Correspondence 0001104659-24-095059 from Grifols SA (GRFS, GIFLF, GIFOF, GIKLY) (CIK 0001438569) (GRFS)
Grifols SA (GRFS, GIFLF, GIFOF, GIKLY) (CIK 0001438569)
Date: Aug. 29, 2024 · CIK: 0001438569 · Accession: 0001104659-24-095059
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 001-35193
Referenced dates: August 16, 2024
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CORRESP
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Grifols,
S.A.
Avinguda de la Generalitat 152-158
08174 Sant Cugat del Vallès
Barcelona - ESPAÑA
Tel. [34] 935 710 500
Fax [34] 935 710 267
www.grifols.com
August 28, 2024
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
Office of Life Sciences
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington. D.C. 20549
To the attention of Frank Wyman and Daniel Gordon
Re: Grifols, S.A.
Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
Filed April 19, 2024
Form 6-K filed July 30, 2024
File No. 001-35193
Dear Mr. Wyman and Mr. Gordon:
Grifols, S.A. (“Grifols”
or the “Company”), is pleased to respectfully submit this letter in response to a comment letter from the staff (the
“Staff”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) dated August 16, 2024
relating to the above-referenced Form 6-K.
For the convenience of the
Staff, and for completeness purposes, the Staff's comments have been restated below in italicized type and the Company’s response
is set out immediately following each comment.
Staff’s
Comment:
Form 6-K filed July 30, 2024
Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
for the six-month period
ended 30 June 2024
(2) Basis of Presentation and Accounting Principles Applied
(d) Changes in accounting criteria and correction of errors
Shanghai RAAS, page 4
1. Please provide an accounting analysis supporting your correction
of prior financial reporting for the SRAAS investment and GDS non-controlling interest. Refer
us to the technical guidance upon which your relied. In addition, provide the following information.
· Describe
and quantify the methods and key assumptions used to calculate the restatement adjustment
of €457.2 million and explain the relationship between this amount and the SRAAS investment
and GDS non-controlling interest as of March 30, 2020 and January 1, 2023.
· Explain
why this restatement had no effect on operating results reported for the SRAAS investment
and GDS non-controlling interest from 2020 through 2023.
· Clarify
whether this accounting error was identified by management or Deloitte in connection with
its review of your interim financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2024.
· Describe
your "accounting policy adopted in March 2020 " that governed reciprocal interests
held by GDS and SRAAS, explain its deficiencies and describe how they were corrected in this
restatement.
· Describe
your current accounting policy for a "non-controlling interest when an investment in
an associate has a stake in a Group company."
Company’s
Response:
Please
refer to the attached Accounting Analysis Memorandum regarding the correction of SRAAS investment. Detailed answers to your specific
questions can be found in the “Restatement Adjustment” section therein.
We hope that this response
adequately addresses the issues you have raised in your comments, and we remain at your disposal if you need any clarification or additional
information.
Sincerely,
David Bell
Chief Corp. Affairs & Legal Officer
Grifols, S.A.
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Grifols,
S.A.
Avinguda de la Generalitat 152-158
08174 Sant Cugat del Vallès
Barcelona - ESPAÑA
Tel. [34] 935 710 500
Fax [34] 935 710 267
www.grifols.com
Accounting analysis for the correction of SRAAS investment
In the initial recognition of the investment in Shanghai
RAAS Blood Products Co. Limited (“SRAAS”), Grifols did not correctly apply the accounting policy adopted when it owns an associate
which has a holding in a subsidiary, resulting in a correction to the equity-method investment in SRAAS. Therefore, the amounts presented
as of December 31, 2023 and January 1, 2023 in the Condensed Consolidated Interim Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2024 have been restated
in accordance with paragraph 42 of International Accounting Standard 8.
Background
SRAAS
acquisition:
Transaction accounted for in December 2019
· In
March 2019, Grifols entered into a Share Exchange Agreement with SRAAS, pursuant to
which Grifols agreed to deliver 90 shares of Grifols Diagnostic Solutions Inc. (hereinafter
“GDS”) a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Grifols, (representing 45% of the economic
rights and 40% of the voting rights) in exchange for 1.766 billion of SRAAS shares (representing
26.2% of the economic rights and voting rights). Such transaction did not entail any cash
flow movement, being solely a share exchange.
