Church & Dwight 10-K 2023-12-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(MARK ONE)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission file number 1-10585

CHURCH & DWIGHT CO., INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

500 Charles Ewing Boulevard**,** Ewing**,** NJ 08628

(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (609) 806-1200

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding twelve months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates as of June 30, 2023 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) was approximately $24.0 billion. For purposes of making this calculation only, the registrant excluded the shares of common stock (the “Common Stock”) of Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (the “Company”) held by directors, executive officers and beneficial owners of more than ten percent of the common stock. The aggregate market value is based on the closing price of such stock on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2023.

As of February 12, 2024, there were 243,776,939 shares of Common Stock outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Certain provisions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed not later than April 30, 2023 are incorporated by reference in Items 10 through 14 of Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K (this “Annual Report”).

CAUTIONARY NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements, including, among others, statements relating to net sales and earnings growth; gross margin changes; trade and marketing spending; marketing expense as a percentage of net sales; sufficiency of cash flows from operations; earnings per share; the impact of new accounting pronouncements; cost savings programs; recessionary conditions; interest rates; inflation; consumer demand and spending; the effects of competition; the effect of product mix; volume growth, including the effects of new product launches into new and existing categories; the decline of condom usage; the Company’s hedge programs; the impact of foreign exchange, and commodity price fluctuations; impairments and other charges; the Company’s investments in joint ventures; the impact of acquisitions and divestitures; capital expenditures; the Company’s effective tax rate; the impact of tax audits; tax changes; the effect of the credit environment on the Company’s liquidity and capital resources; the Company’s fixed rate debt; compliance with covenants under the Company’s debt instruments; the Company’s commercial paper program; the Company’s current and anticipated future borrowing capacity to meet capital expenditure program costs; the Company’s share repurchase programs; payment of dividends; environmental and regulatory matters; the availability and adequacy of raw materials, including trona reserves and the conversion of such reserves; and the customers and consumer acceptance of certain ingredients in our products. Other forward-looking statements in this report are generally identified by the use of such terms as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “believe,” “plan,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “anticipate,” “to be,” “to make” or other comparable terms. These statements represent the intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs of the Company, and are based on assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable but may prove to be incorrect. In addition, these statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control and could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include a decline in market growth, retailer distribution and consumer demand (as a result of, among other things, political, economic and marketplace conditions and events), including those relating to the outbreak of contagious diseases; the impact of new legislation such as the U.S. CARES Act, the EU Medical Device Regulation, new cosmetic and device regulations in Mexico, and the U.S. Modernization of Cosmetic Regulation Act; the impact on the global economy of the Russia/Ukraine war or increased conflict in the Middle East, including the impact of export controls and o

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Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy

We collect, use and store personal information of our employees, consumers and other third parties in the ordinary course of business. In addition, we sell certain products directly to consumers online and through websites, mobile apps and connected devices, and we offer promotions, rebates, loyalty and other programs through which our data systems may receive personal information. We recognize the importance of data privacy and security and are committed to safeguarding and protecting our information and any other information entrusted to us. We have developed and implemented a cybersecurity risk management program intended to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our critical systems and information which is integrated with our overall risk management program. Our cybersecurity risk management program includes a cybersecurity incident response plan to respond to security breaches and cyberattacks. Our cybersecurity incident response plan is part of our overall Information Security Program, which is led by the Company’s Vice President, Global Chief Information Security Officer ("CISO") and overseen by the Company’s Senior Vice President, Global Chief Information Officer, and is designed to protect and preserve the confidentiality, integrity and continued availability of all information owned by, or in the care of, the Company, and the Company’s ability to operate. Our cybersecurity incident response plan includes controls and procedures for timely and accurate reporting of any material cybersecurity incident. We design and assess our program based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework (CSF).

Our cybersecurity risk management program includes:

risk assessments designed to help identify material cybersecurity risks to our critical systems, information, products, services, and our global enterprise IT environment;

a security team responsible for managing our (1) cybersecurity risk assessment processes, (2) security controls, and (3) response to security breaches and cyberattacks;

the use of external service providers, where appropriate, to assess, perform tabletop exercises or otherwise assist with aspects of our security controls and designed to anticipate cyberattacks and respond to breaches, including an annual maturity assessment of our program by an external third-party;

cybersecurity awareness training of our employees and contractors, incident response personnel, and senior management to help them better understand the issues and risks relative to cybersecurity, as well as data privacy (for our employees);

Periodically throughout the year, our IT department performs phishing and other exercises to both test our systems and reinforce training of our personnel;

a cybersecurity incident response plan managed by our CISO that includes procedures for responding to cybersecurity incidents and is designed to protect and preserve the confidentiality, integrity and continued availability of all information possessed by the Company; and

a third-party risk management process for service providers, suppliers, and vendors.

