MERGER AND ACQUISITIONS

WH Group Merger

On May 28, 2013, we entered into the Merger Agreement with WH Group and Merger Sub. The Merger was consummated on the Merger Date, and as a result, Merger Sub merged with and into the Company, with the Company surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of WH Group. Upon completion of the Merger, all outstanding shares of Smithfield were cancelled and the Company's shareholders received $34.00 in cash (the Merger Consideration) for each share of common stock held prior to the effective time of the Merger. Additionally, all outstanding stock-based compensation awards, both vested and unvested, were converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration, less the exercise price of such awards, if any. The total consideration paid in connection with the Merger was approximately $4.9 billion.

On July 31, 2013, Merger Sub issued $500.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.25% senior notes due August 1, 2018 and $400.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.875% senior notes due August 1, 2021 (together, the Merger Sub Notes). Merger Sub incurred $20.4 million in transaction fees in connection with issuance of the Merger Sub Notes, which are being amortized over the life of the Merger Sub Notes. As a result of the Merger and the transactions entered into in connection therewith, we have assumed the liabilities and obligations of Merger Sub, including Merger Sub's obligations under the Merger Sub Notes. Proceeds from the Merger Sub Notes were held in escrow prior to the Merger Date and used in funding the Merger. The proceeds were used to fund a portion of the total consideration paid, repay certain outstanding debt of the Company and pay certain transaction fees associated with the Merger.

WH Group is the majority shareholder of Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co., which is China's largest meat processing enterprise and China's largest publicly traded meat products company as measured by market capitalization. WH Group is a pioneer in the Chinese meat processing industry with over 30 years of history. WH Group's businesses include hog production, meat processing, fresh meat and packaged meats production and distribution. The merging of WH Group's distribution network with our strong management team, leading brands and vertically integrated model will allow us to provide high-quality, competitively priced and safe U.S. meat products to consumers in markets around the world.

WH Group's cost of acquiring the Company has been pushed-down to establish a new accounting basis for the Company. The consolidated balance sheets, as of December 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, reflect various fair value estimates and analyses, including work performed by third-party valuation specialists. This work was finalized during the third quarter of 2014 with no material adjustments.

The following is a summary of the allocation of the total purchase consideration to the estimated fair values of our assets acquired, liabilities assumed and noncontrolling interests by WH Group in the transaction:



	(in millions)
Cash and cash equivalents	$	250.5
Accounts receivable	764.6
Inventories	2,504.7
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	214.2
Property, plant and equipment	2,719.2
Goodwill	1,631.5
Investments	479.1
Intangible assets	1,403.0
Other assets	171.7
Assets acquired by WH Group	10,138.5

Current portion of long-term debt and capital lease obligations	239.1
Accounts payable	535.3
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	590.8
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations	2,509.1
Net long-term pension liability	522.8
Deferred income taxes, net	664.4
Other liabilities	125.8
Liabilities assumed by WH Group	5,187.3

Redeemable noncontrolling interests and noncontrolling interests	48.2
Total purchase consideration	$	4,903.0

Accounts receivable and accounts payable, as well as certain other current and non-current assets and liabilities, were valued at their existing carrying values as they approximated fair value of those items at the time of the Merger, based on management's judgments and estimates.

Inventories were valued using a net realizable value approach with the exception of manufacturing supplies and other inventories, which were valued using the replacement cost approach.

Property, plant and equipment have been valued using a combination of the market approach and the indirect cost approach which is based on current replacement and/or reproduction cost of the asset as new, less depreciation attributable to physical, functional and economic factors.

Intangible assets acquired include trademarks, customer relations assets, contractual relationships and rights with fair values of $1.3 billion, $55.0 million, $40.0 million and $3.0 million, respectively. The customer relations assets, contractual relationships and rights will be amortized over useful lives of 14 years, 17 years and 12 years, respectively. The trademarks are not subject to amortization.

Trademarks, including trade names, have been valued using the relief from royalty method. We utilized a bottoms-up approach to assess the appropriate royalty rates for trade names focused on consideration of the profitability of each trade name, the implied premium margin earned on branded versus private label sales of similar products for each trade name, market studies and third-party comparable licensing agreements.

Customer relations assets were determined using the multi-period excess earnings methodology utilizing our forecasted metrics and/or a market participant distributor model. Contractual relationships were valued based on the time and associated costs that would be required to recreate the existing relationships in addition to the lost profits over this time period using the avoided costs or lost profits method. Rights were also valued using an avoided costs or lost profits method.

The benefit obligation for both our qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plans was remeasured as of the Merger Date with the assistance of an independent third-party actuary.

Existing long-term debt assumed in the Merger was fair valued based on quoted market prices. Long-term debt assumed included our outstanding 6.625% senior unsecured notes due August 2022 (the 2022 Notes) and our outstanding 7.75% senior unsecured notes due July 2017 (the 2017 Notes).

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities as of the Merger Date represent the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed as a result of the Merger and their tax basis.

