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Commitments, Contingencies and Debt (Notes)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 28, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments, Contingencies and Debt Commitments, Contingencies and Debt
Legal Proceedings
We are involved in legal proceedings, claims, and governmental inquiries, inspections, or investigations (“Legal Matters”) arising in the ordinary course of our business. While we cannot predict with certainty the results of Legal Matters in which we are currently involved or may in the future be involved, we do not expect that the ultimate costs to resolve the Legal Matters that are currently pending will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
Class Actions and Stockholder Derivative Actions:
We and certain of our current and former officers and directors are currently defendants in three securities class action lawsuits filed in February, March, and April 2019. The first filed action, Hedick v. The Kraft Heinz Company, was filed on February 24, 2019 against the Company and three of its officers (the “Hedick Action”). The second filed action, Iron Workers District Council (Philadelphia and Vicinity) Retirement and Pension Plan v. The Kraft Heinz Company, was filed on March 15, 2019 against, among others, the Company and six of its current and former officers (the “Iron Workers Action”). The third filed action, Timber Hill LLC v. The Kraft Heinz Company, was filed on April 25, 2019 against, among others, the Company and seven of its current and former officers and directors (the “Timber Hill Action”). All of these securities class action lawsuits were filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Another securities class action lawsuit, Walling v. Kraft Heinz Company, was filed on February 26, 2019 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against, among others, the Company and six of its current and former officers (the “Walling Action”). Plaintiff in the Walling Action filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of his complaint, without prejudice, on April 26, 2019.
Plaintiffs in these lawsuits purport to represent a class of all individuals and entities who purchased, sold, or otherwise acquired or disposed of publicly traded securities of the Company (including in the Timber Hill Action, the purchase of call options on Company common stock, the sale of put options on Company common stock, and the purchase of futures on the Company’s common stock) from May 4, 2017 through February 21, 2019, in the case of the Hedick Action and the Walling Action, and from July 6, 2015 through February 21, 2019, in the case of the Iron Workers Action and the Timber Hill Action. The complaints assert claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, based on allegedly materially false or misleading statements and omissions in public statements, press releases, investor presentations, earnings calls, and SEC filings regarding the Company’s business, financial results, and internal controls. The plaintiffs seek damages in an unspecified amount, attorneys’ fees and other relief. On October 8, 2019, the court entered an order consolidating these lawsuits into one proceeding and appointing lead plaintiffs and lead plaintiffs’ counsel.
In addition, our Employee Benefits Administration Board and certain of our current and former officers and employees are currently defendants in one class action lawsuit, Osborne v. Employee Benefits Administration Board of Kraft Heinz, which was filed on March 19, 2019 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit purport to represent a class of current and former employees who were participants in and beneficiaries of various retirement plans which were co-invested in a commingled investment fund known as the Kraft Foods Savings Plan Master Trust (the “Master Trust”) during the period of May 4, 2017 through February 21, 2019. An amended complaint was filed on June 28, 2019. The amended complaint alleges violations of Section 502 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) based on alleged breaches of obligations as fiduciaries subject to ERISA by allowing the Master Trust to continue investing in our common stock, and alleges additional breaches of fiduciary duties by current and former officers for their purported failure to monitor Master Trust fiduciaries. The plaintiffs seek damages in an unspecified amount, attorneys’ fees, and other relief.
Certain of our current and former officers and directors, among others, were also named as defendants in three stockholder derivative actions pending in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania: Vladimir Gusinsky Revocable Trust v. Hees filed on May 8, 2019, Silverman v. Behring filed on May 15, 2019, and Green v. Behring filed on May 23, 2019, with the Company named as a nominal defendant. On June 14, 2019, plaintiffs in two other stockholder derivative actions, DeFabiis v. Hees and Kailas v. Hees, which were filed on April 16, 2019 and May 13, 2019, respectively, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, filed notices of voluntary dismissal of their complaints, without prejudice. The three remaining lawsuits were consolidated, styled as In re Kraft Heinz Shareholder Derivative Litigation, and a consolidated amended complaint was filed on July 31, 2019. The consolidated amended complaint asserts claims under the common law and statutory law of Delaware for alleged breaches of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, and contribution for alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 21D of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, based on allegedly materially false or misleading statements and omissions in public statements and SEC filings, and for implementing cost cutting measures that allegedly damaged the company. The plaintiffs seek damages in an unspecific amount, attorneys’ fees, and other relief.
