SEC Comment Letter for THOMSON REUTERS (TRI) — Sep 3, 2013
THOMSON REUTERS CORP /CAN/ (TRI, TMSOF) (CIK 0001075124)
Date: Sept. 3, 2013 · CIK: 0001075124 · Accession: 0000000000-13-048257
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
Referenced dates: July 23, 2013
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September 3 , 2013 Via E -mail Stephane Bello Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Thomson Reuters Corporation 3 Time s Square New York, New York, 10036 Re: T homson Reuters Corporation Form 40-F for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 201 2 Filed on March 11, 2013 File No. 001 -31349 Dear Mr. Bello : We have reviewed your response letter dated July 23, 2013 and have the following comments. In our comments, we ask you to provide us with information so we may better understand your disclosure. Please r espond to this letter within 10 business days by confirming that you will revise your document in future filings and providing any reque sted information. If you do no t believe our comments apply to your facts and circumstances, please tell us why in your response. After reviewing the information you provide in response to these comments, we may have additional comments. Form 40 -F for Fiscal Year Ended Dece mber 31, 2012 Appendix E Critical Accounting Estimates and Judgments, page 72 1. We note your response to prior comment 2 in regard to the Financial & Risk CGU. You state that the discount and tax rates you use are not specific to you, and that using your actual rates would not be consistent with your methodology that uses the rates of comparable companies operating in similar industries. Please expla in to us why you do not use rates that are specific to you based on your actual experience, and why it is more meaningful and appropriate to use rates of comparable companies instead. You also state that you do not compute an actual tax expense for this C GU as your taxes are managed on a legal entity rather than on a CGU basis. In this regard, explain to us why an allocable portion of your consolidated or applicable legal entity tax expense attributable Stephane Bello Thomson Reuters Corporation September 3 , 2013 Page 2 to the contribution of this CGU to either is not con sidered. 2. In determining the perpetual growth rate you use, you disclose that assumptions used are based on the internal budget and certain projected variables for a period of five years, and that you consider past experience. You state in the response th at by its nature, there is no corresponding actual result for the perpetual growth rate. Since it appears that five years of internal budget information is employed in developing the perpetual growth rate and that past experience is considered, please exp lain to us why the actual growth rate you experienced in the latest corresponding five year historical period would not be useful information to investors in assessing the reasonableness of your perpetual growth rate assumption. Additionally, please exp lain to us your consideration of and weight given to the factors you disclosed in regard to this CGU as indicated in our prior comment (i.e., (i) restarting its growth, (ii) a 2013 outlook of low single digit revenue growth, (iii) negative revenue growth i n 2012 from 2011, and (iv) the approximately $100 million in expected costs to reduce your workforce predominantly within this CGU) in determining your perpetual growth rate assumption. 3. Please explain to us in more detail why you believe that a comparison of the actual free cash flow rate in a current period with the long -term compound annual growth rate assumption would not be helpful to an investor. From your response it appears the assumed free cash flow rate is for a five year period and is based on i nternal information. In this regard, please explain to us why the actual free cash flow rate you experienced in the latest corresponding five year historical period would not be useful information to investors in assessing the reasonableness of your free cash flow rate assumption. You may contact Aamira Chaudhry at 202 -551-3389 or Doug Jones at 202 -551-3309 if you have questions regarding comments on the financial statements and related matters. Please contact me at 202 -551-3380 with any other question s. Sincerely, /s/ Lyn Shenk Lyn Shenk Branch Chief