SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2016

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

30. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

A quarterly dividend of $.60 per share was declared at the Board of Directors meeting on December 7, 2016, payable on February 1, 2017 to stockholders of record on December 30, 2016.

During the fourth quarter of 2016, the company announced voluntary employee separation programs as part of its effort to reduce operating costs. The programs provide for cash payments based on previous years of service. The expense is recorded in the period the employees accept the separation offer. The programs’ total pretax expenses are estimated to be approximately $111 million, of which $11 million was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2016, and approximately $100 million will be recorded primarily in the first quarter of 2017. The payments for all programs will be substantially made in the first quarter of 2017. The 2017 expenses are estimated to be allocated approximately 30 percent cost of sales, 18 percent research and development and 52 percent selling, administrative and general. In addition, the expenses are estimated to be allocated 75 percent to agriculture and turf operations, 17 percent to the construction and forestry operations and 8 percent to the financial services operations. Savings from these programs are estimated to be approximately $70 million in 2017.

In fiscal December 2016, the company sold approximately 38 percent of its interest in SiteOne resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $114 million and a gain of approximately $105 million pretax or $66 million after-tax. The company retained approximately a 15 percent ownership interest in SiteOne after this sale. The gain will be reported in the agriculture and turf operating segment.