General Mills Inc. (NYSE:GIS)

The period between May 2014 and May 2019 demonstrates fluctuating financial performance as measured by economic profit. Net operating profit after taxes (NOPAT) exhibited volatility, while the cost of capital generally decreased over the observed timeframe. Invested capital showed a significant increase in later years. Consequently, economic profit remained consistently negative throughout the period, though with varying magnitudes.

Net Operating Profit After Taxes (NOPAT)

NOPAT began at US$2,219,325 thousand in May 2014, decreased substantially to US$1,616,844 thousand in May 2015, and then recovered to US$2,028,941 thousand in May 2016. A further increase to US$2,079,159 thousand occurred in May 2017, followed by a decline to US$1,920,512 thousand in May 2018. NOPAT concluded the period with a rise to US$2,274,308 thousand in May 2019, representing the highest value observed.

Cost of Capital

The cost of capital started at 11.91% in May 2014, decreasing to 11.87% in May 2015. It then increased to 12.50% in May 2016 before declining to 11.61% in May 2017. A notable decrease occurred in May 2018, falling to 10.04%, and it subsequently rose to 10.77% in May 2019.

Invested Capital

Invested capital remained relatively stable between May 2014 (US$19,362,635 thousand) and May 2016 (US$18,400,346 thousand). A substantial increase was observed in May 2018, reaching US$27,608,082 thousand, and remained high in May 2019 at US$27,385,340 thousand. This represents a significant shift in capital allocation during the latter part of the period.

Economic Profit

Economic profit was negative in each year examined. It began at -US$86,745 thousand in May 2014 and worsened to -US$666,236 thousand in May 2015. While improving to -US$271,701 thousand in May 2016 and -US$124,614 thousand in May 2017, it deteriorated significantly to -US$850,554 thousand in May 2018. The final year, May 2019, showed a slight improvement to -US$676,174 thousand, but remained substantially negative. The increasing invested capital in the final two years appears to have contributed to the continued negative economic profit despite increases in NOPAT.

The consistent negative economic profit suggests that the company’s returns on invested capital have not consistently exceeded its cost of capital during this period. The substantial increase in invested capital, particularly in May 2018 and May 2019, did not translate into a corresponding improvement in economic profit, indicating potential inefficiencies in capital utilization or a need for higher returns from those investments.

The financial data shows the annual performance of the company over a six-year period from 2014 to 2019. Two key metrics are presented: net earnings attributable to the company and net operating profit after taxes (NOPAT).

Net Earnings Attributable to the Company

The net earnings exhibit fluctuations throughout the period. Starting from $1,824,400 thousand in 2014, there is a notable decline to $1,221,300 thousand in 2015. This is followed by a recovery phase where net earnings increase to $1,697,400 thousand in 2016 but then slightly dip to $1,657,500 thousand in 2017. The peak is observed in 2018 at $2,131,000 thousand, representing the highest net earnings in this timeframe. However, the following year, 2019, shows a decline to $1,752,700 thousand, reflecting a decrease of approximately 17.8% from the previous year’s peak.

Net Operating Profit After Taxes (NOPAT)

NOPAT also shows variability but with a generally increasing trend. It begins at $2,219,325 thousand in 2014 and declines in 2015 to $1,616,844 thousand, mirroring the net earnings pattern. Thereafter, NOPAT steadily recovers and increases, reaching $2,029,941 thousand in 2016 and continuing its ascent with minor fluctuation to $2,079,159 thousand in 2017 and $1,920,512 thousand in 2018. The highest value is recorded in 2019 at $2,274,308 thousand, representing a strong recovery and the highest operational efficiency in terms of post-tax profits over the period.

Overall, both net earnings and NOPAT show an initial decline from 2014 to 2015, likely indicating a challenging year or adverse conditions. Despite this, the company demonstrates resilience with a recovery phase from 2016 onward. Net earnings reach their peak in 2018 but experience a downturn in 2019. Conversely, NOPAT recovers more robustly, peaking in 2019 and displaying stronger operational profitability relative to net earnings. This divergence in the final year may suggest changes in non-operating items, tax impacts, or other factors affecting net earnings differently than operating profit.

The financial data reveals a fluctuating trend in the income taxes and cash operating taxes over the six-year period.

Income Taxes

Income taxes decreased significantly from 883,300 thousand US dollars in May 2014 to 586,800 thousand US dollars in May 2015, representing a notable reduction.

Subsequently, there was an increase to 755,200 thousand US dollars in May 2016, followed by a decline to 655,200 thousand US dollars in May 2017.

In May 2018, income taxes declined sharply to 57,300 thousand US dollars, marking the lowest point in the period analyzed, before rising to 367,800 thousand US dollars in May 2019.

Cash Operating Taxes

Cash operating taxes exhibited a more stable but variable trend, starting at 821,360 thousand US dollars in May 2014 and decreasing to 676,323 thousand US dollars in May 2015.

There was a slight increase to 745,707 thousand US dollars in May 2016, followed by a decrease to 579,670 thousand US dollars in May 2017.

The value rose again to 674,791 thousand US dollars in May 2018 before declining sharply to 383,900 thousand US dollars in May 2019.

Overall, both income taxes and cash operating taxes show substantial volatility over the years. Income taxes show a steep decline around 2018, while cash operating taxes, although variable, remain generally higher than income taxes except for 2018. The trends suggest potential changes in tax obligations or tax planning strategies impacting these financial items during the examined period.

