Dupont Value Stock - Dividend - Research Selection

Description of the company

DowDuPont, formerly Dupont, manufacturing, seed production or selling activities and some are distributors of products manufactured by the Company.

DuPont and Dow continue to work constructively with regulators in key jurisdictions to obtain approval and to prepare for closing as soon as possible after closing conditions have been met. Consummation of the Merger Transaction is contingent on satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approval from the U.S., European Union, China, Brazil and Canada. Subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals, closing would be expected to occur in first half of 2017.

See the discussion entitled Merger Risks Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, and Part II, Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further details and a discussion of some of the risks related to the transaction. Additional information about the Merger Transaction and the Merger Agreement is set forth in the definitive registration statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-209869) (as amended, the Registration Statement) that includes a joint proxy statement of Dow and DuPont and that also constitutes a prospectus of DowDuPont and the company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 11, 2015.

Spin-off of Performance Chemicals

On July 1, 2015, DuPont completed the separation of its Performance Chemicals segment through the spin-off of all of the issued and outstanding stock of The Chemours Company (Chemours). In connection with the separation, the company and Chemours entered into a Separation Agreement and a Tax matters Agreement as well as certain ancillary agreements. In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (GAAP), the financial position and results of operations of the Performance Chemicals segment are presented as discontinued operations and, as such, have been excluded from continuing operations and segment results for all periods presented. Additional details regarding the separation and other related agreements can be found in Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Productivity and Cost Savings Initiatives

On December 11, 2015, DuPont announced a 2016 global cost savings and restructuring plan designed to reduce $730 million in costs in 2016 compared with 2015, which represents a reduction of operating costs on a run-rate basis of about $1.0 billion by end of 2016. As part of the plan, the company committed to take structural actions across all businesses and staff functions globally to operate more efficiently by further consolidating businesses and aligning staff functions more closely with them. In connection with the restructuring actions, the company recorded a pre-tax charge to earnings of $798 million in the fourth quarter 2015, comprised of $656 million of severance and related benefit costs, $109 million of asset related charges, and $33 million of contract termination costs. The restructuring actions associated with the charge are substantially complete and the plan delivered the target cost reductions in 2016 versus prior year. Additional details related to this plan can be found in Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, on page 24 of this report and Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

In June 2014, DuPont announced its global, multi-year initiative to redesign its global organization and operating model to reduce costs and improve productivity and agility across all businesses and functions. DuPont commenced a restructuring plan to realign and rebalance staff function support, enhance operational efficiency, and to reduce residual costs associated with the separation of its Performance Chemicals segment. Cost reductions from the 2014 operational redesign were essentially completed during 2015 and for full year 2015, the company delivered incremental cost savings of approximately $440 million year over year. Additional details related to this plan can be found in Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, on page 24 of this report and Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Business Segments

The company consists of 7 businesses which are aggregated into 6 reportable segments based on similar economic characteristics, the nature of the products and production processes, end-use markets, channels of distribution and regulatory environment. The company's reportable segments are Agriculture, Electronics & Communications, Industrial Biosciences, Nutrition & Health, Performance Materials and Protection Solutions. The company includes certain businesses not included in the reportable segments, such as pre-commercial programs, nonaligned businesses and pharmaceuticals in Other. Additional information with respect to business segment results is included in Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, on page 31 of this report and Note 21 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Effective January 1, 2016, the DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers business consolidated with the DuPont Performance Polymers business within the Performance Materials segment, and the DuPont Protection Technologies business consolidated with the DuPont Building Innovations business within the former Safety & Protection segment (now Protection Solutions). The consolidations were undertaken to create greater efficiency and enhanced capabilities in the two segments where these businesses operate. These changes did not result in a change in reportable segments.