· Hewlett Packard Enterprise incurs cost related to its acquisitions and divestitures, most of which are treated as non-cash or non-capitalized expenses. The charges are direct expenses such as professional fees and retention costs, as well as non-cash adjustments to the fair value of certain acquired assets such as inventory. Because non-cash or non-capitalized acquisition-related expenses are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing and nature of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s acquisitions and divestitures, Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that eliminating such expenses for purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures facilitates a more meaningful evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s current operating performance and comparisons to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s past operating performance. · HPE incurs impairment charges related to its exit from certain data centers. Such charges are inconsistent in amount and frequency. HPE believes that eliminating these amounts for purposes of calculating non-GAAP operating profit facilitates a more meaningful evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s current operating performance and comparisons to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s operating performance in other periods. · Hewlett Packard Enterprise incurs defined benefit plan settlement charges relating to U.S. HP pension plan. The charges are associated with the net settlement and remeasurement resulting from voluntary lump sum payments offered to certain terminated vested participants. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these charges for the purpose of calculating these non-GAAP measures to facilitate a more meaningful evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s current operating performance and comparisons to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s operating performance in other periods. · As a result of the separation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise recorded net tax benefits comprising the reversal of a previously recorded valuation allowance, the write off of certain deferred taxes that will no longer provide any future benefits to the Company and the effect of a separation related tax deduction. Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that eliminating these amounts for purposes of calculating non-GAAP net earnings facilitates a more meaningful comparison of HPE’s net earnings to other periods. Material limitations associated with use of non-GAAP financial measures These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and these measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s results as reported under GAAP. Some of the limitations in relying on these non-GAAP financial measures are: · Items such as amortization of intangible assets and impairment of data center assets, though not directly affecting Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s cash position, represent the loss in value of tangible and intangible assets over time. The expense associated with this loss in value is not included in non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net earnings or non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share, and therefore does not reflect the full economic effect of the loss in value of those intangible assets. · Items such as restructuring charges and separation costs that are excluded from non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share can have a material impact on the equivalent GAAP earnings measure and cash flows. |