Total Reported Debt & Leases

The total reported debt and leases showed a fluctuating trend over the six-year period. Initially, there was a moderate increase from approximately $9.13 billion in 2014 to $9.58 billion in 2015, followed by a decline to about $8.79 billion in 2016. In 2017, the debt level rose again to roughly $9.93 billion. A significant increase occurred in 2018, reaching approximately $16.32 billion, the highest level in the period analyzed. This peak was followed by a slight reduction to $14.93 billion in 2019, indicating a partial deleveraging but maintaining a relatively high debt position compared to earlier years.

Stockholders’ Equity

Stockholders’ equity experienced a downward trajectory between 2014 and 2017, decreasing from approximately $6.53 billion to around $4.33 billion. This decline suggests a reduction in the net value attributable to shareholders during this period. However, equity started to recover in 2018, increasing notably to $6.14 billion, and continued to grow in 2019, reaching about $7.05 billion. The recovery indicates a strengthening of the company’s equity base in the latter years analyzed.

Invested Capital

Invested capital exhibited relative stability from 2014 to 2017, ranging between approximately $18.4 billion and $19.4 billion. In 2018 there was a marked increase to roughly $27.61 billion, which was sustained in 2019 with a slight decrease to $27.38 billion. This sharp increase in invested capital parallels the rise in total reported debt and leases during the same period, suggesting significant capital allocation or asset acquisition financed largely through debt.

Overall Analysis

The financial data indicates that the company increased its leverage significantly in 2018 and maintained a higher debt load in 2019 relative to the earlier years. This period also coincides with a substantial jump in invested capital, signaling possibly intensified investment activity or expansion. Meanwhile, stockholders’ equity contracted from 2014 through 2017 but recovered afterward, possibly reflecting improved profitability or capital injections. The trends suggest a strategic phase of investment funded by increased debt, with signs of balance sheet strengthening towards the end of the period.

The period between May 2014 and May 2019 demonstrates a volatile performance in economic profit and the economic spread ratio. Economic profit consistently registers as negative across all observed years, indicating the company’s returns are not exceeding its cost of capital. Invested capital fluctuates, with a notable increase in the later years of the period.

Economic Profit

Economic profit exhibits substantial year-over-year variation. It begins at -86,745 (in thousands of US dollars) in 2014, experiences a significant decline to -666,236 in 2015, then recovers somewhat to -271,701 in 2016 and -124,614 in 2017. However, it falls sharply again to -850,554 in 2018 before moderating slightly to -676,174 in 2019. This pattern suggests inconsistent profitability relative to the capital employed.

Invested Capital

Invested capital remains relatively stable between 2014 and 2017, fluctuating around the 18 to 19 million US dollar range. A substantial increase is observed in 2018, reaching 27,608,082, and remains high in 2019 at 27,385,340. This increase in invested capital, coupled with continued negative economic profit, likely contributes to the worsening economic spread ratio in later years.

Economic Spread Ratio

The economic spread ratio, expressed as a percentage, generally worsens over the observed period. Starting at -0.45% in 2014, it declines to -3.46% in 2015, then partially recovers to -1.48% in 2016 and -0.66% in 2017. The ratio then experiences a significant deterioration, reaching -3.08% in 2018 and -2.47% in 2019. This downward trend indicates a widening gap between the company’s cost of capital and its return on invested capital, suggesting diminishing value creation.

The combination of negative and fluctuating economic profit alongside increasing invested capital results in a consistently negative and declining economic spread ratio. This suggests a growing challenge in generating returns that adequately compensate for the capital invested in the business.

The economic profit margin demonstrates a volatile performance over the observed period. Initially negative, the margin experienced significant fluctuations before stabilizing at a consistently negative level. A review of the economic profit alongside the net sales figures reveals insights into the drivers of this performance.

Economic Profit Margin Trend

The economic profit margin began at -0.48% in May 2014. It deteriorated substantially to -3.78% in May 2015, representing the most significant decline within the period. A partial recovery was noted in May 2016, with the margin improving to -1.64%. Further improvement occurred in May 2017, reaching -0.80%. However, the margin worsened considerably in May 2018 to -5.40%, the lowest point in the series. The final year observed, May 2019, showed a slight improvement to -4.01%, though remaining substantially negative.

Relationship to Net Sales

Net sales generally decreased from 2014 to 2017, moving from $17,909.6 million to $15,619.8 million. A slight increase was observed in 2018 to $15,740.4 million, followed by a more substantial increase to $16,865.2 million in 2019. Despite the sales increase in 2019, the economic profit margin remained negative, indicating that the cost of capital exceeded the returns generated from sales.

Economic Profit

Economic profit itself exhibited a similar pattern of volatility. The largest negative economic profit occurred in May 2015 at -$666.236 million. While fluctuations were present in subsequent years, economic profit remained consistently negative throughout the entire period, ranging from -$86.745 million to -$850.554 million. The magnitude of the negative economic profit generally corresponded with the lowest economic profit margin values.

The consistent negative economic profit margin suggests that, despite fluctuations in net sales, the company consistently failed to generate returns sufficient to cover its cost of capital during the analyzed timeframe. The substantial decline in the margin in 2015 and 2018 warrants further investigation to identify the underlying causes, potentially related to increased costs, decreased efficiency, or changes in the cost of capital.