To supplement Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s condensed consolidated financial statement information presented on a GAAP basis, Hewlett Packard Enterprise provides non-GAAP 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 FCF. 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 FCF.

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 net revenue on a constant currency basis is net 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 (earnings from operations as a percentage of net revenue). 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 FCF 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 the Company’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 the same 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 Company’s past and future performance, without the impact of foreign exchange rates, as more than half of our revenue is generated outside of the U.S. Non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross profit margin are defined to exclude charges relating to the stock-based compensation expense, and disaster (recovery) 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 the items mentioned 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 earnings from equity interests, gain or loss on equity investments, other adjustments, 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 the non-GAAP financial measures provides a supplemental view to management and investors of its consolidated financial performance and presents the financial results of the business without costs that Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management does not believe to be 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:

• 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. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these charges for the purpose 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. Although this does not directly affect Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s cash position, the loss in value of intangible assets over time 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 HPE Next Plan and the Cost Optimization and Prioritization Plan are substantially complete. The exclusion of the transformation program costs from the non-GAAP financial 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 the Cost Optimization and Prioritization Plan costs as the Company’s management does not believe such costs to be reflective of its ongoing operating cost structure. Further, the transformation costs for these plans have materially fluctuated since 2017, have been materially declining since 2021 and the Company does not expect these costs to be material. Hewlett Packard Enterprise's management believes non-GAAP measures excluding these costs are useful to management and investors for comparing operating performance across multiple periods.
• Disaster (recovery) charges are primarily related to the exit of the Company’s businesses in Russia and Belarus, and include credit losses of financing 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 (recovery) 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 the Company’s internal benchmarking analyses evidence that many industry participants and peers 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. For the first quarter of 2024, these charges were driven by costs associated with the pending acquisition of Juniper Networks, in addition to prior acquisitions of Axis and Athonet. For the first quarter of 2023, these charges were driven by acquisitions of Zerto and Determined AI. Charges may also include expenses associated with disposal activities including legal and arbitration settlements in connection with certain dispositions. Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management considers these acquisitions and divestitures to be discrete events. The Company excludes these costs as these expenses are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing and nature of its acquisitions and divestitures. In addition, the Company’s internal benchmarking analyses evidence that many industry participants and peers present non-GAAP financial measures excluding these charges.
• For the first fiscal quarter of 2024 and prospectively, the adjustment to earnings from equity interests includes the equity in earnings from the H3C investment. In connection with the planned divestiture of the H3C investment, the Company stopped reporting H3C earnings in the non-GAAP results as the Company no longer receives dividends from this investment due to the Put Share Purchase Agreement described in Note 20 “Equity Method Investments” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of Part II of the Company Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023. All periods presented include the amortization of the basis difference in this investment. For the first fiscal quarter of 2023, this adjustment also included the Company’s portion of intangible asset impairment charges from H3C. The Company believes that eliminating these amounts for purposes of calculating non-GAAP financial measures facilitates the evaluation of the current operating performance.
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes gains and losses (including impairments) on its non-marketable equity investments because the Company does not believe they are reflective of normal continuing business operations. These adjustments are reflected in Interest and other, net in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings. The Company believes eliminating these adjustments for the purposes of calculating non-GAAP measures facilitates the evaluation of its current operating performance.
• 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 2024, the Company will use a projected non-GAAP income tax rate of 15%, which reflects currently available information as well as other factors and assumptions. 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. For fiscal 2023, the Company had a non-GAAP tax rate of 14%. Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s management 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.
• FCF 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 its historical and prospective liquidity.