obligations
70

 
33

 
36

 
—

 
—

Derivatives (d)
47

 
—

 
47

 
—

 
—

Forward stock purchase contracts (e)
350

 
—

 
350

 
—

 
—

Pension funding obligations (f)
66

 
66

 
—

 
—

 
—

Total contractual cash obligations
$
8,355

 
$
660

 
$
1,851

 
$
753

 
$
5,090

 
(a)
Future payments on long-term debt encompass all payments related to aggregate debt maturities, excluding certain fair value adjustments included in long-term debt, as discussed further in Note H, Long-Term Debt and Financing Arrangements.
(b)
Future interest payments on long-term debt reflect the applicable fixed interest rate or variable rate for floating rate debt in effect at December 31, 2016.
(c)
Inventory purchase commitments primarily consist of open purchase orders to purchase raw materials, components, and sourced products.
(d)
Future cash flows on derivative instruments reflect the fair value and accrued interest as of December 31, 2016. The ultimate cash flows on these instruments will differ, perhaps significantly, based on applicable market interest and foreign currency rates at their maturity.
(e)
In March 2015, the Company entered into a forward share purchase contract with a financial institution counterparty which obligates the Company to pay $350.0 million, plus an additional amount related to the forward component of the contract.  In November 2016, the Company amended the final settlement date to April 2019, or earlier at the Company's option. See Note J, Capital Stock for further discussion.
(f)
This amount principally represents contributions either required by regulations or laws or, with respect to unfunded plans, necessary to fund current benefits. The Company has not presented estimated pension and post-retirement funding beyond 2017 as funding can vary significantly from year to year based upon changes in the fair value of the plan assets, actuarial assumptions, and curtailment/settlement actions.

To the extent the Company can reliably determine when payments will occur pertaining to unrecognized tax liabilities, the related amount will be included in the table above. However, due to the high degree of uncertainty regarding the timing of potential future cash flows associated with the $375.4 million of such liabilities at December 31, 2016, the Company is unable to make a reliable estimate of when (if at all) amounts may be paid to the respective taxing authorities.
Aside from debt payments, for which there is no tax benefit associated with repayment of principal, and tax obligations, payments of the above contractual obligations will typically generate a cash tax benefit such that the net cash outflow will be lower than the gross amounts summarized above.
Other Significant Commercial Commitments:
Amount of Commitment Expirations Per Period
(Millions of Dollars)
 
Total
 
2017
 
2018-2019
 
2020-2021
 
Thereafter
U.S. lines of credit
 
$
3,050

 
$
—

 
$
1,300

 
$
1,750

 
$
—

Short-term borrowings, long-term debt and lines of credit are explained in detail within Note H, Long-Term Debt and Financing Arrangements.

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MARKET RISK
Market risk is the potential economic loss that may result from adverse changes in the fair value of financial instruments, currencies, commodities and other items traded in global markets. The Company is exposed to market risk from changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates, stock prices, bond prices and commodity prices, amongst others.
Exposure to foreign currency risk results because the Company, through its global businesses, enters into transactions and makes investments denominated in multiple currencies. The Company’s predominant currency exposures are related to the Euro, Canadian Dollar, British Pound, Australian Dollar, Brazilian Real, Argentine Peso, the Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”) and the Taiwan Dollar. Certain cross-currency trade flows arising from sales and procurement activities, as well as affiliate cross-border activity, are consolidated and netted prior to obtaining risk protection through the use of various derivative financial instruments which may include: purchased basket options, purchased options, collars, cross currency swaps and currency forwards. The Company is thus able to capitalize on its global positioning by taking advantage of naturally offsetting exposures and portfolio efficiencies to reduce the cost of purchasing derivative protection. At times, the Company also enters into forward exchange contracts and purchases options to reduce the earnings and cash flow impact of non-functional currency denominated receivables and payables, primarily for affiliate transactions. Gains and losses from these hedging instruments offset the gains or losses on the underlying net exposures (the assets and liabilities being hedged). Management determines the nature and extent of currency hedging activities, and in certain cases, may elect to allow certain currency exposures to remain un-hedged. The Company may also enter into cross-currency swaps and forward contracts to hedge the net investments in certain subsidiaries and better match the cash flows of operations to debt service requirements. Management estimates the foreign currency impact from its derivative financial instruments outstanding at the end of 2016 would have been approximately $6 million incremental pre-tax loss based on a hypothetical 10% adverse movement in all net derivative currency positions; this effect would occur from the strengthening of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar. The Company follows risk management policies in executing derivative financial instrument transactions, and does not use such instruments for speculative purposes. The Company generally does not hedge the translation of its non-U.S. dollar earnings in foreign subsidiaries, but may choose to do so in certain instances in future periods.
As mentioned above, the Company routinely has cross-border trade and affiliate flows that cause an impact on earnings from foreign exchange rate movements. The Company is also exposed to currency fluctuation volatility from the translation of foreign earnings into U.S. dollars and the economic impact of foreign currency volatility on monetary assets held in foreign currencies. It is more difficult to quantify the transactional effects from currency fluctuations than the translational effects. Aside from the use of derivative instruments, which may be used to mitigate some of the exposure, transactional effects can potentially be influenced by actions the Company may take. For example, if an exposure occurs from a European entity sourcing product from a U.S. supplier it may be possible to change to a European supplier. Management estimates the combined translational and transactional impact, on pre-tax earnings, of a 10% overall movement in exchange rates is approximately $123 million, or approximately $0.65 per diluted share. In 2016, translational and transactional foreign currency fluctuations negatively impacted pre-tax earnings by approximately $155 million and diluted earnings per share by approximately $0.82.
The Company’s exposure to interest rate risk results from its outstanding debt and derivative obligations, short-term investments, and derivative financial instruments employed in the management of its debt portfolio. The debt portfolio including both trade and affiliate debt, is managed to achieve capital structure targets and reduce the overall cost of borrowing by using a combination of fixed and floating rate debt as well as interest rate swaps, and cross-currency swaps.
The Company’s primary exposure to interest rate risk comes from its floating rate debt in the U.S. which is based on LIBOR rates. At December 31, 2016, the impact of a hypothetical 10% increase in the interest rates associated with the Company’s floating rate debt instruments would have an immaterial effect on the Company’s financial position and results of operations.
The Company has exposure to commodity prices in many businesses, particularly brass, nickel, resin, aluminum, copper, zinc, steel, and energy used in the production of finished goods. Generally, commodity price exposures are not hedged with derivative financial instruments, but instead are actively managed through customer product and service pricing actions, procurement-driven cost reduction initiatives and other productivity improvement projects.
Fluctuations in the fair value of the Company’s common stock affect domestic retirement plan expense as discussed below in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan section of MD&A. Additionally, the Company has $70 million of liabilities as of December 31, 2016 pertaining to unfunded defined contribution plans for certain U.S. employees for which there is mark-to-market exposure.
The assets held by the Company’s defined benefit plans are exposed to fluctuations in the market value of securities, primarily global stocks and fixed-income securities. The funding obligations for these plans would increase in the event of adverse changes in the plan asset values, although such funding would occur over a period of many years. In 2016, 2015 and 2014,

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investment returns on pension plan assets resulted in a $260 million increase, an $11 million decrease, and a $285 million increase, respectively. The Company expects funding obligations on its defined benefit plans to be approximately $66 million in 2017. The Company employs diversified asset allocations to help mitigate this risk. Management has worked to minimize this exposure by freezing and terminating defined benefit plans where appropriate.
The Company has access to financial resources and borrowing capabilities around the world. There are no instruments within the debt structure that would accelerate payment requirements due to a change in credit rating.
The Company’s existing credit facilities and sources of liquidity, including operating cash flows, are considered more than adequate to conduct business as normal. Accordingly, based on present conditions and past history, management believes it is unlikely that operations will be materially affected by any potential deterioration of the general credit markets that may occur. The Company believes that its strong financial position, operating cash flows, committed long-term credit facilities and borrowing capacity, and ready access to equity markets provide the financial flexibility necessary to continue its record of annual dividend payments, to invest in the routine needs of its businesses, to make strategic acquisitions and to fund other initiatives encompassed by its growth strategy and maintain its strong investment grade credit ratings.
OTHER MATTERS
Employee Stock Ownership Plan As detailed in Note L, Employee Benefit Plans, the Company has an ESOP under which the ongoing U.S. Core and 401(k) defined contribution plans are funded. Overall ESOP expense is affected by the market value of the Company’s stock on the monthly dates when shares are released, among other factors. The Company’s net ESOP activity resulted in income of $3.1 million in 2016 and expense of $0.8 million in 2015 and $0.7 million in 2014. ESOP expense could increase in the future if the market value of the Company’s common stock declines.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES — Preparation of the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Significant accounting policies used in the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements are described in Note A, Significant Accounting Policies. Management believes the most complex and sensitive judgments, because of their significance to the Consolidated Financial Statements, result primarily from the need to make estimates about the effects of matters with inherent uncertainty. The most significant areas involving management estimates are described below. Actual results in these areas could differ from management’s estimates.
ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS — The Company’s estimate for its allowance for doubtful accounts related to trade receivables is based on two methods. The amounts calculated from each of these methods are combined to determine the total amount reserved. First, a specific reserve is established for individual accounts where information indicates the customers may have an inability to meet financial obligations. In these cases, management uses its judgment, based on the surrounding facts and circumstances, to record a specific reserve for those customers against amounts due to reduce the receivable to the amount expected to be collected. These specific reserves are reevaluated and adjusted as additional information is received. Second, a reserve is determined for all customers based on a range of percentages applied to receivable aging categories. These percentages are based on historical collection and write-off experience.
If circumstances change, for example, due to the occurrence of higher-than-expected defaults or a significant adverse change in a major customer’s ability to meet its financial obligation to the Company, estimates of the recoverability of receivable amounts due could be reduced.
INVENTORIES - LOWER OF COST OR MARKET, SLOW MOVING AND OBSOLETE — Inventories in the U.S. are primarily valued at the lower of Last-In First-Out (“LIFO”) cost or market, while non-U.S. inventories are primarily valued at the lower of First-In, First-Out (“FIFO”) cost or market. The calculation of LIFO reserves, and therefore the net inventory valuation, is affected by inflation and deflation in inventory components. The Company ensures all inventory is valued at the lower of cost or market, and continually reviews the carrying value of discontinued product lines and stock-keeping-units (“SKUs”) to determine that these items are properly valued. The Company also continually evaluates the composition of its inventory and identifies obsolete and/or slow-moving inventories. Inventory items identified as obsolete and/or slow-moving are evaluated to determine if write-downs are required. The Company assesses the ability to dispose of these inventories at a price greater than cost. If it is determined that cost is less than market value, cost is used for inventory valuation. If market value is less than cost, the Company writes down the related inventory to that value. If a write-down to the current market value is necessary, the market value cannot be greater than the net realizable value, or ceiling (defined as selling price less costs to sell and dispose), and cannot be lower than the net realizable value less a normal profit margin, also called the floor. If the Company is not able to achieve its expectations regarding net realizable value of inventory at its current value, a write-down would be recorded.