The two plaintiffs who voluntarily dismissed their derivative lawsuits against certain of the Company’s current and former directors have filed new derivative actions in the Delaware Court of Chancery against 3G Capital, Inc. and several of its subsidiaries and affiliates (the “3G Entities”), with the Company named as a nominal defendant. The first action, DeFabiis v 3G Capital, Inc., was filed on June 14, 2019, and the second action, Kailas v. 3G Capital, Inc., was filed on October 9, 2019. The complaints allege that the defendant 3G Entities were controlling shareholders who owed fiduciary duties to the Company, and that they breached those duties by allegedly engaging in insider trading and misappropriating the Company’s material, non-public information. The complaints seek relief against the 3G Entities in the form of disgorgement of all profits obtained from alleged insider trading plus an award of attorneys’ fees and costs.
A third derivative lawsuit, Mary Nell Legg Family Trust v. 3G Capital Inc., was filed on October 29, 2019 in the Delaware Court of Chancery against certain of the Company’s current and former officers and directors, in addition to the 3G Entities, with the Company named as a nominal defendant. The complaint alleges that the defendant 3G Entities were controlling shareholders who owed fiduciary duties to the Company, and that they breached those duties by allegedly engaging in insider trading and misappropriating the Company’s material, non-public information. The complaint alleges the remaining defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company by purportedly making materially misleading statements and omissions regarding the Company’s financial performance and the impairment of its goodwill and intangible assets. The complaint seeks relief against the defendants in the form of damages, disgorgement of all profits the 3G Entities obtained from alleged insider trading, and an award of attorneys’ fees and costs.
We intend to vigorously defend against these lawsuits; however, we cannot reasonably estimate the potential range of loss, if any, due to the early stage of these proceedings.
Securities and Exchange Commission Investigation:
As previously disclosed on February 21, 2019, we received a subpoena in October 2018 from the SEC related to our procurement area, specifically the accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls related to our procurement function, including, but not limited to, agreements, side agreements, and changes or modifications to agreements with our suppliers. Following the receipt of this subpoena, we, together with external counsel and forensic accountants, and subsequently, under the oversight of the Audit Committee, conducted an internal investigation into our procurement area and related matters. The SEC has also issued additional subpoenas seeking information related to our financial reporting, internal controls, and disclosures, our assessment of goodwill and intangible asset impairments, our communications with certain shareholders, and other procurement-related information and materials in connection with its investigation. It is our understanding that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois also is reviewing this matter, working with the SEC and receiving materials from it. We cannot predict the eventual scope, duration or outcome of any potential SEC legal action or other action or whether it could have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. We have been responsive to the ongoing subpoenas and other document requests and will continue to cooperate fully with any governmental or regulatory inquiries or investigations.
Other Commitments and Contingencies
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest:
We have a joint venture with a minority partner to manufacture, package, market, and distribute food products. We control operations and include this business in our consolidated results. Our minority partner has put options that, if it chooses to exercise, would require us to purchase portions of its equity interest at a future date. These put options will become exercisable beginning in 2025 (on the eighth anniversary of the product launch date) at a price to be determined at that time based upon an independent third party valuation. The minority partner’s put options are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as a redeemable noncontrolling interest. We accrete the redeemable noncontrolling interest to its estimated redemption value over the term of the put options. At September 28, 2019, we estimate the redemption value to be approximately $38 million.
Debt
Borrowing Arrangements:
We obtain funding through our U.S. and European commercial paper programs. We had no commercial paper outstanding at September 28, 2019 or at December 29, 2018. The maximum amount of commercial paper outstanding during the nine months ended September 28, 2019 was $200 million.
See Note 19, Debt, to our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 29, 2018 in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information on our borrowing arrangements.
Tender Offers:
On September 3, 2019, Kraft Heinz Foods Company (“KHFC”), our 100% owned subsidiary, commenced an offer to purchase for cash any and all of its outstanding 5.375% senior notes due February 2020 (the “First Tender Offer”). The First Tender Offer expired on September 9, 2019 with a settlement date of September 10, 2019. Additionally, on September 11, 2019, KHFC commenced an offer to purchase for cash up to the maximum combined aggregate purchase price of $2.5 billion, excluding accrued and unpaid interest, of its outstanding 3.500% senior notes due June 2022, 3.500% senior notes due July 2022, 4.000% senior notes due June 2023, and 4.875% second lien senior secured notes due February 2025 (the “Second Tender Offer”) (collectively with the First Tender Offer, the “Tender Offers”). The Second Tender Offer settled on September 26, 2019.
The aggregate principal amounts of senior notes and second lien senior secured notes before and after the Tender Offers and the amounts validly tendered pursuant to the Tender Offers were (in millions):
 
Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding Before Tender Offers
 
Amount Validly Tendered
 
Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding After Tender Offers
5.375% senior notes due February 2020
$
900

 
$
495

 
$
405

3.500% senior notes due June 2022
2,000

 
881

 
1,119

3.500% senior notes due July 2022
1,000

 
554

 
446

4.000% senior notes due June 2023
1,600

 
762

 
838

4.875% second lien senior secured notes due February 2025
1,200

 
224

 
976


In connection with the Tender Offers, we recognized a loss on extinguishment of debt of $88 million. This loss primarily reflects the payment of early tender premiums and fees associated with the Tender Offers as well as the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs, premiums, and discounts. We recognized this loss on extinguishment of debt within interest expense on the condensed consolidated statement of income. The cash payments related to the debt extinguishment are classified as cash outflows from financing activities on the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows. For the nine months ended September 28, 2019, debt prepayment and extinguishment costs per the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows were $91 million, which reflect the $88 million loss on extinguishment of debt adjusted for the non-cash write-off of unamortized premiums of $10 million, unamortized debt issuance costs of $5 million, and unamortized discounts of $2 million.
Debt Redemptions:
Concurrently with the commencement of the First Tender Offer, we issued a notice of redemption by Kraft Heinz Canada ULC, our 100% owned subsidiary, of all of Kraft Heinz Canada ULC’s outstanding 2.700% Canadian dollar senior notes due July 2020, of which 300 million Canadian dollar aggregate principal amount was outstanding, and a notice of partial redemption by KHFC of $800 million of KHFC’s 2.800% senior notes due July 2020, of which $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount was outstanding. The effective date of these redemptions was October 3, 2019.
Concurrently with the commencement of the Second Tender Offer, we issued a second notice of partial redemption providing for the redemption of $500 million aggregate principal amount of KHFC’s remaining 2.800% senior notes due July 2020. The effective date of this redemption was October 11, 2019.
The aggregate principal amounts of senior notes before and after the debt redemptions in October 2019 were (in millions):
 
Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding Before Redemptions
 
Amount Redeemed
 
Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding After Redemption
2.700% Canadian dollar senior notes due July 2020
C$
300

 
C$
300

 
C$

2.800% senior notes due July 2020
$
1,500

 
$
1,300

 
$
200


Our condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 28, 2019 do not reflect the extinguishment of these notes as they occurred in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Debt Issuances:
In September 2019, KHFC issued $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 3.750% senior notes due April 2030, $500 million aggregate principal amount of 4.625% senior notes due October 2039, and $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of 4.875% senior notes due October 2049 (collectively, the “2019 Notes”). The 2019 Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Kraft Heinz as to payment of principal, premium, and interest on a senior unsecured basis. We used the proceeds from the 2019 Notes to fund the Second Tender Offer and to pay fees and expenses in connection therewith and to fund the partial redemption of $500 million aggregate principal amount of our 2.800% senior notes due July 2020, described above. A tabular summary of the 2019 Notes is included below.
 
 
Aggregate Principal Amount
 
 
(in millions)
3.750% senior notes due April 2030
 
$
1,000

4.625% senior notes due October 2039
 
500

4.875% senior notes due October 2049
 
1,500

Total senior notes issued
 
$
3,000


In June 2018, KHFC issued $300 million aggregate principal amount of 3.375% senior notes due June 2021, $1.6 billion aggregate principal amount of 4.000% senior notes due June 2023, and $1.1 billion aggregate principal amount of 4.625% senior notes due January 2029 (collectively, the “2018 Notes”). The 2018 Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Kraft Heinz as to payment of principal, premium, and interest on a senior unsecured basis. We used approximately $500 million of the proceeds from the 2018 Notes in connection with the wind-down of our U.S. securitization program in the second quarter of 2018. We also used proceeds from the 2018 Notes to refinance a portion of our commercial paper borrowings in the second quarter of 2018, to repay certain notes that matured in July and August 2018, and for other general corporate purposes.
Debt Issuance Costs:
Debt issuance costs related to the 2019 Notes were $25 million with $23 million paid as of September 28, 2019.
Debt issuance costs related to the 2018 Notes were $15 million.
Debt Repayments:
In August 2019, we repaid $350 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes that matured in the period.
In July and August 2018, we repaid $2.7 billion aggregate principal amount of senior notes that matured in the period. We funded these long-term debt repayments primarily with proceeds from the 2018 Notes issued in June 2018.
Fair Value of Debt:
At September 28, 2019, the aggregate fair value of our total debt was $31.8 billion as compared with a carrying value of $30.7 billion. At December 29, 2018, the aggregate fair value of our total debt was $30.1 billion as compared with a carrying value of $31.2 billion. Our short-term debt had carrying value that approximated its fair value at September 28, 2019 and December 29, 2018. We determined the fair value of our long-term debt using Level 2 inputs. Fair values are generally estimated based on quoted market prices for identical or similar instruments.