Correspondence 0001104659-23-099194 from TotalEnergies SE (TTE, TTFNF) (CIK 0000879764) (TTE)
TotalEnergies SE (TTE, TTFNF) (CIK 0000879764)
Date: Sept. 8, 2023 · CIK: 0000879764 · Accession: 0001104659-23-099194
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 001-10888
Referenced dates: August 11, 2023, July 13, 2023, June 16, 2023
Show Raw Text
CORRESP
1
filename1.htm
September 8, 2023
VIA EDGAR TRANSMISSION
Office of Energy & Transportation
Division of Corporation Finance
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20549
Attention: Jennifer O’Brien and Raj Rajan
Re: TotalEnergies
SE
Form 20-F for Fiscal Year Ended December 31,
2022
Filed March 24, 2023
File No. 001-10888
Dear Ms. O’Brien and Mr. Rajan:
This letter is in response to the second letter
dated August 11, 2023, from the Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (the “Staff”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “Commission”), relating to the above-referenced Annual Report on Form 20-F (the “Form 20-F”).
The Company has previously provided a response on July 13, 2023 to the letter dated June 16, 2023.
The Staff’s comments are set forth below
in bold, followed by the Company’s responses to the comments.
Please note that the “Company,” “TotalEnergies,”
“we” or “our” refers to TotalEnergies SE, and unless the context otherwise requires, all references to page numbers
correspond to the pages in the Form 20-F. All terms used but not defined herein have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Form
20-F.
Form 20-F for Fiscal Year Ended December
31, 2022
Item 5. Operating and Financial Review
and Prospects, page 2
1. Please address the following regarding
certain of the information and sample disclosures you provided in response to prior comment 1:
· Provide us with an example of the
reconciliation tables you will present for Adjusted net operating income, Adjusted net income, Capital employed used in Return on Average
Capital Employed (ROACE) and Net debt used in Gearing.
· Clarify for us why you consider
Adjusted EBITDA to be a valuable tool to measure and compare your profitability with utility companies. In this regard, we note you characterize
your business as a global multi-energy company in Section 1.1.1 of your Universal Registration Document 2022.
1
· Tell us your consideration of the
following as non-GAAP measures and provide the disclosures required by Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K as necessary:
o Payout, net investments, page
2
o Organic investments, Net acquisitions,
and Net investments, page 4
o Variable cost margin –
Refining Europe, VCM, page 4
We acknowledge the Staff’s comment and
confirm that in future filings, we will better identify, label and define each non-GAAP measure, present the GAAP measures with equal
or greater prominence than the non-GAAP measures, and provide the reasons why management believes these non-GAAP financial measures are
useful to investors. In particular, we will develop the existing non-GAAP financial measures presented in the Form 20-F (see page 5)
and present the reconciliation tables as required.
The following reflects an example of reconciliation
tables for Adjusted net operating income, Adjusted net income, Capital employed used in Return on Average Capital Employed (ROACE) and
Net debt used in Gearing, in each case calculated on the consolidated level for the Company:
Reconciliation of adjusted net operating
income
For the year ended December 31, 2022
(In millions of dollars)
Consolidated
statement of
income
Less
Adjustments(a)
Adjusted
Sales
280,999
104
280,895
Excise taxes
(17,689 )
–
(17,689 )
Revenues from sales
263,310
104
263,206
Purchases, net of inventory variation
(169,448 )
1,601
(171,049 )
Other operating expenses
(29,789 )
(1,044 )
(28,745 )
Exploration costs
(1,299 )
(725 )
(574 )
Depreciation, depletion and impairment of tangible assets and mineral interests
(12,221 )
95
(12,316 )
Other income
2,849
1,500
1,349
Other expense
(7,344 )
(5,802 )
(1,542 )
Other financial income
896
84
812
Other financial expense
(533 )
–
(533 )
Net income (loss) from equity affiliates
(1,892 )
(10,146 )
8,254
Income taxes
(22,242 )
(1,677 )
(20,565 )
Less tax on cost of net debt
35
120
(85 )
Net Operating income
22,322
(15,890 )
38,212
(a) Adjustments items include (i) special items,
(ii) the inventory valuation effect and (iii) the effect of changes in fair value, each of which are explained in greater details in
note 3 beginning on page F-23 to our Form 20-F.
2
Reconciliation of adjusted net income
(In millions of dollars)
2022
2021
Consolidated net income (TotalEnergies share)
20,526
16,032
Special items affecting net income (TotalEnergies share)
(17,310 )
(3,329 )
Gain (loss) on asset sales
1,391
(1,726 )
Restructuring charges
(42 )
(308 )
Impairments
(15,743 )
(910 )
Other
(2,916 )
(385 )
After-tax inventory effect: FIFO vs. replacement cost
501
1,495
Effect of changes in fair value
1,138
(194 )
Total adjustments affecting net income
(15,671 )
(2,028 )
Adjusted net income (TotalEnergies share)
36,197
18,060
Reconciliation of ROACE
For
the ended year December 31, 2022
(In millions of dollars)
Adjusted net operating income (a)
38,212
Balance sheet as of December 31, 2022
Property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, net
139,032
Investments & loans in equity affiliates
27,889
Other non-current assets
8,488
Working capital
(10,237 )
Provisions and other non-current liabilities
(34,252 )
Assets and liabilities classified as held for sale
363
Capital Employed (Balance sheet)
131,283
Less inventory valuation effect
(2,472 )
Capital Employed at replacement cost (b)
128,811
Balance sheet as of December 31, 2021
Property, plant and equipment, intangible assets, net
139,043
Investments & loans in equity affiliates
31,053
Other non-current assets
9,822
Working capital
(2,558 )
Provisions and other non-current liabilities
(33,845 )
Assets and liabilities classified as held for sale
338
Capital Employed (Balance sheet)
143,853
Less inventory valuation effect
(2,040 )
Capital Employed at replacement cost (c)
141,813
ROACE as a percentage (a/average(b+c))
28.2 %
3
Reconciliation of Gearing ratio
(In millions of dollars)
For the year
ended
December 31,
2022
Current borrowings(1)
14,065
Other current financial liabilities
488
Current financial assets(1)
(8,556 )
Net financial assets classified as held for sale
(38 )
Non-current financial debt(1)
36,987
Non-current financial assets(1)
(1,303 )
Cash and cash equivalents
(33,026 )
Net debt (a)
8,617
Shareholders’ equity -TotalEnergies share
111,724
Non-controlling interests
2,846
Shareholders’ equity (b)
114,570
Net-debt-to-capital ratio = a / (a+b)
7.0 %
Leases (c)
8,096
Net-debt-to-capital ratio including leases (a+c) /(a+b+c)
12.7 %
(1)
Excludes leases receivables and leases debt.
Regarding Adjusted EBITDA and its relevance as
a non-GAAP financial measure for our company, TotalEnergies has been transforming by investing in power. In the year ended December 31,
2022, as disclosed in the Company’s Universal Registration Document incorporated by reference into its Form 20-F, the Company produced
33.2 terawatt hours of electricity, provided electricity to 6.1 million client sites and as of December 31, 2022 operated 16.8 gigawatts
of gross installed renewable power generation capacity, with 6.1 gigawatts in construction and 46.0 gigawatts in development. In order
to give more visibility to the integrated power business, the Company decided that from the first quarter 2023, Integrated Power would
be separated from the Integrated LNG business segment, previously grouped in the Integrated Gas, Renewables & Power (iGRP) segment
since January 1, 2019. As a result of the development of the Company’s Integrated Power segment and in the Company’s estimation,
investors want to be able to compare profitability with companies operating in the electricity, power and energy sector. Many of the
companies involved in these types of businesses report Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA, when analyzed in conjunction with the Company’s
Net income as reported under IFRS, can provide insight into the profitability dynamics of the Company, assess the value of its assets
and ease the benchmarking analysis with companies operating in the electricity, power and energy sector.
4
Regarding payout, organic investments, net acquisitions
and net investments, the following reflects the revised disclosures for the non-GAAP financial measures in our future filings, and in
particular in the Form 20-F for year-end 2023:
· Payout
is a non-GAAP financial measure. Payout is defined as the ratio of the dividends and share buybacks to the Operating Cash Flow before
working capital changes. This indicator can be a valuable tool for decision makers, analysts and shareholders as it provides the portion
of the operating cash flow before working capital distributed to the shareholder. TotalEnergies communicates on a target regarding this
indicator.
The following reflects an example the
calculation for payout:
(In millions of dollars)
For the year ended
December 31, 2022
Dividend paid (parent company shareholders)
(a)
9,986
Repayment of treasury shares
7,711
of which buy backs
(b)
7,019
Operating cash flow before working capital changes *
(c)
45,729
Payout ( a + b) / c
37.2 %
*
Operating cash flow before working capital changes is a non-GAAP financial measure and its most directly comparable IFRS measure is Cash
flow from operating activities. Operating cash flow before working capital changes is defined as cash flow from operating activities
before changes in working capital at replacement cost, excluding the mark-to-market effect of Integrated Gas and Integrated Power contracts,
including capital gain from renewable projects sales and including organic loan repayments from equity affiliates. A reconciliation
from operating cash flow before working capital charges is presented in response #5 to our letter dated July 13, 2023, and will be included
in future filings.
· Net
investments is a non-GAAP financial measure and its most directly comparable IFRS measure is Cash flow used in investing activities.
Net investments refer to Cash flow used in investing activities including other transactions with non-controlling interests, including
change in debt from renewable projects financing, including expenditures related to carbon credits, excluding organic loan repayment
from equity affiliates and excluding capex linked to capitalized leasing contracts. This indicator can be a valuable tool for decision
makers, analysts and shareholders alike to illustrate the cash directed to growth opportunities, both internal and external, thereby
showing, when combined with the Company’s cash flow statement prepared under IFRS, how cash generated by our activities is allocated
for uses within the organization. Net investments are the sum of Net acquisitions and Organic investments, each of which is described
below.
· Net
acquisitions is a non-GAAP financial measure and its most directly comparable IFRS measure is Cash flow used in investing activities.
Net acquisitions refers to acquisitions minus assets sales minus other operations with non-controlling interests. This indicator can
be a valuable tool for decision makers, analysts and shareholders alike because it illustrates the allocation of cash flow used for growing
the Company’s asset base via external growth opportunities.
5
· Organic
investments is a non-GAAP financial measure and its most directly comparable IFRS measure is Cash flow used in investing activities.
Organic investments refers to Net investments, excluding acquisitions, asset sales and other operations with non-controlling interests.
Organic investments can be a valuable tool for decision makers, analysts and shareholders alike because it illustrates cash flow used
by the Company to grow its asset base, excluding sources of external growth.
The following reflects an example of
the reconciliation table for Net investments, Net acquisitions and Organic investments:
(In millions of dollars)
2022
2021
2022 vs
2021
Cash flow used in investing activities
(a)
15,116
13,656
+11 %
Other transactions with non-controlling interests (b)
(50 )
(757 )
-93 %
Organic loan repayment from equity affiliates (c)
1,630
626
ns
Change in debt from renewable projects financing * (d)
(589 )
(356 )
+65 %
Capex linked to capitalized leasing contracts (e)
177
111
+59 %
Expenditures related to carbon credits (f)
19
27
-30 %
Net investments (a + b + c +
d + e+ f = g - i + h)
16,303
13,307
+23 %
Of which net acquisitions (g - i)
4,451
632
x7
Acquisitions (g)
5,872
3,284
+79 %
Asset sales (i)
1,421
2,652
-46 %
Change
in debt from renewable projects (partner share)
279
134
x2.1
Of which organic investments (h)
11,852
12,675
-6 %
Capitalized exploration
669
841
-21 %
Increase in non-current loans
954
1,231
-23 %
Repayment of non-current
loans, excluding organic loan repayment from equity affiliates
(1,082 )
(531 )
ns
Change
in debt from renewable projects (TotalEnergies share)
(310 )
(222 )
ns
* Change in debt from renewable projects (TotalEnergies share and partner share)
With respect to Variable cost margin –
Refining Europe (VCM), VCM is an indicator that represents TotalEnergies’ average margin on variable cost for refining in Europe
(equal to the difference between TotalEnergies’ European refined product sales and crude oil purchases with associated variable
costs divided by volumes refined in tons). VCM is typically prepared in the industry excluding FIFO inventory valuations effects in order
to help analysts compare results from quarter to quarter and across market players. A reconciliation to GAAP would be complex, lengthy
and the Company does not believe that it would be meaningfully comprehensible for investors. As a result, the Company respectfully submits
to the Staff that the Company will remove this indicator from future filings with the Commission.
6
5.3 Business
segment reporting, page 9
2. We have considered your response to
prior comment 4 and specifically, your position that presentation of multiple financial measures at the segment level are not non-GAAP
financial measures. Pursuant to the guidance in Question 104.01 and 104.03 of the Non-GAAP Financial Measures Compliance & Disclosure
Interpretations, multiple measures of segment profit or loss not expressly permitted by IFRS 8 would be deemed as non-GAAP measures.
Therefore, it does not appear that presentation of multiple financial measures at the segment level as presented comply with Item 10(e)
of Regula