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GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS — The Company acquires businesses in purchase transactions that result in the recognition of goodwill and intangible assets. The determination of the value of intangible assets requires management to make estimates and assumptions. In accordance with ASC 350-20, “Goodwill,” acquired goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but are subject to impairment testing at least annually or when an event occurs or circumstances change that indicate it is more likely than not an impairment exists. Definite-lived intangible assets are amortized and are tested for impairment when an event occurs or circumstances change that indicate it is more likely than not that an impairment exists. Goodwill represents costs in excess of fair values assigned to the underlying net assets of acquired businesses. At December 31, 2016, the Company reported $6,694.0 million of goodwill, $1,508.5 million of indefinite-lived trade names and $791.0 million of net definite-lived intangibles. These amounts exclude approximately $302.8 million of goodwill, $65.2 million of an indefinite-lived trade name and $31.8 million of net definite-lived intangibles that are classified within Assets held for sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2016. Refer to Note T, Divestitures, for further discussion.
Management tests goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level. A reporting unit is an operating segment as defined in ASC 280, “Segment Reporting,” or one level below an operating segment (component level) as determined by the availability of discrete financial information that is regularly reviewed by operating segment management or an aggregate of component levels of an operating segment having similar economic characteristics. If the carrying value of a reporting unit (including the value of goodwill) is greater than its estimated fair value, an impairment may exist. An impairment charge would be recorded to the extent that the recorded value of goodwill exceeded the implied fair value.
As required by the Company’s policy, goodwill was tested for impairment in the third quarter of 2016. Beginning in 2013, the Company adopted ASU 2011-08, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Goodwill for Impairment,” for its goodwill impairment testing. ASU 2011-08 permits companies to first 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 amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. Under the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test, the fair value of the reporting unit is compared to its respective carrying amount including goodwill. If the fair value exceeds the carrying amount, then no impairment exists.  If the carrying amount exceeds the fair value, further analysis is performed to assess impairment. Such tests are completed separately with respect to the goodwill of each of the Company’s reporting units. Accordingly, the Company applied the qualitative assessment for four of its reporting units, while performing the quantitative test for its Infrastructure reporting unit. Based on the results of the annual 2016 impairment testing, the Company determined that the fair values of each of its reporting units exceeded their respective carrying amounts.
In performing the qualitative assessment, the Company identified and considered the significance of relevant key factors, events, and circumstances that could affect the fair value of each reporting unit. These factors include external factors such as macroeconomic, industry, and market conditions, as well as entity-specific factors, such as actual and planned financial performance. The Company also assessed changes in each reporting unit's fair value and carrying value since the most recent date a fair value measurement was performed. As a result of the qualitative assessments performed, the Company concluded that it is more likely than not that the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its respective carrying value and therefore, no additional quantitative impairment testing was performed.
With respect to the quantitative test, the Company assessed the fair value of the Infrastructure reporting unit using a discounted cash flow valuation model. The key assumptions applied to the cash flow projections included a 9% discount rate, near-term revenue growth rates over the next five years, which represented a cumulative annual growth rate of approximately 5%, and a 3% perpetual growth rate. These assumptions contemplated business, market and overall economic conditions. Based on the results of this testing, the Company determined that the fair value of the reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount. Furthermore, management performed sensitivity analyses on the fair value resulting from the discounted cash flow valuation model utilizing more conservative assumptions that reflect reasonably likely future changes in the discount rate and perpetual growth rate. The discount rate was increased by 100 basis points with no impairment indicated. The perpetual growth rate was decreased by 150 basis points with no impairment indicated.
During the fourth quarter of 2016, in connection with its quarterly forecasting cycle, the Company updated the forecasted operating results for each of its businesses based on the most recent financial results and best estimates of future operations. The updated forecasts reflected an expected decline in near-term revenue growth and profitability for the Infrastructure reporting unit within the Industrial segment, primarily due to ongoing difficult market conditions in the oil & gas industry, mainly related to project delays as a result of continued geopolitical challenges and a cyclical slowdown in offshore pipeline activity, as well as a slower than expected recovery in the scrap steel market. Accordingly, in connection with the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company performed an updated impairment analysis with respect to the Infrastructure reporting unit, which included approximately $269 million of goodwill at year-end. Based on this analysis, which included revised assumptions of near-term revenue growth and profitability levels, it was determined that the fair value of the Infrastructure reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by 14%. Therefore, management concluded it was not more likely than not that an impairment had occurred. Management is confident in the long-term viability

36


and success of the Infrastructure reporting unit based on the strong long-term growth prospects of the markets and geographies served, the Company's continued commitment to, and investments in, organic growth initiatives (including solid progress being made with respect to Breakthrough Innovation projects under the SFS 2.0 program), and Infrastructure's leading market position in its respective industries.
In the event that future operating results of any of the Company's reporting units do not meet current expectations, management, based upon conditions at the time, would consider taking restructuring or other actions as necessary to maximize revenue growth and profitability. Accordingly, the above sensitivity analyses, while useful, should not be used as a sole predictor of potential impairment. A thorough analysis of all the facts and circumstances existing at that time would need to be performed to determine if recording an impairment loss would be appropriate.
The Company also tested its indefinite-lived trade names for impairment during the third quarter of 2016, utilizing both qualitative assessments and quantitative tests. For the qualitative assessments, the Company identified and considered the significance of relevant key factors, events, and circumstances that could affect the fair value of each trade name. These factors primarily included macroeconomic, industry, and market conditions, as well as the trade names' actual and planned financial performance. As a result of the qualitative assessments performed, the Company concluded that it is more likely than not that the fair values of the trade names exceeded their respective carrying values and therefore, no additional quantitative impairment testing was performed. For the quantitative impairment tests, the Company utilized a discounted cash flow model. The key assumptions used included discount rates, royalty rates, and perpetual growth rates applied to the projected sales. Based on these quantitative impairment tests, the Company determined that the fair values of the indefinite-lived trade names exceeded their respective carrying amounts.
DEFINED BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS — The valuation of pension and other postretirement benefits costs and obligations is dependent on various assumptions. These assumptions, which are updated annually, include discount rates, expected return on plan assets, future salary increase rates, and health care cost trend rates. The Company considers current market conditions, including interest rates, to establish these assumptions. Discount rates are developed considering the yields available on high-quality fixed income investments with maturities corresponding to the duration of the related benefit obligations. The Company’s weighted-average discount rates for the United States and international pension plans were 4.00% and 2.50%, respectively, at December 31, 2016. The Company’s weighted-average discount rate for the United States and international pension plans was 4.25% and 3.25%, respectively, at January 2, 2016. As discussed further in Note L, Employee Benefit Plans, the Company develops the expected return on plan assets considering various factors, which include its targeted asset allocation percentages, historic returns, and expected future returns. The Company’s expected rate of return assumptions for the United States and international pension plans were 6.50% and 4.75%, respectively, at December 31, 2016. The Company will use a 5.35% weighted-average expected rate of return assumption to determine the 2017 net periodic benefit cost. A 25 basis point reduction in the expected rate of return assumption would increase 2017 net periodic benefit cost by approximately $5 million on a pre-tax basis.
The Company believes that the assumptions used are appropriate; however, differences in actual experience or changes in the assumptions may materially affect the Company’s financial position or results of operations. To the extent that actual (newly measured) results differ from the actuarial assumptions, the difference is recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income, and, if in excess of a specified corridor, amortized over future periods. The expected return on plan assets is determined using the expected rate of return and the fair value of plan assets. Accordingly, market fluctuations in the fair value of plan assets can affect the net periodic benefit cost in the following year. The projected benefit obligation for defined benefit plans exceeded the fair value of plan assets by $691 million at December 31, 2016. A 25 basis point reduction in the discount rate would have increased the projected benefit obligation by approximately $90 million at December 31, 2016. The primary Black & Decker U.S pension and post employment benefit plans were curtailed in late 2010, as well as the only material Black & Decker international plan, and in their place the Company implemented defined contribution benefit plans. The vast majority of the projected benefit obligation pertains to plans that have been frozen; the remaining defined benefit plans that are not frozen are predominantly small domestic union plans and those that are statutorily mandated in certain international jurisdictions. The Company recognized $12 million of defined benefit plan expense in 2016, which may fluctuate in future years depending upon various factors including future discount rates and actual returns on plan assets.
ENVIRONMENTAL — The Company incurs costs related to environmental issues as a result of various laws and regulations governing current operations as well as the remediation of previously contaminated sites. Future laws and regulations are expected to be increasingly stringent and will likely increase the Company’s expenditures related to environmental matters.
The Company’s policy is to accrue environmental investigatory and remediation costs for identified sites when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. The amount of liability recorded is based on an evaluation of currently available facts with respect to each individual site and includes such factors as existing technology, presently enacted laws and regulations, and prior experience in remediation of contaminated sites. The liabilities

