XML 32 R18.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.20.2
REDEEMABLE AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
12 Months Ended
May 31, 2020
REDEEMABLE AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS [Abstract]  
REDEEMABLE AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

NOTE 10. REDEEMABLE AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

 

Our principal redeemable and noncontrolling interests relate to our Yoplait SAS, Yoplait Marques SNC, Liberté Marques Sàrl, and General Mills Cereals, LLC (GMC) subsidiaries. In addition, we have 4 foreign subsidiaries that have noncontrolling interests totaling $4.7 million as of May 31, 2020.

 

We have a 51 percent controlling interest in Yoplait SAS and a 50 percent interest in Yoplait Marques SNC and Liberté Marques Sàrl. Sodiaal holds the remaining interests in each of the entities. On the acquisition date, we recorded the $904.4 million fair value of Sodiaal’s 49 percent euro-denominated interest in Yoplait SAS as a redeemable interest on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Sodiaal has the ability to put all or a portion of its redeemable interest to us at fair value once per year, up to three times before December 2024. We adjust the value of the redeemable interest through additional paid-in capital on our Consolidated Balance Sheets quarterly to the redeemable interest’s redemption value, which approximates its fair value. Yoplait SAS pays dividends annually if it meets certain financial metrics set forth in its shareholders’ agreement. As of May 31, 2020, the redemption value of the euro-denominated redeemable interest was $544.6 million.

 

On the acquisition dates, we recorded the $281.4 million fair value of Sodiaal’s 50 percent euro-denominated interest in Yoplait Marques SNC and 50 percent Canadian dollar-denominated interest in Liberté Marques Sàrl as noncontrolling interests on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Yoplait Marques SNC earns a royalty stream through a licensing agreement with Yoplait SAS for the rights to Yoplait and related trademarks. Liberté Marques Sàrl earns a royalty stream through licensing agreements with certain Yoplait group companies for the rights to Liberté and related trademarks. These entities pay dividends annually based on their available cash as of their fiscal year end.

 

We paid dividends of $56.9 million in fiscal 2020 and $22.0 million in fiscal 2019 to Sodiaal under the terms of the Yoplait SAS, Yoplait Marques SNC, and Liberté Marques Sàrl shareholder agreements.

 

A subsidiary of Yoplait SAS has entered into an exclusive milk supply agreement for its European operations with Sodiaal at market-determined prices through July 1, 2021. Net purchases totaled $201.8 million for fiscal 2020 and $210.8 million for fiscal 2019.

 

During fiscal 2019, Sodiaal invested $55.7 million in Yoplait SAS.

 

The holder of the GMC Class A Interests receives quarterly preferred distributions from available net income based on the application of a floating preferred return rate to the holder’s capital account balance established in the most recent mark-to-market valuation (currently $251.5 million). On June 1, 2018, the floating preferred return rate on GMC’s Class A interests was reset to the sum of three-month LIBOR plus 142.5 basis points. The preferred return rate is adjusted every three years through a negotiated agreement with the Class A Interest holder or through a remarketing auction.

 

For financial reporting purposes, the assets, liabilities, results of operations, and cash flows of our non-wholly owned consolidated subsidiaries are included in our Consolidated Financial Statements. The third-party investor’s share of the net earnings of these subsidiaries is reflected in net earnings attributable to redeemable and noncontrolling interests in our Consolidated Statements of Earnings.

 

Our noncontrolling interests contain restrictive covenants. As of May 31, 2020, we were in compliance with all of these covenants.