To supplement Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s condensed consolidated financial statement information presented on a GAAP basis, Hewlett Packard Enterprise provides financial measures including revenue on a constant currency basis (including at the business segment level), non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross profit margin, non-GAAP operating profit (non-GAAP earnings from operations), non-GAAP operating profit margin (non-GAAP earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue), non-GAAP income tax rate, non-GAAP net earnings, non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share and free cash flow. Hewlett Packard Enterprise also provides forecasts of revenue growth on a constant currency basis, non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share, non-GAAP operating profit growth, and free cash flow.

These non-GAAP financial measures are not computed in accordance with, or as an alternative to, GAAP in the United States. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to revenue on a constant currency basis is revenue. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP gross profit is gross profit. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP gross profit margin is gross profit margin. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP operating profit (non-GAAP earnings from operations) is earnings from operations. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP operating profit margin (non-GAAP earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue) is operating profit margin. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP income tax rate is income tax rate. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP net earnings is net earnings. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share is diluted net earnings per share. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to free cash flow is cash flow from operations. Reconciliations of each of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures for this quarter and prior periods are included in the tables above or elsewhere in the materials accompanying this news release.

Usefulness of non-GAAP financial measures to investors

Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that providing the non-GAAP financial measures stated above in addition to the related GAAP measures provides investors with greater transparency to the information used by Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management in its financial and operational decision making and allows investors to see Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s results “through the eyes” of management. Hewlett Packard Enterprise further believes that providing this information provides Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s investors with a supplemental view to understand Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s historical and prospective operating performance and to evaluate the efficacy of the methodology and information used by Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management to evaluate and measure such performance. Disclosure of these non-GAAP financial measures also facilitates the comparisons of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s operating performance with the performance of other companies in Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s industry that supplement their GAAP results with non-GAAP financial measures that may be calculated in a similar manner.

Economic substance of and material limitations associated with non-GAAP financial measures used by Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Net revenue on a constant currency basis assumes no change to the foreign exchange rate utilized in the comparable prior-year period. This measure assists investors with evaluating the past and future performance of the Company, without the impact of foreign exchange rates. Non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross profit margin are defined to exclude charges relating to the amortization of initial direct costs, stock-based compensation expense and disaster charges. Non-GAAP operating profit (non-GAAP earnings from operations) and non-GAAP operating profit margin (non-GAAP earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue) consist of earnings from operations or earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue excluding those same charges above and charges relating to the amortization of intangible assets, transformation costs, and acquisition, disposition and other related charges. Non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share consist of net earnings or diluted net earnings per share excluding the charges previously stated, as well as tax indemnification and other adjustments, non-service net periodic benefit cost (credit), earnings from equity interests, impairment of investment, and adjustments for taxes. The Adjustments for taxes line item includes certain income tax valuation allowances and separation taxes, the impact of tax reform, structural rate adjustment, excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation, and adjustments for additional taxes or tax benefits associated with each non-GAAP item.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that excluding the items mentioned above from these non-GAAP financial measures provides a supplemental view to management and investors of the consolidated financial performance of the Company without costs that Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management does not believe are reflective of ongoing operating results. Exclusion of these items can have a material impact on the equivalent GAAP measure and cash flows thus limiting their use as analytical tools. These limitations are discussed below or elsewhere in the materials accompanying this news release. More specifically, Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management excludes each of those items mentioned above for the following reasons:

• Amortization of initial direct costs represents the portion of lease origination costs incurred in prior fiscal years that do not qualify for capitalization under the new leasing standard. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these costs as the Company elected the practical expedient under the new leasing standard. As a result, the Company did not adjust these historical costs to accumulated deficit. Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that most financing companies did not elect this practical expedient and therefore the Company excludes these costs. Exclusion of these costs can have an impact on the equivalent GAAP earnings measure and HPE Financial Services segment results.
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise incurs charges relating to the amortization of intangible assets and excludes these charges for purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures. Such charges are significantly impacted by the timing and magnitude of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s acquisitions. Consequently, Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these charges for purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures, primarily because they are non-cash expenses and the Company’s internal benchmarking analyses evidence that many industry participants and peers present non-GAAP financial measures excluding intangible asset amortization. Amortization of intangible assets, though not directly affecting Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s cash position, represents the loss in value of intangible assets over time and can have a material impact on the equivalent GAAP earnings measure.
• Transformation costs represent net costs related to the (i) HPE Next Plan and (ii) Cost Optimization and Prioritization Plan and include restructuring charges, program design and execution costs, costs incurred to transform the Company’s IT infrastructure, net gains from the sale of real estate and any impairment charges on real-estate identified as part of the initiatives. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these costs as they are discrete costs related to two specific transformation programs that were announced in 2017 and 2020, respectively, as multi-year programs necessary to transform the business and IT infrastructure following material divestiture transactions in 2017 and in response to COVID-19 and an evolving product portfolio in fiscal 2020. The primary elements of the HPE Next and the Cost Optimization and Prioritization Plan have been substantially completed by October 31, 2023. The exclusion of the transformation program costs from the non-GAAP measures, as stated above, is to provide a supplemental measure of the Company’s operating results that do not include material HPE Next Plan and Cost Optimization and Prioritization Plan costs as the Company’s management does not believe such costs to be reflective of the ongoing operating cost structure. Further, the transformation costs for these plans have materially fluctuated since 2017, have been materially declining since 2021 and are not expected to be material beyond fiscal 2023. Hewlett Packard Enterprises management believes that non-GAAP measures excluding these costs are useful to management and investors for comparing operating performance across multiple periods.
• Disaster charges are primarily related to the exit of the Company’s businesses in Russia and Belarus and include credit losses of financing receivables and trade receivables, employee severance and abandoned assets. Disaster charges also include direct costs or recovery of these costs related to COVID-19 as a result of Hewlett Packard Enterprise-hosted, co-hosted, or sponsored event cancellations and subsequent shift to a virtual format. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes Disaster charges from these non-GAAP measures as the specific charges are non-recurring charges and not indicative of the operational performance of the Company’s business.
• Stock-based compensation expense consists of equity awards granted based on the estimated fair value of those awards at grant date. Although stock-based compensation is a key incentive offered to employees, Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these charges for the purpose of calculating these non-GAAP measures, primarily because they are non-cash expenses, and internal benchmarking analyses evidence that many industry participants and competitors present non-GAAP financial measures excluding stock-based compensation expense.
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise incurs costs related to its acquisition, disposition and other related charges. The charges are direct expenses, such as professional fees and retention costs, most of which are treated as non-cash or non-capitalized expenses. Charges may also include expenses associated with disposal activities including legal and arbitration settlements in connection with certain dispositions. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these costs as these expenses are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing and nature of acquisitions and divestitures, and internal benchmarking analyses evidence that many industry participants and peers present non-GAAP financial measures excluding stock-based compensation expense.
• Tax indemnification and other adjustments are primarily related to changes to certain pre-separation and pre-divestiture tax liabilities and tax receivables for which Hewlett Packard Enterprise remains liable on behalf of the separated or divested business, but which may not be subject to indemnification. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these income or charges and the associated tax impact for the purpose of calculating non-GAAP measures to facilitate an evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s current operating performance and comparisons to operating performance in prior periods.
• Non-service net periodic benefit cost/credit includes certain market-related factors such as (i) interest cost, (ii) expected return on plan assets, (iii) amortization of prior plan amendments, (iv) amortized actuarial gains or losses, (v) the impacts of any plan settlements/curtailments and (vi) impacts from other market-related factors associated with Hewlett Packard Enterprise's defined benefit pension and post-retirement benefit plans. These market-driven retirement-related adjustments are primarily due to the change in pension plan assets and liabilities which are tied to financial market performance. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these adjustments for purposes of calculating non-GAAP measures and considers them to be outside the operational performance of the business.
• Adjustment to earnings from equity interests includes the amortization of the basis difference in relation to the H3C divestiture and the resulting equity method investment in H3C. In the first fiscal quarter of 2023, this adjustment also included the Company's portion of intangible asset impairment charges from H3C. Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that eliminating this amount for purposes of calculating non-GAAP measures facilitates the evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s current operating performance and comparisons to operating performance in prior periods.
• In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, HPE recorded an impairment charge for an equity investment resulting from a permanent reduction of the investee’s assets. This adjustment was reflected in Interest and other, net in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings. HPE believes eliminating the impairment of investment for the purposes of calculating non-GAAP measures facilitates the evaluation of our current operating performance and comparisons to operating performance in prior periods.
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise utilizes a structural long-term projected non-GAAP income tax rate in order to provide consistency across the interim reporting periods and to eliminate the effects of items not directly related to the Company’s operating structure that can vary in size and frequency. When projecting this long-term rate, Hewlett Packard Enterprise evaluated a three-year financial projection. The projected rate assumes no incremental acquisitions in the three-year projection period and considers other factors including Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s expected tax structure, its tax positions in various jurisdictions and current impacts from key legislation implemented in major jurisdictions where Hewlett Packard Enterprise operates. For fiscal 2023 and 2022, the Company used a non-GAAP income tax rate of 14%. The non-GAAP income tax rate could be subject to change for a variety of reasons, including the rapidly evolving global tax environment, significant changes in Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s geographic earnings mix including due to acquisition activity, or other changes to the Company’s strategy or business operations. The Company will re-evaluate its long-term rate as appropriate. Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that making these adjustments for purposes of calculating non-GAAP measures, facilitates a supplemental evaluation of the Company’s current operating performance and comparisons to past operating results.
• Free cash flow (“FCF”) is a non-GAAP measure that is defined as cash flow from operations, less net capital expenditures (investments in property, plant & equipment (“PP&E”) less proceeds from the sale of PP&E) and adjusted for the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash. FCF does not represent the total increase or decrease in cash for the period. Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management and investors can use FCF for the purpose of determining the amount of cash available for investment in the Company’s businesses, repurchasing stock and other purposes as well as evaluating historical and prospective liquidity.