37


recorded do not take into account any claims for recoveries from insurance or third parties. As assessments and remediation progress at individual sites, the amounts recorded are reviewed periodically and adjusted to reflect additional technical and legal information that becomes available.
As of December 31, 2016, the Company had reserves of $160.9 million for remediation activities associated with Company-owned properties as well as for Superfund sites, for losses that are probable and estimable. The range of environmental remediation costs that is reasonably possible is $128.3 million to $267.1 million which is subject to change in the near term. The Company may be liable for environmental remediation of sites it no longer owns. Liabilities have been recorded on those sites in accordance with this policy.
INCOME TAXES — Income taxes are accounted for in accordance with ASC 740, "Accounting for Income Taxes," which requires that deferred tax assets and liabilities be recognized, using enacted tax rates, for the effect of temporary differences between the book and tax bases of recorded assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets, including net operating losses and capital losses, are reduced by a valuation allowance if it is “more likely than not” that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, the Company considers all positive and negative evidence including: estimates of future taxable income, considering the feasibility of ongoing tax planning strategies, the realizability of tax loss carryforwards and the future reversal of existing temporary differences. Valuation allowances related to deferred tax assets can be impacted by changes to tax laws, changes to statutory tax rates and future taxable income levels. In the event the Company were to determine that it would not be able to realize all or a portion of its deferred tax assets in the future, the unrealizable amount would be charged to earnings in the period in which that determination is made. By contrast, if the Company were to determine that it would be able to realize deferred tax assets in the future in excess of the net carrying amounts, it would decrease the recorded valuation allowance through a favorable adjustment to earnings in the period in which that determination is made.
The Company is subject to income tax in a number of locations, including many state and foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required when calculating its worldwide provision for income taxes. The Company considers many factors when evaluating and estimating its tax positions and tax benefits, which may require periodic adjustments and which may not accurately anticipate actual outcomes. It is reasonably possible that the amount of the unrecognized benefit with respect to certain of the Company's unrecognized tax positions will significantly increase or decrease within the next 12 months. These changes may be the result of settlement of ongoing audits or final decisions in transfer pricing matters. The Company periodically assesses its liabilities and contingencies for all tax years still subject to audit based on the most current available information, which involves inherent uncertainty. For those tax positions where it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, the Company has recorded the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority under the premise that the taxing authority has full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit has been recognized in the financial statements. The Company recognizes interest and penalties associated with income taxes as a component of income taxes in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. See Note Q, Income Taxes, for further discussion.
RISK INSURANCE — To manage its insurance costs efficiently, the Company self insures for certain U.S. business exposures and generally has low deductible plans internationally. For domestic workers’ compensation, automobile and product liability (liability for alleged injuries associated with the Company’s products), the Company generally purchases insurance coverage only for severe losses that are unlikely, and these lines of insurance involve the most significant accounting estimates. While different self insured retentions, in the form of deductibles and self insurance through its captive insurance company, exist for each of these lines of insurance, the maximum self insured retention is set at no more than $5 million per occurrence. The process of establishing risk insurance reserves includes consideration of actuarial valuations that reflect the Company’s specific loss history, actual claims reported, and industry trends among statistical and other factors to estimate the range of reserves required. Risk insurance reserves are comprised of specific reserves for individual claims and additional amounts expected for development of these claims, as well as for incurred but not yet reported claims discounted to present value. The cash outflows related to risk insurance claims are expected to occur over a period of approximately 13 years. The Company believes the liabilities recorded for these U.S. risk insurance reserves, totaling $89 million and $96 million as of December 31, 2016, and January 2, 2016, respectively, are adequate. Due to judgments inherent in the reserve estimation process, it is possible the ultimate costs will differ from this estimate.
WARRANTY — The Company provides product and service warranties which vary across its businesses. The types of warranties offered generally range from one year to limited lifetime, while certain products carry no warranty. Further, the Company sometimes incurs discretionary costs to service its products in connection with product performance issues. Historical warranty and service claim experience forms the basis for warranty obligations recognized. Adjustments are recorded to the

38


warranty liability as new information becomes available. The Company believes the $103 million reserve for expected warranty claims as of December 31, 2016 is adequate, but due to judgments inherent in the reserve estimation process, including forecasting future product reliability levels and costs of repair as well as the estimated age of certain products submitted for claims, the ultimate claim costs may differ from the recorded warranty liability. The Company also establishes a reserve for product recalls on a product-specific basis during the period in which the circumstances giving rise to the recall become known and estimable for both company-initiated actions and those required by regulatory bodies.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENT
SYNTHETIC LEASES — The Company is a party to synthetic leasing programs for certain locations, including one of its major distribution centers. The programs qualify as operating leases for accounting purposes, such that only the monthly rent expense is recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and the liability and value of the underlying assets are off-balance sheet.
These lease programs are utilized primarily to reduce overall cost and to retain flexibility. The cash outflows for lease payments approximate the $1 million of rent expense recognized in fiscal 2016. As of December 31, 2016 the estimated fair value of assets and remaining obligations for these properties were $67 million and $58 million, respectively.



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CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION
REFORM ACT OF 1995

Certain statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not historical, including but not limited to those regarding the Company’s ability to: (i) close the Newell transaction in the first quarter of 2017 with the transaction being approximately $0.20 to $0.25 accretive to the Company’s diluted earnings per share in 2017 (increasing to approximately $0.60 per diluted share by the third year) excluding approximately $125 to $140 million of restructuring and other deal related costs and approximately $40 million of non-cash inventory step-up charges, which in the aggregate will largely be incurred in the first two years; (ii) close the acquisition of the Craftsman brand in 2017 thereafter significantly increasing the availability of Craftsman branded products in previously underpenetrated channels, enhance innovation and add manufacturing jobs in the U.S. to support growth with the transaction being accretive to earnings, excluding charges, by approximately $0.10 to $0.15 per diluted share in year one, increasing to approximately $0.35 to $0.45 by year five and to approximately $0.70 to $0.80 by year ten; (iii) close the sale of the majority of its mechanical security businesses in the first quarter of 2017 generating net after-tax cash proceeds of approximately $700 million with the earning per share impact of the transaction being approximately $0.15 to $0.20 dilutive; (iv) achieve its long-term financial objectives including: 4-6% organic revenue growth; 10-12% total revenue growth; 10-12% earnings per share growth including acquisitions (6-8% organic earnings per share growth); free cash flow equal to, or exceeding, net income; sustain 10+ working capital turns; and doubling the size of the Company to $22 billion in revenue by 2022 while expanding the margin rate; (v) return approximately 50% of free cash flow to shareholders through a strong and growing dividend as well as opportunistically repurchasing shares and deploying the remaining 50% toward acquisitions; (vi) expand operating margin rates over the next 3 to 5 years; (vii) achieve full year 2017 diluted EPS of approximately $6.85 - $7.05 (excluding the estimated earnings per share impacts of the pending acquisitions and divestiture previously discussed); and (viii) achieve free cash flow conversion of approximately 100% in 2017 (collectively, the “Results”); are “forward-looking statements” and subject to risk and uncertainty.

