HP’s management uses these non-GAAP financial measures for purposes of evaluating HP’s historical and prospective financial performance, as well as HP’s performance relative to its competitors. HP’s management also uses these non-GAAP measures to further its own understanding of HP’s segment operating performance. HP believes that excluding the items mentioned above for these non-GAAP financial measures allows HP’s management to better understand HP’s consolidated financial performance in relation to the operating results of HP’s segments, as HP’s management does not believe that the excluded items are reflective of ongoing operating results. More specifically, HP’s management excludes each of those items mentioned above for the following reasons:

• Restructuring and other charges are (i) costs associated with a formal restructuring plan and are primarily related to employee separation from service and early retirement costs and related benefits, costs of real estate consolidation and other non-labor charges; and (ii) other charges, which include non-recurring costs that are distinct from ongoing operational costs. HP excludes these restructuring and other charges (and any reversals of charges recorded in prior periods) for purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures because HP believes that these costs do not reflect expected future operating expenses and do not contribute to a meaningful evaluation of HP's current operating performance or comparisons to operating performance in other periods. 
  
  
• HP incurs cost related to its acquisitions, which it would not have otherwise incurred as part of its operations. The charges are direct expenses such as third-party professional and legal fees, and integration-related costs, as well as non-cash adjustments to the fair value of certain acquired assets such as inventory. These charges related to acquisitions are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing and nature of HP's acquisitions. HP believes that eliminating such expenses for purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures facilitates a more meaningful evaluation of HP’s current operating performance and comparisons to operating performance in other periods.
  
  
• HP incurs charges relating to the amortization of intangible assets. Those charges are included in HP’s GAAP earnings, operating margin, net earnings and diluted net EPS. Such charges are significantly impacted by the timing and magnitude of HP’s acquisitions and any related impairment charges. Consequently, HP excludes these charges for purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures to facilitate a more meaningful evaluation of HP’s current operating performance and comparisons to operating performance in other periods.
  
  
• Non-operating retirement-related (credits)/charges includes certain market-related factors such as interest cost, expected return on plan assets, amortized actuarial gains or losses, associated with HP’s defined benefit pension and post-retirement benefit plans. The market-driven retirement-related adjustments are primarily due to the changes in the value of pension plan assets and liabilities which are tied to financial market performance and HP considers these adjustments to be outside the operational performance of the business. Non-operating retirement-related (credits)/charges also include certain plan curtailments, settlements and special termination benefits related to HP’s defined benefit pension and post-retirement benefit plans. HP believes that eliminating such adjustments for purposes of calculating non-GAAP measures facilitates a more meaningful evaluation of HP's current operating performance and comparisons to operating performance in other periods.
  
  
• HP incurs defined benefit plan settlement charges relating to HP pension plans. The charges are associated with the net settlement and remeasurement resulting from voluntary lump sum payments offered to certain vested participants and transfer of certain pension obligations. HP excludes these charges for the purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures to facilitate a more meaningful evaluation of HP’s current operating performance and comparisons to operating performance in other periods.
  
  
• HP incurs debt extinguishment costs relating to repurchase of certain of its outstanding U.S. dollar global notes or termination of commitments under revolving credit facilities. These costs primarily included bond repurchase premiums partly offset by gains from fair value hedges. HP excludes these costs for the purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures to facilitate a more meaningful evaluation of HP's current operating performance and comparisons to operating performance in other periods.
  
  
• HP recorded tax adjustments including tax benefits and expenses related to the realizability of certain deferred tax assets, various tax rate and regulatory changes and tax settlements across various jurisdictions. HP excludes these adjustments for the purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures to facilitate a more meaningful evaluation of HP's current operating performance and comparisons to operating performance in other periods.
  

Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure that is defined as cash flow from operations adjusted for net investment in leases and net investments in property, plant, and equipment. Gross cash is a non-GAAP measure that is defined as cash and cash equivalents plus short-term investments and certain long-term investments that may be liquidated within 90 days pursuant to the terms of existing put options or similar rights. HP’s management uses free cash flow and gross cash for the purpose of determining the amount of cash available for investment in HP’s businesses, repurchasing stock and other purposes. HP’s management also uses free cash flow and gross cash to evaluate HP’s historical and prospective liquidity. Because gross cash includes liquid assets that are not included in cash and cash equivalents, HP believes that gross cash provides a helpful assessment of HP’s liquidity. Because free cash flow includes net cash provided by operating activities adjusted for net investment in leases and, net investments in property, plant and equipment, HP believes that free cash flow provides a more accurate and complete assessment of HP’s liquidity and capital resources. Net cash (debt) is defined as gross cash less gross debt after adjusting the effect of unamortized premium/discount on debt issuance, debt issuance costs and gains/losses on interest rate swaps.

Material limitations associated with use of non-GAAP financial measures
These non-GAAP financial measures may have limitations as analytical tools, and these measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of HP’s results as reported under GAAP. Some of the limitations in relying on these non-GAAP financial measures are:

• Items such as amortization of intangible assets, though not directly affecting HP’s cash position, represent the loss in value of intangible assets over time. The expense associated with this change in value is not included in non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net EPS, and therefore does not reflect the full economic effect of the change in value of those intangible assets.
  
  
• Items such as restructuring and other charges, acquisition-related charges, amortization of intangible assets, are excluded from non-GAAP operating margin. In addition, non-operating retirement-related (credits)/charges, defined benefit plan settlement charges, debt extinguishment costs and tax adjustments are excluded from non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net EPS. These items can have a material impact on the equivalent GAAP earnings measure and cash flows.
  
  
• HP may not be able to immediately liquidate the short-term and certain long-term investments included in gross cash, which may limit the usefulness of gross cash as a liquidity measure.
  

Other companies may calculate the non-GAAP financial measures differently than HP, limiting the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes.

Compensation for limitations associated with use of non-GAAP financial measures
HP accounts for the limitations on its use of non-GAAP financial measures by relying primarily on its GAAP results and using non-GAAP financial measures only supplementally. HP also provides reconciliations of each non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP measure within this news release and in other written materials that include these non-GAAP financial measures, and HP encourages investors to review those reconciliations carefully.

Usefulness of non-GAAP financial measures to investors
HP believes that providing net revenue on a constant currency basis, non-GAAP total operating expense, non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP tax rate, non-GAAP net earnings, non-GAAP diluted net EPS, free cash flow, gross cash and net cash (debt) to investors in addition to the related GAAP financial measures provides investors with greater transparency to the information used by HP’s management in its financial and operational decision making and allows investors to see HP’s results “through the eyes” of management. HP further believes that providing this information better enables HP’s investors to understand HP’s operating performance and financial condition and to evaluate the efficacy of the methodology and information used by HP’s management to evaluate and measure such performance and financial condition. Disclosure of these non-GAAP financial measures also facilitates comparisons of HP’s operating performance with the performance of other companies in HP’s industry that supplement their GAAP results with non-GAAP financial measures that may be calculated in a similar manner.