Goodwill reflects the amount of the total consideration paid that exceeded the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and noncontrolling interests. Goodwill recognized as a result of the Merger and is not deductible for tax purposes. See Note 15—Reportable Segments for the allocation of goodwill to our reportable segments.

In connection with the Merger, we incurred $23.9 million and $18.0 million of professional fees during the three months ended December 29, 2013 and the five months ended September 26, 2013, respectively. These fees are recognized in merger related costs on the consolidated statements of income. In addition, Merger Sub deferred $17.3 million of debt issuance costs for a financing arrangement. We recognized these deferred costs in interest expense during the three months ended December 29, 2013 upon termination of the financing arrangement following the Merger. All of these charges are reflected in the results of our Corporate segment.

The following unaudited pro forma financial data summarizes the Company's results of operations as if the Merger had occurred as of April 30, 2012. The pro forma data is for informational purposes only and may not necessarily reflect the actual results of operations had the Merger been consummated on April 30, 2012.



	Eight Months Ended		Twelve Months Ended
	December 29, 2013		April 28, 2013
	(in millions and unaudited)
Sales	$	9,573.7	$	13,221.1
Net income	192.9		219.6

The most significant pro forma adjustments were to reflect the impact of fair value step-ups of both assets and liabilities (e.g., inventory, property, plant and equipment, long-term debt) and fees and expenses related to the Merger noted above.

Kansas City Sausage, LLC

In May 2013, we acquired a 50% interest in Kansas City Sausage Company, LLC (KCS), for $36.0 million in cash. Upon closing, in addition to the cash purchase price, we advanced $10.0 million to the seller in exchange for a promissory note, which is secured by the remaining membership interests in KCS held by the seller (the Advance Note). The Advance Note was recorded in other assets in the consolidated balance. Additionally, we entered into a revolving loan agreement with KCS, under which we agreed to make loans from time to time up to an aggregate principal amount of $20.0 million. The aggregate amount of any obligations incurred under the revolving loan agreement is secured by a first priority security interest in all of the assets of KCS.

KCS is a leading U.S. sausage producer and sow processor with annual revenues exceeding $300.0 million in 2014. The merging of KCS's low-cost, efficient operations and high-quality products with our strong brands and sales and marketing team should contribute growth to our packaged meats business. KCS operates in Des Moines, Iowa and Kansas City, Missouri. In Des Moines, KCS produces premium raw materials for sausage, as well as value-added products, including boneless hams and hides.

KCS is managed by its Board of Directors, which makes decisions that most significantly impact the economic performance of KCS. We have the right to nominate and elect the majority of the members of the Board of Directors of KCS, and based on the associated voting rights, we have determined that we have a controlling financial interest in KCS. As a result, the acquisition of our interest in KCS was accounted for in the Fresh Pork and Packaged Meats segments using the acquisition method of accounting, which requires, among other things, that assets acquired, liabilities assumed and noncontrolling interests in the acquiree be recognized at their fair values as of the acquisition date. The purchase price allocation includes assets acquired, excluding goodwill, of $39.2 million, liabilities assumed of $10.7 million, goodwill of $43.5 million and redeemable noncontrolling interests of $36.0 million.

Our initial estimate of the fair value of the noncontrolling interests was measured based on market multiples for similar companies in our industry and consideration of the terms of the acquisition, which provide the noncontrolling interest holder the right to exercise a put option at any time after the fifth anniversary of the acquisition, which would obligate us to redeem their interest. The noncontrolling interests is classified outside of equity as redeemable noncontrolling interests in the consolidated condensed balance sheet. The redemption amount is the greater of $45.0 million or the result of a computed amount based on a fixed multiple of earnings. We have elected to accrete changes in the redemption amount of the noncontrolling interest over the five year period until it becomes redeemable. If the noncontrolling interests had been redeemable as of December 28, 2014, the redemption amount would have been $45.0 million.

American Skin Food Group, LLC

In September 2012, we acquired a 70% controlling interest in American Skin Food Group, LLC (American Skin) for $24.2 million in cash.

Located in Burgaw, North Carolina, American Skin manufactures and supplies pork rinds to the snack food industry. By leveraging our coordinated sales and marketing team, we believe American Skin can expand into new markets both domestically and internationally, which could substantially increase current sales of approximately $25.0 million and net income of approximately $3.0 million annually over the next five to seven years with minimal additional plant investment.

The acquisition of American Skin was accounted for in the Packaged Meats segment using the acquisition method of accounting. The purchase price allocation includes assets acquired, excluding goodwill, of $18.7 million, liabilities assumed of $0.5 million, goodwill of $16.4 million and noncontrolling interests of $10.4 million.

Goodwill was recognized to reflect the amount of the enterprise fair value that exceeded the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The amount of goodwill that is expected to be deductible for tax purposes is $10.5 million.

The fair value of the noncontrolling interests was measured based on market multiples for similar public companies and consideration of the terms of the acquisition, which provide the noncontrolling interests holders the right to exercise a put option, which would obligate us to redeem their interests. The redemption amount is based on a fixed multiple of earnings, which is consistent with the formula utilized in determining the purchase price for our 70% interest.