SEC Company Response from CONAGRA BRANDS INC. (CAG) (CIK 0000023217) (CAG) — Feb 15, 2008
CONAGRA BRANDS INC. (CAG) (CIK 0000023217)
Date: Feb. 15, 2008 · CIK: 0000023217 · Accession: 0000900440-08-000015
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
Referenced dates: January 31, 2008
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CORRESP
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ConAgra
Foods, Inc.
One
ConAgra Drive
Omaha, NE
68102
February
15, 2008
Anne N.
Parker, Branch Chief
Division of
Corporation Finance
Securities
and Exchange Commission
100 F
Street, N.W., Mail Stop 7010
Washington,
D.C. 20549-7010
RE:
ConAgra Foods, Inc.
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 27, 2007
(“Form 10-K”)
Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended November 25, 2007
(“Form 10-Q”)
Schedule 14A filed August 17, 2007 (“Proxy
Statement”)
File No. 1-7275
Dear Ms.
Parker:
This letter
sets forth the responses of ConAgra Foods, Inc. (“we” or the
“Company”) to the Staff's comment letter dated January 31, 2008 on the above
referenced Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Schedule 14A. The numbered responses in this letter
correspond to the numbered paragraphs of the comment letter. We have also included the
comments along with our responses to aid in the review process.
Schedule
14A
General
1.
Please confirm in writing that you will comply with the
following comments in all future filings. Provide us also with an example
of the disclosure you intend to use. Please understand that after our
review of your responses, we may raise additional comments.
Response: We will comply with the following
comments in all future filings and have provided proposed Compensation Discussion &
Analysis disclosure for the Staff’s review. We note that items such as changes to
compensation philosophy, policies, plans or practices could require changes to the draft
disclosure provided, as could actual individual or company-wide performance.
Executive Compensation, page 13
2.
Please expand the compensation discussion and analysis to
identify material differences in compensation policies with respect to
individual executive officers. For example, explain the reasons for the
significant differences between the
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CEO’s and the other named executive officers’ payout under
the MIP, the options granted under the Long-Term Program and the grant of performance
shares. We direct you to Section II.B.1 of Release 33-8732A.
Response: In future filings, we will expand our
discussion of the policies of the Board’s Human Resources Committee (the
“Committee”) as follows:
“For the named executive officers, the Committee determines the mix of
salary and at-risk pay, targeted short-term incentive levels (a percentage of salary),
option grants and targeted performance shares based primarily on its review of the
executive’s position within the company, internal pay equity, and market data
provided by Towers Perrin. For fiscal 200_, these factors combined to support granting a
higher incentive opportunity under the MIP and performance share plan, and larger option
award to Mr. Rodkin than to the other named executive officers. The Committee took into
account Mr. Rodkin’s leadership, value to the company and accountability for the
performance of the entire organization. The Committee also reviewed market data related to
Mr. Rodkin’s targeted incentive opportunity and option grant and found them
reasonable versus the peer group. The Committee also used these grants to implement its
policy that within the company, Mr. Rodkin should have the highest ratio of at-risk pay to
salary.
With respect to the other named executive officers, for fiscal 200_, the
Committee reviewed each person’s scope of responsibility and experience, and relevant
market data. The Committee also considered internal pay equity. This analysis resulted in
some differences in the incentive opportunities awarded under the MIP and performance share
plan for these executives, and differences in option grant sizes. However, the total
compensation opportunity for each of these named executive officers reflects a similar mix
of salary and at-risk pay.”
We
respectfully submit that the above proposed additions related to differences in MIP
targets (i.e., opportunities) provide the
explanation necessary to better understand the differences in actual MIP
payouts. If in a given year a named executive
officer receives an actual payout as a percentage of target that is materially different
than the payout made to his or her peers, we will provide disclosure explaining the basis
of that outcome.
Similarly,
if a unique circumstance results in a material difference in option or performance share
grants between peers in a given year, we will provide disclosure explaining the basis for
that outcome (e.g., Mr. Hawaux’s
hiring mid-year and resultant stock option grant pro-ration discussed in footnote 1 to the
table on page 18 of the Proxy Statement).
3.
Please disclose the actual performance goals established,
such as EBIT and ROAIC goals used to determine the award of performance
shares. If you believe
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that you are not required to disclose the goals, please provide us with
analysis supporting your position. See Instruction 4 to Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K. To
the extent that you have an appropriate basis for omitting the information, discuss how
difficult it would be for you to achieve the undisclosed goal.
Response: We note that with respect to the MIP,
we disclosed in the Proxy Statement the actual performance goals established (page 16). In
future filings, we will supplement our discussion of the performance share program to
disclose targeted levels of EBIT and ROAIC as set forth below. We have placed this
additional disclosure in context by republishing and modifying portions of pages 19 and 20
of our Proxy Statement.
“Award Value. The
final number of shares of common stock that will be issued for each performance share
awarded is determined based on a combination of growth in earnings before interest and
taxes (“EBIT”) and performance against targets for return on average invested
capital, after tax (“ROAIC”). For the fiscal 2007 to 2009 performance period,
the Committee established a three-year compound EBIT growth target of 6% and three-year
average ROAIC target of 10.5%. Results at this level will result in a 100% payout. Lower
levels of combined EBIT growth and ROAIC are rewarded at significantly less than a full
payout on the granted performance shares. There is no guaranteed payout in the program. The
maximum number of shares that may be earned under the plan is 300% of the original grant.
....
....