· The
exchange ratio under the Share Exchange Agreement was determined using different valuation methods, which, among others, included
the quoted market price of SRAAS shares and discounted cash flows and market multiples for GDS shares.
· Based
on the fair values of SRAAS and GDS, the following exchange ratio was determined: 45% of the economic rights in GDS = 26.2% of the
economic rights in SRAAS (which includes the 45% of the economic rights in GDS). The fair values considered in the exchange ratio
were as follows:
GDS
Equity
Value (100%) (million USD)
4,279
45%
of GDS Equity Value (million USD)
1,926
SRAAS
Number
of shares outstanding (million) (1)
4,975
Value
per share (RMB)(2)
7.5
SRAAS
– Equity Value (100%) (million RMB)
37,310
SRAAS
– Equity Value (100%) (million USD)
5,427
A
45%
of GDS Equity Value (million USD)
1,926
B
SRAAS
– Equity Value (million USD)
7,352
A + B
SRAAS
Equity Value – 26.2% (million USD)
1,926
(1) The
number of SRAAS shares corresponds to the number of shares prior to the exchange.
(2) The
fair value was determined according to an analysis conducted of the quoted market price; however, the price per share considered
in the exchange ratio (7.5 RMB) does not correspond to a specific date but rather to the result of various analyses over different
periods of time.
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· Following
the completion of the transaction, Grifols would maintain control over GDS through the retention of the 55% of its economic rights
and 60% of its voting rights.
· As
of December 31, 2019, Grifols had transferred the rights to 90 GDS shares in exchange for a contractual right to receive 1.766
billion SRAAS shares, which delivery was delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in China.
· Consequently,
on December 31, 2019, SRAAS was a minority shareholder owning 45% of the economic rights in GDS. As of December 31, 2019
Grifols, did not apply IAS 28 as per the delay in the closing of the transaction mentioned above did not have shareholders rights
over SRAAS shares, but a contractual right to receive shares. At that point of time Grifols determined that the contractual right
to receive 1.766 billion SRAAS shares met the definition of a financial asset under IFRS 9 – Financial Instruments and elected
to carry such financial asset at fair value through profit or loss.
· The
delivery of 90 GDS shares had no impact on the consolidated profit for the year of Grifols according to IFRS 10 – Consolidated
Financial Statements, since such delivery was considered a transaction with non-controlling interests where Grifols retained control
over GDS.
· The
impact in Grifols’ consolidated financial statements as of and for December 31, 2019:
- An
increase of Other Current Financial Assets amounting to €1,717 million (USD 1,927 million) representing the fair value of the
contractual right to receive 1.766 billion SRAAS shares (as described in note 12 to the financial statements included in Grifols’
annual report on Form 20-F as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the “2019 20-F”));
- An
increase in Non-controlling Interests amounting to €1,511 million (as described in note 18 to the financial statements included
in the 2019 20-F), equivalent to 45% of economic rights of the GDS group at December 31, 2019;
- An
increase in Retained Earnings amounting to €227 million (as described in note 16 to the financial statements included in the
2019 20-F);
- A
decrease in translation differences in an amount of €22 million and a gain in the consolidated statement of profit and loss
from fiscal year 2019 amounting to €1 million related to the change in the fair value of the contractual right to receive 1.766
billion SRAAS shares (as described in note 27 to the financial statements included in the 2019 20-F).
Closing
of SRAAS acquisition:
· On
March 30, 2020, the transactions under the Shares Exchange Agreement closed, resulting in Grifols receiving 1.766 billion shares
representing 26.2% of the economic and voting rights of SRAAS.
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Transaction
accounted for on March 30, 2020
· As
a result of the transfer of the 1.766 billion SRAAS shares, Grifols recognized its interest in SRAAS as an investment in an associate
company because Grifols exercised significant influence in accordance with the criteria established in IAS 28 – Investment
in Associates and Joint Ventures. Grifols recognized SRAAS’ equity-accounted investment at the quoted market price of the shares
on March 30, 2020, amounting to €1,773 million. The increase in the fair value of the contractual right to receive 1.766
billion SRAAS shares under IFRS 9 based on the quoted market price of SRAAS shares on March 30, 2020 from the amount recognized
as of December 31, 2019 of €1,717 million was €56 million, which Grifols recognized as finance income in the consolidated
statement of profit and loss (as described in note 27 to the financial statements included in Grifols’ annual report on Form 20-F
as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020).