We have not identified risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or cash flows.

Cybersecurity Governance

Our Board considers cybersecurity risk as part of its risk oversight function and has delegated to the Audit Committee oversight of cybersecurity and other information technology risks. The Audit Committee oversees management’s implementation of our cybersecurity risk management program, including reviewing risk assessments from management with respect to our information technology systems and procedures, and overseeing our cybersecurity risk management processes.

The Audit Committee, which is tasked with oversight of certain risk issues, including cybersecurity, receives reports from the Senior Vice President, Global Chief Information Officer and the Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer each quarter. At least annually, the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee also receive updates about the results of exercises and response readiness assessments led by

outside advisors who provide a third-party independent assessment of our technical program and our internal response preparedness. The Audit Committee regularly briefs the full Board of Directors on these matters, and the full Board also receives periodic briefings regarding our Information Security Program and cyber threats, including threats faced by our peers, in order to enhance our directors’ literacy on cyber issues. In addition, management will update the Audit Committee, as necessary, regarding cybersecurity incidents, that we may experience.

Our management team, including our Chief Information Officer, is responsible for assessing and managing our material risks from cybersecurity threats. The team has primary responsibility for our overall cybersecurity risk management program and oversees both our internal cybersecurity personnel and our retained external cybersecurity consultants. Our management team’s cybersecurity risk management is led by our CISO, who has significant experience across digital innovation and technology-enabled growth, information security, infrastructure, operations and compliance.

Our management team supervises efforts to prevent, detect, mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity risks and incidents through various means, which include briefings from internal security personnel; threat intelligence and other information obtained from governmental, public or private sources, including external consultants engaged by us; and alerts and reports produced by security tools deployed in the IT environment.

I****TEM 2. PROPERTIES

We lease a corporate office building in Ewing, New Jersey for our global corporate headquarters. The lease expires in 2033 and includes two 10-year extension terms at our option. In addition, we own an office building in Fort Collins, Colorado and an office building in Princeton, New Jersey that is occupied by our research and development department.

We own or lease manufacturing facilities, warehouses and other offices in 16 different U.S. states and 11 different countries outside of the U.S. Many of our domestic and international sites manufacture and distribute products for multiple segments of our business. We believe that our operating and administrative facilities are adequate and suitable for the conduct of our business. We also believe that our production facilities are suitable for current manufacturing requirements for our consumer and specialty products businesses.

I****TEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We, in the ordinary course of our business are the subject of, or party to, various pending or threatened legal actions, government investigations and proceedings from time to time, including, without limitation, those relating to commercial transactions, product liability, purported consumer class actions, employment matters, antitrust, environmental, health, safety and other compliance related matters. Such proceedings are subject to many uncertainties and the outcome of certain pending or threatened legal actions may not be reasonably predictable and any related damages may not be estimable. Certain legal actions could result in an adverse outcome for us, and any such adverse outcome could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. There are no relevant matters to disclose under this Item for this period.

I****TEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

P****ART II

Our shares of common stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange with the stock ticker symbol “CHD”.

Approximate number of record holders of our Common Stock as of December 31, 2023: 1,600.

The following graph compares the yearly change in the cumulative total stockholder return on our Common Stock for the past five fiscal years with the cumulative total return of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Household Products Index described more fully below. The returns are indexed to a value of $100 at December 31, 2018. Dividend reinvestment has been assumed.

Comparison of Cumulative Five-Year Total Return among Company, S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Household Products Index**(1)**

(1)

S&P 500 Household Products Index consists of the Church & Dwight Co., Inc., Clorox Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Kimberly-Clark Corporation and P&G.

