Section 108. Compensation Discussion and Analysis/Proxy Statement
Question 108.01
Question: Instruction 5 to Item 402(b) provides that “[d]isclosure of target levels that are nonGAAP financial measures will not be subject to Regulation G and Item 10(e); however, disclosure must be
provided as to how the number is calculated from the registrant’s audited financial statements.” Does this
instruction extend to non-GAAP financial information that does not relate to the disclosure of target levels, but is
nevertheless included in Compensation Discussion & Analysis (“CD&A”) or other parts of the proxy statement for example, to explain the relationship between pay and performance?
Answer: No. Instruction 5 to Item 402(b) is limited to CD&A disclosure of target levels that are
non-GAAP financial measures. If non-GAAP financial measures are presented in CD&A or in any other part of
the proxy statement for any other purpose, such as to explain the relationship between pay and performance or to
justify certain levels or amounts of pay, then those non-GAAP financial measures are subject to the requirements
of Regulation G and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K.
In these pay-related circumstances only, the staff will not object if a registrant includes the required
GAAP reconciliation and other information in an annex to the proxy statement, provided the registrant includes a
prominent cross-reference to such annex.
Or, if the non-GAAP financial measures are the same as those included
in the Form 10-K that is incorporating by reference the proxy statement’s Item 402 disclosure as part of its Part III
information, the staff will not object if the registrant complies with Regulation G and Item 10(e) by providing a
prominent cross-reference to the pages in the Form 10-K containing the required GAAP reconciliation and other
information. [July 8, 2011]
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