· As
of March 30, 2020, the recording of the SRAAS investment had the following impacts in Grifols’ consolidated financial statements:
- An
increase in Investments in equity-accounted investees amounting to €1,773 million;
- A
decrease in Other Current Financial Assets amounting to €1,717 million;
- A
gain of €56 million in finance income in the statement of profit and loss.
· Consequently,
Grifols held an interest in an associate, SRAAS, which has a holding in a subsidiary, GDS (reciprocal interest in GDS).
Measurement of non-controlling interests
where an associate holds an interest in a subsidiary (reciprocal interest):
In accordance with IAS 8.10, in the absence
of a standard or an interpretation that specifically applies to a transaction, other event or condition, management must use its
judgement in developing and applying an accounting policy that results in information that is relevant and reliable.
In making that judgement, management must
refer to, and consider the applicability of, the following sources in descending order:
a) the
requirements and guidance in IASB standards and interpretations dealing with similar and related issues; and
b) the
definitions, recognition criteria and measurement concepts for assets, liabilities, income and expenses in the Framework (as such
term is defined in IAS 8.11).
Since the IFRS do not address this specific
topic, Grifols’ management used the accounting manuals of the Big Four as a technical reference.
The following excerpt is from the E&Y
book, which is in line with what the other Big Four firms state.
E&Y – International GAAP®
2020 - International Financial Reporting Group under IFRS (chapter 7 – Consolidation procedures and non-controlling interests
– section 5.3 page 509)
“Neither IFRS 10 nor IAS 28 explain
how to account for non-controlling interests when the group owns an associate which has a holding in a subsidiary. A non-controlling
interest is defined as “the equity in a subsidiary not attributable, directly or indirectly to a parent” IFRS 10 –
Appendix A. It is unclear whether this should be computed based on the ownership interests held by the group (i.e. by the parent and
any consolidated subsidiary), or whether it should also take into account the indirect ownership of the subsidiary held by the associate.
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Standards:
IFRS 10 and IAS 28
The reciprocal interest can also give
rise to a measure of double-counting of profits and net assets between the investor and its associate.
We believe that there are two possible
approaches to determine the amount of non-controlling interests in the subsidiary:
a) The
non-controlling interests are determined after considering the associate’s ownership of the subsidiary (‘look through
approach”); or
b) The
non-controlling interests are determined based on the holdings of the group in the subsidiary (“black box approach”).
An entity should apply the chosen approach
consistently.
In applying the “look through approach”
the parent must not recognize the share of the subsidiary’s results recognized by the associate applying the equity method,
in order to avoid doble-counting. The “black box approach” will often lead to reporting higher consolidated net assets
and results than when using the “look through approach” as this adjustment is not made, although the amounts attributed
to owners of the parent should be the same under both approaches….”
In addition, IAS
28:26 states that many of the procedures appropriate for the application of the equity method are similar to the consolidation
procedures described in IFRS 10. Furthermore, the concepts underlying the procedures used in accounting for the acquisition of a
subsidiary are also adopted in accounting for the acquisition of an investment in an associate or joint venture.
IFRIC® Update, August
2002, Agenda Decision, ‘IAS 28 Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures—Reciprocal equity interests’ states
that when a company A owns an interest in B, and B concurrently owns an interest in A, those investments are known as reciprocal
interests (or ‘cross-holdings’). When Entity A and Entity B account for their investments in one another using the equity
method as defined in IAS 28, similar to the consolidation procedures applied when a subsidiary is consolidated, the equity method
requires reciprocal interests to be eliminated.
Policy choice adopted by Grifols for
both “equity method to the investment in an associate” and a "non-controlling interest” when it has an investment
in an associate which has a holding in a subsidiary:
Since the IFRS do not specifically address
the accounting treatment of equity method investment and non-controlling interests when an associate accounted for under the equity
method has a ho