The Company’s ability to deliver the Results as described above is based on current expectations and involves inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors listed below and other factors that could delay, divert, or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. In addition to the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed elsewhere herein, the risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause or contribute to actual results differing materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, those set forth under Item 1A Risk Factors hereto and any material changes thereto set forth in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, or those contained in the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and those set forth below.

The Company’s ability to deliver the Results is dependent, or based, upon: (i) the Company’s ability to generate organic sales growth of 4% resulting in approximately $0.45 to $0.55 of diluted earnings per share accretion in 2017; (ii) the net impact from cost and productivity actions, partially offset by higher share count, resulting in approximately $0.45 to $0.50 of EPS accretion in 2017; (iii) commodity inflation approximating $50 to $55 million, and foreign exchange headwinds approximating $50 million, negatively impacting 2017 diluted earnings per share by $0.50 to $0.55; (iv) the Company’s tax rate and core restructuring charges in 2017 being relatively consistent with the 2016 levels; (v) the Company’s ability to capitalize on operational improvements in both Security Europe and North America; (vi) the Company’s ability to identify and realize cost and revenue synergies associated with acquisitions; (vii) successful identification of appropriate acquisition opportunities and completing them within time frames and at reasonable costs as well as the integration of completed acquisitions and reorganization of existing businesses; (viii) the continued acceptance of technologies used in the Company’s products and services; (ix) the Company’s ability to manage existing Sonitrol franchisee and Mac Tools relationships; (x) the Company’s ability to minimize costs associated with any sale or discontinuance of a business or product line, including any severance, restructuring, legal or other costs; (xi) the proceeds realized with respect to any business or product line disposals; (xii) the extent of any asset impairments with respect to any businesses or product lines that are sold or discontinued; (xiii) the success of the Company’s efforts to manage freight costs, steel and other commodity costs as well as capital expenditures; (xiv) the Company’s ability to sustain or increase prices in order to, among other things, offset or mitigate the impact of steel, freight, energy, non-ferrous commodity and other commodity costs and any inflation increases and/or currency impacts; (xv) the Company’s ability to generate free cash flow, maintain a conservative credit profile, and a strong investment grade rating; (xvi) the Company’s ability to identify and effectively execute productivity improvements and cost reductions, while minimizing any associated restructuring charges; (xvii) the Company’s ability to obtain favorable settlement of tax audits; (xviii) the ability of the Company to generate earnings sufficient to realize future income tax benefits during periods when temporary differences become deductible; (xiv) the continued ability of the Company to access credit markets under satisfactory terms; (xv) the Company’s ability to negotiate satisfactory payment terms under which the Company buys and sells goods, services, materials and products; (xvi) the Company’s ability to successfully develop, market and achieve sales from new products and services; and (xvii) the availability of cash to repurchase shares when conditions are right, as well as the Company's ability to effectively use equity derivative transactions to reduce the capital requirement associated with share repurchases.

The Company’s ability to deliver the Results is also dependent upon: (i) the success of the Company’s marketing and sales efforts, including the ability to develop and market new and innovative products and solutions in both existing and new markets including emerging markets; (ii) the ability of the Company to maintain or improve production rates in the Company’s manufacturing facilities, respond to significant changes in product demand and fulfill demand for new and existing products; (iii) the Company’s ability to continue improvements in working capital through effective management of accounts receivable and inventory levels; (iv) the ability to continue successfully managing and defending claims and litigation; (v) the success of the Company’s efforts to mitigate adverse earnings impact resulting from any cost increases generated by, for example, increases in the cost of energy or significant Euro, Canadian Dollar, Chinese Renminbi or other currency fluctuations; (vi) the geographic distribution of the Company’s earnings; (vii) the commitment to, and success of, the Stanley Fulfillment System and SFS 2.0 and focusing its employees on the related five key pillars of Core SFS, functional transformation,

40


digital excellence, commercial excellence and breakthrough innovation; and (viii) successful implementation with expected results of cost reduction programs.

The Company’s ability to achieve the Results will also be affected by external factors. These external factors include: challenging global geopolitical and macroeconomic environment; the economic environment of emerging markets, particularly Latin America, Russia, China and Turkey; pricing pressure and other changes within competitive markets; the continued consolidation of customers particularly in consumer channels; inventory management pressures on the Company’s customers; the impact the tightened credit markets may have on the Company or its customers or suppliers; the extent to which the Company has to write off accounts receivable or assets or experiences supply chain disruptions in connection with bankruptcy filings by customers or suppliers; increasing competition; changes in laws, regulations and policies that affect the Company, including, but not limited to trade, monetary, tax and fiscal policies and laws; the timing and extent of any inflation or deflation; the impact of poor weather conditions on sales; currency exchange fluctuations; the impact of dollar/foreign currency exchange and interest rates on the competitiveness of products and the Company’s debt program; the strength of the U.S. and European economies; the extent to which world-wide markets associated with homebuilding and remodeling stabilize and rebound; the impact of events that cause or may cause disruption in the Company’s supply, manufacturing, distribution and sales networks such as war, terrorist activities, and political unrest; and recessionary or expansive trends in the economies of the world in which the Company operates.

Unless required by applicable federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date hereof. Investors are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures made on related subjects in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In addition to the foregoing, some of the agreements included as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K (whether incorporated by reference to earlier filings or otherwise) may contain representations and warranties, recitals or other statements that appear to be statements of fact. These agreements are included solely to provide investors with information regarding their terms and are not intended to provide any other factual or disclosure information about the Company or the other parties to the agreements. Representations and warranties, recitals, and other common disclosure provisions have been included in the agreements solely for the benefit of the other parties to the applicable agreements and often are used as a means of allocating risk among the parties.