Share Repurchase Authorization

On October 28, 2021, the Board authorized a new share repurchase program, under which the Company may repurchase up to $1,000.0 in shares of Common Stock (the “2021 Share Repurchase Program”). The 2021 Share Repurchase Program does not have an expiration and replaced the 2017 Share Repurchase Program. All remaining dollars authorized for repurchase under the 2017 Share Repurchase Plan have been cancelled. The 2021 Share Repurchase Program did not modify the Company’s evergreen share repurchase program, authorized by the Board on January 29, 2014, under which the Company may repurchase, from time to time, Common Stock to reduce or eliminate dilution associated with issuances of Common Stock under its incentive plans.

In November 2023, the Company executed an agreement to purchase 3.3 million shares for $300.1, inclusive of fees, of which $229.3 was purchased under the evergreen share repurchase program and $70.8 was purchased under the 2021 Share Repurchase Program.

As a result of the Company’s stock repurchases, there remains $658.9 of share repurchase availability under the 2021 Share Repurchase Program as of December 31, 2023.

(1)

Includes shares of Common Stock withheld by us to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock.

CHURCH & DWIGHT CO., INC AND SUBSIDIARIES

(Dollars in millions, except share and per share data)

I****TEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements.

OVERVIEW

Our Business

We develop, manufacture and market a broad range of consumer household, personal care and specialty products. Our well-recognized brands include ARM & HAMMER® baking soda, cat litter, laundry detergent, carpet deodorizer and other baking soda-based products; OXICLEAN® stain removers, cleaning solutions, laundry detergents and bleach alternatives; VITAFUSION® and L’IL CRITTERS® gummy dietary supplements for adults and children, respectively; BATISTE® dry shampoo; WATERPIK® water flossers and showerheads; THERABREATH® oral care products; HERO® acne treatment products; TROJAN condoms, lubricants and vibrators; SPINBRUSH battery-operated toothbrushes; FIRST RESPONSE home pregnancy and ovulation test kits; NAIR depilatories; ORAJEL oral analgesic; XTRA laundry detergent; and ZICAM cold shortening and relief products. Seven of those brands are designated as "power brands" because they compete in large categories, and we believe they have the potential for significant global expansion. Those seven brands are ARM & HAMMER®; OXICLEAN®; VITAFUSION® and L’IL CRITTERS®; BATISTE®; WATERPIK®; THERABREATH®; and HERO® and represent approximately 70% of our net sales and profits.

We sell our consumer products under a variety of brands through a broad distribution platform that includes supermarkets, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, drugstores, convenience stores, home stores, dollar, pet and other specialty stores and websites and other e-commerce channels, all of which sell the products to consumers. We sell our specialty products to industrial customers, livestock producers and through distributors.

We operate our business in three segments: Consumer Domestic, Consumer International and the Specialty Products Division (“SPD”). The segments are based on differences in the nature of products and organizational and ownership structures. In 2023, the Consumer Domestic, Consumer International and SPD segments represented approximately 78%, 17% and 5%, respectively, of our consolidated net sales.

Supply Chain, Inflation, Consumer Demand and Competition

We continue to monitor the impact of both inflation and recessionary indicators including the effect of corresponding government actions, such as raising interest rates to counteract inflation, that may negatively impact consumer spending, especially for our discretionary brands, and how these factors will potentially influence future cash flows for the short and long term.

We believe that inflation and recessionary concerns are continuing to drive a decline in consumer spending for our most discretionary brands, Waterpik and Flawless, as consumers reduce spending in these categories and shift to lower cost alternatives. Most notably, a growing number of water flosser consumers have switched to more value-branded products. To address these demand shifts, we are taking steps to better manage production schedules and inventory levels for those products along with increasing promotional activities and marketing spend, as well as continuing efforts to develop lower cost water flosser alternatives.

Our vitamin business continues to experience a softening of growth from record high levels during the COVID-19 pandemic and has seen a significant ramp up in competition coming from new gummy vitamin category entrants which have increased from about six competitors a decade ago to more than 60 of significance today. In addition, residual impacts from previous vitamin-specific supply chain challenges resulted in increased shelf space and/ or display for certain of our competitors. We are improving our product offerings, redesigning packaging, launching new advertising and increasing global promotional and marketing efforts to solidify the business and, ultimately, regain lost market share.

Net sales in our Specialty Products Division declined in 2023, largely due to declining sales of our MEGALAC dairy supplement within our Animal Nutrition business. During the first quarter of 2024, we will be exiting this part of the Animal Nutrition business as a result of the return of foreign competition in the United States dairy market.

