GENERAL MILLS INC | 2013 | FY | 3


NOTE 9. REDEEMABLE AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

 

Our principal redeemable and noncontrolling interests relate to our Yoplait S.A.S., Yoplait Marques S.A.S., and General Mills Cereals, LLC (GMC) subsidiaries. In addition, we have seven foreign subsidiaries that have noncontrolling interests totaling $8.0 million as of May 26, 2013.

 

We have a 51 percent controlling interest in Yoplait S.A.S. and a 50 percent interest in Yoplait Marques S.A.S. 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 S.A.S. as a redeemable interest on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Sodiaal has the ability to put a limited portion of its redeemable interest to us once per year at fair value up to a maximum of 9 years. 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 S.A.S. pays dividends annually if it meets certain financial metrics set forth in its shareholders agreement. As of May 26, 2013, the redemption value of the euro-denominated redeemable interest was $967.5 million.

 

On the acquisition date, we recorded the $263.8 million fair value of Sodiaal's 50 percent euro-denominated interest in Yoplait Marques S.A.S. as a noncontrolling interest on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Yoplait Marques S.A.S. earns a royalty stream through a licensing agreement with Yoplait S.A.S. for the rights to Yoplait and related trademarks. Yoplait Marques S.A.S. pays dividends annually based on its available cash as of its fiscal year end.

 

In addition, a subsidiary of Yoplait S.A.S. 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 $263.5 million for fiscal 2013 and $235.7 million for fiscal 2012.

During fiscal 2013, we paid $32.5 million of dividends to Sodiaal under the terms of the Yoplait S.A.S. and Yoplait Marques S.A.S. shareholder agreements.

During the first quarter of fiscal 2013, in conjunction with the consent of the Class A investor, we restructured GMC through the distribution of its manufacturing assets, stock, inventory, cash and certain intellectual property to a wholly owned subsidiary. GMC retained the remaining intellectual property. Immediately following the restructuring, the Class A Interests of GMC were sold by the then current holder to another unrelated third-party investor.

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, currently equal to the sum of three-month LIBOR plus 110 basis points, to the holder's capital account balance established in the most recent mark-to-market valuation (currently $251.5 million). 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 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 the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.

 

Our noncontrolling interests contain restrictive covenants. As of May 26, 2013, we were in compliance with all of these covenants.


us-gaap:MinorityInterestDisclosureTextBlock