Accordingly, such statements (i) should not be treated as categorical statements of fact; (ii) may be qualified by disclosures that were made to the other parties in connection with the negotiation of the applicable agreements, which disclosures are not necessarily reflected in the agreement or included as exhibits hereto; (iii) may apply standards of materiality in a way that is different from what may be viewed as material by or to investors in or lenders to the Company; and (iv) were made only as of the date of the applicable agreement or such other date or dates as may be specified in the agreement and are subject to more recent developments. Accordingly, representations and warranties, recitals or other disclosures contained in agreements may not describe the actual state of affairs as of the date they were made or at any other time and should not be relied on by any person other than the parties thereto in accordance with their terms. Additional information about the Company may be found in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company's other public filings, which are available without charge through the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
The Company incorporates by reference the material captioned “Market Risk” in Item 7 and in Note I, Derivative Financial Instruments, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
See Item 15 for an index to Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules. Such Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.

41


ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
The management of Stanley Black & Decker (the “Company”) is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. 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 reporting purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements.
Management has assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016. In making its assessment, management has utilized the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013 Framework). Management concluded that based on its assessment, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2016. Ernst & Young LLP, the auditor of the financial statements included in this annual report, has issued an attestation report on the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting, a copy of which appears on page 52.
Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, the Company has, pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures (as defined under Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act). Based upon that evaluation, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of December 31, 2016, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective. There has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
None.

PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OF THE REGISTRANT
The information required by this Item, except for certain information with respect to the Company’s Code of Ethics, the identification of the executive officers of the Company and any material changes to the procedures by which security holders may recommend nominees to the Company’s Board of Directors, as set forth below, is incorporated herein by reference to the information set forth in the section of the Company’s definitive proxy statement (which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the close of the Company’s fiscal year) under the headings “Information Concerning Nominees for Election as Directors,” “Board of Directors,” and “Section 16(a) - Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance.”
In addition to Business Conduct Guidelines that apply to all directors and employees of the Company, the Company has adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and all senior financial officers, including the Chief Financial Officer and principal accounting officer. A copy of the Company’s Code of Ethics is available on the Company’s website at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com.
The following is a list of the executive officers of the Company as of February 15, 2017: 
Name and Age
 
Office
 
Date Elected to
Office
James M. Loree (58)
 
President & Chief Executive Officer since August 2016. President & Chief Operating Officer (2013); Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (2007); Executive Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer (1999).
 
7/19/1999
 
 
 
 
 
Donald Allan, Jr. (52)
 
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer since October 2016. Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (2010); Vice President & Chief Financial Officer (2009); Vice President & Corporate Controller (2002); Corporate Controller (2000); Assistant Controller (1999).
 
10/24/2006
 
 
 
 
 

42


Jeffery D. Ansell (49)
 
Executive Vice President, Global Tools & Storage since October 2016; Senior Vice President and Group Executive, Global Tools & Storage (2015); Senior Vice President and Group Executive, Construction and DIY (2010). Vice President & President, Stanley Consumer Tools Group; President - Consumer Tools and Storage (2004); President of Industrial Tools & Storage (2002); Vice President - Global Consumer Tools Marketing (2001); Vice President Consumer Sales America (1999).
 
2/22/2006
 
 
 
 
 
Michael A. Bartone (57)
 
Vice President, Corporate Tax since January 2002.
 
7/17/2009
 
 
 
Bruce H. Beatt (64)
  
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since March 2010. Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary (2000).
 
10/9/2000
 
 
 
James J. Cannon (46)
  
Senior Vice President & Group Executive, Stanley Security North America & Emerging Markets since October 2014. President, Stanley Oil & Gas (2012); President, IAR Europe & LAG (2011); President, IAR North America (2010); President, IAS (2009); President & General Manager, Stanley Engineered Storage Solutions (2007); General Manager, Stanley-Vidmar Storage Technologies (2005).
 
7/23/2014
 
 
 
 
 
Craig A. Douglas (62)
  
Vice President & Treasurer since January 2002.
 
7/17/2009
 
 
 
Rhonda O. Gass (53)
 
Vice President & Chief Information Officer since October 2012.
 
10/11/2012
 
 
 
 
 
Lee B. McChesney (45)
 
President, Hand Tools, Accessories & Storage since October 2016. President, Industrial Verticals - Global Tools & Storage (2016) and Chief Financial Officer, Global Tools & Storage (2015); Chief Financial Officer-CDIY (2010); Chief Financial Officer, MAS and Regional Executive, Stanley Security Solutions Asia (2009); Chief Financial Officer, Stanley Mechanical Access Solutions (2007); Chief Financial Officer, Stanley Security Solutions (2006).
 
7/23/2014
 
 
 
 
 
Jaime Ramirez (49)
 
Senior Vice President & President, Global Emerging Markets, since October 2012. President, Construction & DIY, Latin America (2010); Vice President and General Manager - Latin America, Power Tools & Accessories, The Black & Decker Corporation (2008); Vice President and General Manager - Andean Region The Black & Decker Corporation (2007).
 
3/12/2010
 
 
 
 
 
Ben S. Sihota (58)
 
President, Emerging Markets Group since March 2010. Vice President and President-Asia/Pacific, Power Tools & Accessories, The Black & Decker Corporation (2006); President-Asia, Power Tools & Accessories, The Black & Decker Corporation (2000).
 
3/12/2010
 
 
 
 
 
Steven J. Stafstrom (58)
 
Vice President, Operations-Global Tools & Storage since January 2015. Vice President, Operations, CDIY & Emerging Markets (2012). Vice President Global Operations, CDIY (2010); Vice President, Operations, Consumer Tools & Storage (2005).
 
12/6/2012
 
 
 
 
 
William S. Taylor (61)
 
President, Power Tools - Global Tools and Storage since January 2015. President, Fastening & Accessories (2012). President, Professional Power Tools & Products (2010); Vice President-Global Product Development of the Industrial Products Group, The Black & Decker Corporation (2009); Vice President-Industrial Products Group Product Development, The Black & Decker Corporation (2008); Vice President/General Manager Industrial Accessories Business, The Black & Decker Corporation (2008); Vice President and General Manager Woodworking Tools, The Black & Decker Corporation (2005).
 
3/12/2010
 
 
 

43


Joseph Voelker (61)
 
Senior Vice President, Human Resources, since April 1, 2013. VP Human Resources (2009); VP Human Resources - ITG/Corporate Staff (2006); VP Human Resources - Tools Group/Operations (2004); HR Director, Tools Group (2003); HR Director, Operations (1999).
 
4/1/2013
 
 
 
 
 
John H. Wyatt (58)
 
President, Stanley Engineered Fastening since January 2016. President, Sales & Marketing - Global Tools & Storage (2015). President, Construction & DIY, Europe and ANZ (2012). President, Construction & DIY, EMEA (2010); President-Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Power Tools and Accessories, The Black & Decker Corporation (2008); Vice President-Consumer Products (Europe, Middle East and Africa), The Black & Decker Corporation (2006).

 
3/12/2010

44


ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the information set forth under the section entitled “Executive Compensation” of the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by Item 403 of Regulation S-K, is incorporated herein by reference to the information set forth under the sections entitled “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners”, “Security Ownership of Directors and Officers”, and “Executive Compensation”, of the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
Compensation plans under which the Company’s equity securities are authorized for issuance at December 31, 2016 follow:
 
 
 
(A)
 
 
(B)
 
 
(C)
 
Plan Category
 
Number of securities to be
issued upon exercise of
outstanding options and stock
awards
 
 
Weighted-average exercise
price of outstanding options
 
 
Number of securities
remaining available for
future issuance under equity
compensation plans
(excluding securities
reflected in column (A))
 
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
 
8,451,470

(1) 
 
$
86.33

(2) 
 
6,935,076

(3) 
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders (4)
 
—

   
 
—

   
 
—

   
Total
 
8,451,470

   
 
$
86.33

   
 
6,935,076

 
 
(1)
Consists of 6,433,586 shares underlying outstanding stock options (whether vested or unvested) with a weighted average exercise price of $86.33 and a weighted average term of 6.79 years; 1,933,098 shares underlying time-vesting restricted stock units that have not yet vested and the maximum number of shares that will be issued pursuant to outstanding long term performance awards if all established goals are met; and 84,786 of shares earned but related to which participants elected deferral of delivery. All stock-based compensation plans are discussed in Note J, Capital Stock, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.
(2)
There is no cost to the recipient for shares issued pursuant to time-vesting restricted stock units or long term performance awards. Because there is no strike price applicable to these stock awards they are excluded from the weighted-average exercise price which pertains solely to outstanding stock options.
(3)
Consists of 1,936,093 of shares available for purchase under the employee stock purchase plan ("ESPP") at the election of employees and 4,998,983 securities available for future grants by the board of directors under stock-based compensation plans.
(4)
U.S. employees are eligible to contribute from 1% to 25% of their salary to a qualified tax deferred savings plan as described in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan ("ESOP") section of Note L, Employee Benefit Plans, of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. The Company contributes an amount equal to one half of the employee contribution up to the first 7% of salary.  There is a non-qualified tax deferred savings plan for highly compensated salaried employees which mirrors the qualified plan provisions, but was not specifically approved by security holders.  Eligible highly compensated salaried U.S. employees are eligible to contribute from 1% to 50% of their salary to the non-qualified tax deferred savings plan.  The same matching arrangement was provided for highly compensated salaried employees in the non-qualified plan, to the extent the match was not fully met in the qualified plan, except that the arrangement for these employees is outside of the ESOP, and is not funded in advance of distributions. For both qualified and non-qualified plans, the investment of the employee’s contribution and the Company’s contribution is controlled by the employee and may include an election to invest in Company stock. Shares of the Company’s common stock may be issued at the time of a distribution from the qualified plan. The number of securities remaining available for issuance under the plans at December 31, 2016 is not determinable, since the plans do not authorize a maximum number of securities.

45


ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by Items 404 and 407(a) of Regulation S-K is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the section entitled “Board of Directors — Related Party Transactions” of the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by Item 9(e) of Schedule 14A is incorporated herein by reference to the information set forth under the section entitled “Fees of Independent Auditors” of the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a) Index to documents filed as part of this report:
1. and 2. Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules.
The response to this portion of Item 15 is submitted as a separate section of this report beginning with an index thereto on page 48.
3. Exhibits
See Exhibit Index in this Form 10-K on page 103.
(b) See Exhibit Index in this Form 10-K on page 103.
(c) The response in this portion of Item 15 is submitted as a separate section of this Form 10-K with an index thereto beginning on page 48.

46


SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Company has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
STANLEY BLACK & DECKER, INC.
 
 
By:
 
/s/ James M. Loree
 
 
James M. Loree, President and Chief Executive Officer
 
 
 
Date:
 
February 15, 2017
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 Company and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
  
Title
  
Date
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ James M. Loree
  
President and Chief Executive Officer
  
February 15, 2017
  
James M. Loree
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Donald Allan, Jr.
  
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
  
February 15, 2017
  
Donald Allan, Jr.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Jocelyn S. Belisle
  
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
  
February 15, 2017
  
Jocelyn S. Belisle
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
*
  
Director
  
February 15, 2017
 
Andrea J. Ayers
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
  
Director
  
February 15, 2017
  
George W. Buckley
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
*
  
Director
 
February 15, 2017
  
Patrick D. Campbell
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
  
Director
  
February 15, 2017
  
Carlos M. Cardoso
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
*
  
Director
  
February 15, 2017
  
Robert B. Coutts
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
  
Director
  
February 15, 2017
 
Debra A. Crew
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
  
Director
  
February 15, 2017
  
Michael D. Hankin
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
*
  
Director
  
February 15, 2017
  
Anthony Luiso
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
  
Director
  
February 15, 2017
 
Marianne M. Parrs
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
  
Director
  
February 15, 2017
 
Robert L. Ryan
  
 
  
 
 
*By: /s/ Bruce H. Beatt                        
Bruce H. Beatt
(As Attorney-in-Fact)

47


FORM 10-K
ITEM 15(a) (1) AND (2)
STANLEY BLACK & DECKER, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE
 
Schedule II — Valuation and Qualifying Accounts is included in Item 15 (page 49).
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting (page 50).
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm — Financial Statement Opinion (page 51).
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm — Internal Control Opinion (page 52).
Consolidated Statements of Operations — fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, January 2, 2016, and January 3, 2015 (page 53).
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) — fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, January 2, 2016, and January 3, 2015 (page 54).
Consolidated Balance Sheets — December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016 (page 55).
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows — fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, January 2, 2016, and January 3, 2015 (page 56).
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareowners’ Equity  — fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, January 2, 2016, and January 3, 2015 (page 57).
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (page 58).
Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (page 102).
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (Exhibit 23).
 
All other schedules are omitted because either they are not applicable or the required information is shown in the financial statements or the notes thereto.


48


Schedule II — Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, January 2, 2016, and January 3, 2015
(Millions of Dollars)
 
 
 
 
ADDITIONS
 
 
 
 
 
Beginning
Balance
 
Charged To
Costs And
Expenses
 
Charged
To Other
Accounts (b)
 
(a)
Deductions
 
Ending
Balance
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year Ended 2016
$
72.9

 
$
21.9

 
$
4.8

 
$
(22.1
)
 
$
77.5

Year Ended 2015
$
60.7

 
$
27.3

 
$
0.7

 
$
(15.8
)
 
$
72.9

Year Ended 2014
$
64.4

 
$
20.9

 
$
(8.3
)
 
$
(16.3
)
 
$
60.7

Tax Valuation Allowance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year Ended 2016 (c)
$
480.7

 
$
74.5

 
$
4.4

 
$
(34.1
)
 
$
525.5

Year Ended 2015
$
551.9

 
$
30.5

 
$
1.7

 
$
(103.4
)
 
$
480.7

Year Ended 2014
$
549.7

 
$
90.0

 
$
(16.3
)
 
$
(71.5
)
 
$
551.9

 
(a)
With respect to the allowance for doubtful accounts, deductions represent amounts charged-off less recoveries of accounts previously charged-off.
(b)
Amounts represent the impact of foreign currency translation, acquisitions and net transfers to/from other accounts.
(c)
Refer to Note Q, Income Taxes, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion.


49


MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
The management of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. 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 reporting purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements.
Management has assessed the effectiveness of Stanley Black & Decker Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016. In making its assessment, management has utilized the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013 Framework). Management concluded that based on its assessment, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2016. Ernst & Young LLP, Registered Public Accounting Firm included in this annual report, has issued an attestation report on the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting, a copy of which appears on page 52.
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ James M. Loree
 
James M. Loree, President and Chief Executive Officer
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Donald Allan Jr.
 
Donald Allan Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
 

50


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), cash flows and shareowners' equity for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended December 31, 2016. Our audits also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a). These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedule based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company at December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016, and the consolidated results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended December 31, 2016, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also, in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.
As discussed in Note Q to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed its presentation to classify all deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent in its consolidated balance sheet as a result of the adoption of ASU 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes. This ASU is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2016. As permitted by the standard, the Company early adopted the standard on a prospective basis in its December 31, 2016 balance sheet.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated February 15, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Hartford, CT
February 15, 2017



51


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.

We have audited Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.’s and subsidiaries (the “Company’s”) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
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 (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) 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 (3) 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.
In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), cash flows and shareowners' equity for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended December 31, 2016 of the Company and our report dated February 15, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Hartford, CT
February 15, 2017



52


Consolidated Statements of Operations
Fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, January 2, 2016, and January 3, 2015
(In Millions of Dollars, Except Per Share Amounts)
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Net Sales
$
11,406.9

 
$
11,171.8

 
$
11,338.6

Costs and Expenses
 
 
 
 
 
Cost of sales
$
7,139.7

 
$
7,099.8

 
$
7,235.9

Selling, general and administrative
2,602.0

 
2,459.1

 
2,575.0

Provision for doubtful accounts
21.9

 
27.3

 
20.9

Other-net
196.9

 
222.0

 
239.6

Restructuring charges and asset impairments
49.0

 
47.6

 
18.8

Interest income
(23.2
)
 
(15.2
)
 
(13.6
)
Interest expense
194.5

 
180.4

 
177.2

 
$
10,180.8

 
$
10,021.0

 
$
10,253.8

Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes
1,226.1

 
1,150.8

 
1,084.8

Income taxes on continuing operations
261.2

 
248.6

 
227.1

Earnings from continuing operations
$
964.9

 
$
902.2

 
$
857.7

Less: Net (loss) earnings attributable to non-controlling interests
(0.4
)
 
(1.6
)
 
0.5

Net earnings from continuing operations attributable to common shareowners
$
965.3

 
$
903.8

 
$
857.2

Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes
—

 
(19.3
)
 
(104.0
)
Income tax expense (benefit) on discontinued operations
—

 
0.8

 
(7.7
)
Net loss from discontinued operations
$
—

 
$
(20.1
)
 
$
(96.3
)
Net Earnings Attributable to Common Shareowners
$
965.3

 
$
883.7

 
$
760.9

Basic earnings (loss) per share of common stock:
 
 
 
 
 
Continuing operations
$
6.61

 
$
6.10

 
$
5.49

Discontinued operations
—

 
(0.14
)
 
(0.62
)
Total basic earnings per share of common stock
$
6.61

 
$
5.96

 
$
4.87

Diluted earnings (loss) per share of common stock:
 
 
 
 
 
Continuing operations
$
6.51

 
$
5.92

 
$
5.37

Discontinued operations
—

 
(0.13
)
 
(0.60
)
Total diluted earnings per share of common stock
$
6.51

 
$
5.79

 
$
4.76

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

53


Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Fiscal years ended December 31, 2016, January 2, 2016, and January 3, 2015
(In Millions of Dollars)

 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Net earnings
$
965.3

 
$
883.7

 
$
760.9

Other comprehensive loss:
 
 
 
 
 
Currency translation adjustment and other
(285.4
)
 
(504.1
)
 
(726.3
)
Unrealized gains (losses) on cash flow hedges, net of tax
5.8

 
(1.2
)
 
26.4

Unrealized gains on net investment hedges, net of tax
76.8

 
49.0

 
39.6

Pension (losses) gains, net of tax
(24.2
)
 
32.3

 
(110.9
)
Other comprehensive loss
$
(227.0
)
 
$
(424.0
)
 
$
(771.2
)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to common shareowners
$
738.3

 
$
459.7

 
$
(10.3
)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

54


Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016
(Millions of Dollars)
 
2016
 
2015
Assets
 
 
 
Current Assets
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
$
1,131.8

 
$
465.4

Accounts and notes receivable, net
1,302.8

 
1,331.8

Inventories, net
1,478.0

 
1,526.4

Prepaid expenses
193.2

 
172.4

Assets held for sale
523.4

 
—

Other current assets
159.3

 
166.1

Total Current Assets
4,788.5

 
3,662.1

Property, Plant and Equipment, net
1,451.2

 
1,450.2

Goodwill
6,694.0

 
7,084.3

Customer Relationships, net
635.7

 
778.7

Trade Names, net
1,560.1

 
1,641.8

Other Intangible Assets, net
103.7

 
121.0

Other Assets
401.7

 
389.7

Total Assets
$
15,634.9

 
$
15,127.8

Liabilities and Shareowners’ Equity
 
 
 
Current Liabilities
 
 
 
Short-term borrowings
$
4.3

 
$
2.5

Current maturities of long-term debt
7.8

 
5.1

Accounts payable
1,640.4

 
1,533.1

Accrued expenses
1,101.5

 
1,261.9

Liabilities held for sale
53.5

 
—

Total Current Liabilities
2,807.5

 
2,802.6

Long-Term Debt
3,815.3

 
3,792.1

Deferred Taxes
735.4

 
825.9

Post-retirement Benefits
644.3

 
669.4

Other Liabilities
1,