Looking forward, the impact that these challenges will continue to have on our operational and financial performance will depend in part on future developments, including inflationary impacts, interest rates, recessionary concerns, as well as retail customers' acceptance of all or a portion of any price increases. Additionally, we may be impacted by our ability to recruit and retain a workforce and engage third-parties to manufacture and distribute our products, as well as any future government actions affecting employers and employees, consumers and the economy in general. While we expect that many of these effects will be transitory and that our value-focused portfolio positions us well in challenging economic environments, it is impossible to predict their impact.

CHURCH & DWIGHT CO., INC AND SUBSIDIARIES

(Dollars in millions, except share and per share data)

2023 Financial Highlights

Key 2023 financial results include:

2023 net sales grew 9.2% over 2022, with gains in Consumer Domestic and Consumer International, partially offset by lower sales in SPD. The gains are primarily due to favorable pricing/product mix, favorable volumes, and the benefit of recent acquisitions in Consumer Domestic and Consumer International, partially offset by unfavorable volumes and pricing/product mix in SPD.

Gross margin increased 220 basis points to 44.1% in 2023 from 41.9% in 2022, primarily due to favorable price/volume/mix, the impact of productivity programs, lower transportation costs, and business acquisition benefits, partially offset by higher manufacturing costs including labor and higher commodities.

Operating margin increased 690 basis points to 18.0% in 2023 from 11.1% in 2022. The 2022 operating margin included a non-cash charge of $411.0 or 760 basis points related to the Flawless intangible asset impairment. Excluding the impairment charge, operating margin decreased 70 basis points as an increase in gross margins was offset by higher marketing expenses and selling general and administrative costs.

We reported diluted net earnings per share in 2023 of $3.05, an increase of approximately 81.5% from 2022 diluted net earnings per share of $1.68 which included the non-cash Flawless intangible asset impairment charge of $1.26 per share.

Cash provided by operations was $1,030.6 in 2023, a $145.4 increase from the prior year due to an improvement in working capital and an increase in cash earnings (net income adjusted for non-cash items) including the impact of recent acquisitions.

We returned $566.6 in 2023 to our stockholders through cash dividends paid and share repurchases.

Strategic Goals, Challenges and Initiatives

Our ability to generate sales depends on consumer demand for our products and retail customers’ decisions to carry our products, which are, in part, affected by general economic conditions in our markets. While a vast majority of our products are consumer staples and less vulnerable to decreases in discretionary spending than other products, certain of our products, are more likely to be affected by consumer decisions to control spending. Some retail customers have responded to economic conditions by increasing their private label offerings (primarily in the dietary supplements, diagnostic kits and oral analgesics categories), launching their own brands, and consolidating the product selections they offer to the top few leading brands in each categor

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Not applicable.

P****ART III

I****TEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information under the captions “Election of Directors,” “Information about the Company’s Executive Officers,” “Corporate Governance and Other Board Matters – Code of Conduct,” and “Corporate Governance and Other Board Matters– Board of Directors Meetings and Committees – Audit Committee,” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed with the Commission not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report.

I****TEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information under the captions “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” “2023 Summary Compensation Table,” “2023 Grants of Plan Based Awards,” “2023 Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End,” “2023 Option Exercises and Stock Vested,” “2023 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation,” “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” and “Compensation & Human Capital Committee Report” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed with the Commission not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report.

I****TEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information under the captions “Equity Compensation Plan Information as of December 31, 2023” and “Securities Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed with the Commission not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report.

I****TEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the information under the caption “Corporate Governance and other Board Matters – Board of Directors Independence” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed with the Commission not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report.

I****TEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

Information required by this item in relation to our principal accountant, Deloitte & Touche LLP (PCAOB ID No. 34) is incorporated by reference to the information under the caption “Fees Paid to Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed with the Commission not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report.

P****ART IV

I****TEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a) 1. Financial Statements and Schedule

The following Consolidated Financial Statements are included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K:

(a) 3. Exhibits

Unless otherwise noted, the file number for all the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission referenced below is 1-10585.

Indicates documents filed herewith.

• Constitutes management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement required to be filed as an exhibit to this Annual Report.

None.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Annual Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on February 15, 2024.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Annual Report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

CHURCH & DWIGHT CO., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SCHEDULE II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

For each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023

(Dollars in millions)