SEC Company Response from CONAGRA BRANDS INC. (CAG) (CIK 0000023217) (CAG) — Feb 13, 2006
CONAGRA BRANDS INC. (CAG) (CIK 0000023217)
Date: Feb. 13, 2006 · CIK: 0000023217 · Accession: 0000900440-06-000015
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
Referenced dates: January 25, 2006
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McGRATH NORTH MULLIN & KRATZ, PC LLO
Attorneys at Law
Suite 3700 First National Tower
1601 Dodge Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102
402-341-3070
FAX: 402-341-0216
February 13, 2006
Jill S. Davis
Division of Corporation Finance
Securities and Exchange Division
100 F Street, N.W., Stop 7010
Washington, D.C. 20549
RE: ConAgra Foods, Inc.
Form 10-K for the year ended May 29, 2005
Forms 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended August 28, 2005 and
November 27, 2005
File number 1-7275
Dear Ms. Davis:
This letter sets forth ConAgra Foods' responses with respect to the staff's
comment letter dated January 25, 2006 on ConAgra Foods' Form 10-K for the year
ended May 29, 2005 and Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended August 28, 2005 and
November 27, 2005. The numbered responses in this letter correspond to the
numbered paragraphs of the comment letter. We have also included the comment
along with ConAgra Foods' response for each comment to aid in the review
process.
Form 10-K, Year Ended May 29, 2005
Financial Statements
Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, page 45
Investments in Unconsolidated Subsidiaries, page 45
1. Please expand your disclosure with respect to your equity method
investments to address each of the following:
o Describe how you assess and determine impairment of your equity method
investments.
o Disclose the name of each equity method investee and your percentage
ownership in each. Please ensure that you provide all other
disclosures as required by paragraph 20 of APB 18 or tell us why this
literature would not apply.
o Please cite the authoritative literature that you relied upon to
present the pre-tax impairment charges within the line item Equity
method investment earnings (loss) in the statement of earnings.
Response:
The company believes it has historically provided adequate disclosures with
respect to its methodology to assess and measure impairment of equity method
investments. Specifically, the company disclosed in its Form 10-K for fiscal
year 2005, Note 7, Asset Impairments and Casualty Loss, that the "extent of the
impairments was determined based upon the company's assessment of the
recoverability of its investments, including an assessment of the investee's
ability to sustain earnings which would justify the carrying amount of the
investments." However, in response to the Staff's comment, the company proposes
to expand its disclosures regarding the company's considerations in its
assessment and determination of impairments of equity method investments in Note
1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, beginning with the company's
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended February 26, 2006, as
follows:
Investments in Unconsolidated Subsidiaries - The investments in and the
operating results of 50%-or-less-owned entities not required to be consolidated
are included in the financial statements on the basis of the equity method of
accounting or the cost method of accounting, depending on specific facts and
circumstances.
The company reviews its investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries for
impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that
the carrying amount of the investments may not be fully recoverable. Evidence of
a loss in value that is other than temporary might include the absence of an
ability to recover the carrying amount of the investment, the inability of the
investee to sustain an earnings capacity which would justify the carrying amount
of the investment, or, where applicable, estimated sales proceeds which are
insufficient to recover the carrying amount of the investment. Management's
assessment as to whether any decline in value is other than temporary is based
on the company's ability and intent to hold the investment and whether evidence
indicating the carrying value of the investment is recoverable within a
reasonable period of time outweighs evidence to the contrary. Management
generally considers the company's investments in its equity method investees to
be strategic long-term investments. Therefore, management completes its
assessments with a long-term viewpoint. If the fair value of the investment is
determined to be less than the carrying value and the decline in value is
considered to be other than temporary, an appropriate write-down is recorded
based on the excess of the carrying value over the best estimate of fair value
of the investment.
The company has investments in seventeen entities that are accounted for under
the equity method which represented approximately 2% and 4% of the company's
total assets as of May 29, 2005 and May 30, 2004, respectively. Equity method
investment earnings (loss) represented approximately 2% of pre-tax income from
continuing operations in fiscal 2005 and 4% in fiscal 2004 and fiscal 2003. The
company disclosed in Note 2 of its consolidated financial statements for the
three-year period ended May 29, 2005 various details about its investment in
Swift Foods, the largest of the company's equity method investments, including
its name, the nature of its operations, and its carrying value. This investment
was disposed of during the first quarter of fiscal 2005. The company's remaining
investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries represent less than 2% of the
company's total assets and pre-tax income from continuing operations, with no
single investment amounting to as much as 1% of these financial measures (with
the exception of the impairment charges disclosed in Note 7). As such, it is the
company's belief that more detailed disclosures in regards to the remaining
investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries would not be necessary, due to their
immaterial nature. Further, the company notes the guidance in the disclosure
requirements in paragraph 20 of APB 18 which states "the significance of an
investment to the investor's financial position and results of operations should
be considered in evaluating the extent of disclosures of the financial position
and results of operations of the investee."
The company determined that the appropriate income statement line-item that an
impairment charge for an other than temporary decline in value of an equity
method investment should be classified is in the same caption as the equity in
earnings (losses) of such investees. The company notes that this treatment is
consistent with the views expressed by the SEC Staff with respect to the
computation of the "test of significance" for the equity method investees for
purposes of complying with section 1-02(w) and Rules 3-09 of Regulation S-X.
Further, APB 18, paragraph 19.c., states "...the investor's share of earnings or
losses of an investee(s) should ordinarily be shown in the income statement as a
single line item amount except for...extraordinary items." Although the
impairment charges recorded by the company were not "the investor's share of
earnings or losses of an investee," but rather the company's assessment of an
other than temporary decline in value of the company's investment, the company
believes this classification is consistent with the premise that presentation of
all profits and losses associated with an equity method investment (with the
exception of extraordinary items) should be presented net, in one line item of
the income statement. The company is also not aware of any authoritative
literature which would allow presentation of earnings (losses) of equity method
investments net-of-tax. APB 30, paragraph 26, prohibits net-of-tax presentation
of unusual and infrequent items on the face of the income statement. Also, the
guidance in Regulation S-X, section 210.5-03(b) specifies the positional
presentation of equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries and 50% or
less owned persons, but does not specify whether this income statement line-item
should be presented pre-tax or net-of-tax. Finally, it is the company's belief
that pre-tax presentation is preferable as it allows the effective income tax
rate reconciliation in Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements to be
more easily understood by the financial statement reader.
Asset Retirement Obligations and Environmental Liabilities, Page 46
2. Please include a reconciliation of your asset retirement obligation as
required by paragraph 22(c) of SFAS 143 or tell us why this literature
would not apply.
Response:
The company provided additional disclosures regarding its asset retirement
obligations under the subheading "Accounting Changes" on page 50 of its Form
10-K for fiscal year 2005. The company disclosed the impact on results of
operations due to the adoption of SFAS No. 143 in fiscal 2003 and disclosed the
amount of the related liabilities included in the company's balance sheets as of
May 29, 2005 and May 30, 2004. Each of the components of the reconciliation of
the asset retirement obligation specified in paragraph 22(c) was deemed to be
immaterial to the company's results of operations for all periods presented. The
company intends to continue to monitor the changes in its asset retirement
obligations and will disclose each of the components of the reconciliation when
material changes occur.
Stock-Based Compensation, Page 47
3. We note that you have historically applied APB 25 in accounting for your
stock-based compensation arrangements. We further note that these
arrangements include variable type arrangements, such as phantom stock and
restricted share equivalent issuances. Please expand your policy disclosure
to clarify how you measure compensation expense subsequent to the initial
measurement date and which compensation arrangements require
re-measurement.
Response:
The company modified the language used in its disclosure of its accounting
policy for stock-based compensation in Note 1 to its condensed consolidated
financial statements in its Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended November
27, 2005 in order to provide greater clarity to financial statement readers as
to the various forms of stock-based compensation provided by the company to its
employees and the related accounting impact. The company believes these
disclosures were adequate in order to provide an investor with a reasonable
understanding of the company's accounting methodology for its stock-based
compensation for which remeasurement of compensation expense is required
subsequent to the initial measurement date. However, in response to the Staff's
comments, the company will modify its disclosures of this accounting policy
beginning with the company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal
quarter ended February 26, 2006, as follows:
The company issues stock under various stock-based compensation arrangements
approved by stockholders, including restricted stock, other share-based awards
and stock issued in lieu of cash bonuses. The value of restricted stock and
other share-based awards, equal to fair value at the time of grant, is amortized
as compensation expense over the vesting period. Stock issued in lieu of cash
bonuses is recognized as compensation expense as earned. As these awards are
ultimately settled in shares of the company's stock, changes in the price of the
company's stock subsequent to the date of grant do not result in remeasurement
of the award. In addition, the company grants restricted share equivalents
pursuant to plans approved by stockholders which are ultimately settled in cash
based on the market price of the company's stock as of the date the award is
fully vested. The value of the restricted share equivalents is adjusted, based
upon the market price of the company's stock at the end of each reporting period
and amortized as compensation expense over the vesting period.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements, page 50
4. We note your disclosure that you are currently evaluating the impact that
adoption of SFAS 123(R) will have on your financial statements. Please tell
us why you are unable to come to a general conclusion of the likely effect
of this standard given that you have compensation arrangements that fall
within the scope of SFAS 123(R).
Response:
The company intends to adopt SFAS No. 123(R) in the company's first quarter of
fiscal 2007, which begins May 29, 2006. The company has chosen not to provide
general conclusions as to the impact of the standard on the company's financial
statements for previously issued stock-based grants, as the company continues to
analyze the likely impact of various aspects of this complex standard. Examples
of the company's unresolved considerations include:
1. The company has not yet determined whether it will adopt the standard using
the modified prospective method or the modified retrospective method.
2. The company has not yet determined the valuation method that it will employ
in estimating the fair value of future stock option grants (and has engaged
outside experts to advise the company in this determination).
3. The company has not yet analyzed the impact the standard will have on
income tax accounting, in particular, due to the complex calculations
required to assess the "hypothetical APIC pool".
4. The interpretation and practical application of the standard continues to
evolve, as is evidenced by continuing deliberations of and revisions to the
standard by the FASB in recently issued FASB Staff Positions.
5. The company is currently considering restructuring its stock-based
compensation plans for members of senior management, potentially resulting
in grants of stock-based awards which contain either performance or
market-based components, or both. Some of these awards may be granted
during fiscal 2006. As such, the company would be required to analyze the
awards under APB 25, SFAS No. 123 and SFAS No. 123(R), in order to
determine the likely impact to the financial statements.
Because of these uncertainties, the disclosure provided by the company: "the
adoption of SFAS No. 123R will have an impact on the company's results of
operations...Management is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of
this statement will have on the company's consolidated results of operations and
cash flows" is appropriate. When the company believes it has reached a point in
its ongoing analyses to provide a reasonable estimate as to the likely impact of
the adoption of the standard, disclosure of this estimated impact will be made
in the next Form 10-Q or Form 10-K filed with the Commission.
Note 2, Discontinued Operations and Divestitures, page 51
5. We note that you received 25.4 million shares of Pilgrim's Pride
Corporation (PPC) common stock through the divestiture of your chicken
business. Based on the disclosures you have provided, please address the
following items:
o Disclose your ownership percentage in these shares and in