Interim Opportunity... This feature allowed a
payout for fiscal 2007 performance capped at one-third of the initial target value of the
award (i.e., one-third of the total performance share grant shown in the table above) plus
the share equivalent of accumulated dividends. The Committee established a one-year EBIT
growth target of 3.3%, and one-year ROAIC target of 10.2% for this interim payout. The same
opportunity was available for fiscal 2008. The targeted performance for an interim payout
in fiscal 2008 was achievement of two-year compound EBIT growth of 6%, coupled with
two-year average ROAIC of 10.5%. The final payout opportunity will occur at the end of
fiscal 2009....
The fiscal 2008 to 2010 program (approved by the Committee in July 2007)
does not contain an interim payout feature. Awards under the fiscal 2008 to 2010 program,
if earned, will be paid in shares of stock subsequent to the end of fiscal year 2010. EBIT
and ROAIC remain the financial metrics for the program. For this performance period, the
Committee established a three-year compound EBIT growth target of 6% and three-year average
ROAIC target of 11.6%. Results at this level will result in a 100% payout. Lower levels of
combined EBIT growth and ROAIC are rewarded at significantly less than a full payout on the
granted
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performance shares. There is no guaranteed payout in the program. The
maximum number of shares that may be earned under the plan is 300% of the original
grant.”
We
supplementally advise the Staff that in future filings, we will also provide disclosure on
actual payouts similar to that on page 20 of the Proxy Statement under the heading
“Fiscal 2007 Performance.”
In this disclosure, we will describe performance versus the targets and the percentage
of the award earned. Examples could include the following (subject to actual results):
“Shares under the fiscal 200_ to 20__ performance share plan were earned at X% of
target, representing over-performance on both the three-year ROAIC goal and EBIT growth
goal for the cycle;” or “Shares under the fiscal 200_ to 20__ performance share
plan were earned at Y% of target, representing under-performance against both three-year
ROAIC and three-year EBIT growth goals.”
Absent a
significant deviation in plan design or targets year over year, the Company does not intend
to disclose the targeted levels of performance on EBIT growth and ROAIC for the performance
share plan that is approved by the Committee at the July meeting immediately preceding the
filing of a Schedule 14A. The Company’s performance share plan is a rolling,
three-year program, and we expect the Committee to continue to approve a new performance
share grant each year (e.g., in July
2008, the Committee will consider for approval the fiscal 2009 to 2011 performance share
grant and in connection therewith, approve the plan targets). For purposes of the August
2008 Schedule 14A, the fiscal 2009 to 2011 targets are immaterial and of no use to
understanding the prior year’s compensation or the Committee’s policies with
respect to compensation, unless they reflect a significant deviation from the targets in
the fiscal 2008 to 2010 plan. In such a case, we would provide disclosure of the targets
unless not required to do so under the standards set forth in Instruction 4 to Item 402(b)
of Regulation S-K. We do intend to disclose the targets in the following year’s
Schedule 14A, unless not required to do so under such standards.
4.
Discuss your policies for determining and allocating
between long-term and current compensation, as well as in determining and
allocating between cash and non-cash compensation. See Item 402(b)(2)(i)
and Item 402(b)(2)(ii) of Reg. S-K.
Response: The Proxy Statement states on page 15
that “By design, targeted at-risk pay for the named executive officers was a
significant percentage, between 75% and 85% of the total opportunity.” We advise the
Staff that the Committee follows a general philosophy that long-term, equity-based
compensation is one of the best tools for aligning management and stockholder interests.
However, it has no formal policies designating the mix of cash/non-cash or
short-term/long-term elements. We would note that due to our program design, the ratio of
long-term to current compensation mirrors the ratio of non-cash to cash compensation. This
is because our short-term programs (salary/MIP) result in cash payments while our long-term
programs (option/performance shares) result in equity. To clarify this in future filings,
we will provide the following disclosure:
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“By design, targeted at-risk pay for the named executive officers was
a significant percentage, between 75% and 85% of the total opportunity. The
Committee’s general policy is to provide the greatest percentage of this at-risk pay
opportunity in the form of non-cash, long term compensation. The Committee believes that an
emphasis toward long-term, at-risk, equity compensation is the best method of aligning
management interests with those of our stockholders.”
Form
10-K for the Year Ended May 27, 2007
Note 1.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, page 49
General
1.
Please disclose your accounting policy related to
shipping and handling fees billed to customers and the classification of
shipping and handling costs in your statement of earnings. If shipping and
handling costs are not included in cost of sales, please disclose the
amounts of such costs and the line item(s) on your statements of operations
that include them pursuant to EITF 00-10.
Response: The Company recognizes all amounts
billed to customers in sales transactions related to shipping and handling in net sales, as
required by EITF 00-10. The Company recognizes shipping and handling costs in cost of goods
sold. In response to the Staff’s comment, the Company proposes to expand its
disclosure in Note 1, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, beginning with the
Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ending February 25,
2008, as follows:
“Shipping and
Handling– Amounts billed
to customers related to shipping and handling are included in net sales. Shipping and
handling costs are included in cost of goods sold.”
Marketing Costs, page 52
2.
We note that you incur various types of marketing costs
in order to promote your products, including retailer and consumer
incentives. You recognize the cost for each of these types of marketing
activities as a reduction of net sales or as selling, general and
administrative expense. Please clarify if your incentives include free
products or services as contemplated by paragraph 10 of EITF
01-9.
Response: We advise the Staff that we do not
provide a significant amount of free products or services to retail customers or consumers
as part of our marketing activities.
Accounting Changes
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3.
We note your disclosure that indicates that you adopted a
change in your accounting for interim advertising costs and that you now
expense these costs as incurred and no longer estimate the benefit period
of the advertising on an interim basis. Please address each of the
following: