Stanley Black & Decker 10-K 2023-12-30

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

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

For the fiscal year ended December 30, 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 001-05224

STANLEY BLACK & DECKER, INC.

(Exact Name Of Registrant As Specified In Its Charter)

1000 STANLEY DRIVE

NEW BRITAIN, CT 06053

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code 860 225-5111

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 þ 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 þ

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 12 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 þ 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 þ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a 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 Act). Yes ☐ No þ

As of June 30, 2023, the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $14.4 billion based on the New York Stock Exchange closing price for such shares on that date. On February 20, 2024, the registrant had 153,802,067 shares of common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2024 annual meeting of shareholders (the "2024 Proxy Statement") are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K where indicated. The 2024 Proxy Statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FORM 10-K

PART I

Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. ("the Company") was founded in 1843 by Frederick T. Stanley and incorporated in Connecticut in 1852. In March 2010, the Company completed a merger with The Black & Decker Corporation (“Black & Decker”), a company founded by S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker and incorporated in Maryland in 1910. At that time, the Company changed its name from The Stanley Works to Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. The Company’s principal executive office is located at 1000 Stanley Drive, New Britain, Connecticut 06053 and its telephone number is (860) 225-5111.

The Company is a global provider of hand tools, power tools, outdoor products and related accessories, as well as a leading provider of engineered fastening solutions, with 2023 consolidated annual revenues of $15.8 billion. Approximately 62% of the Company’s 2023 revenues were generated in the United States, with the remainder largely from Europe (16%), emerging markets (12%) and Canada (5%).

In recent years, the Company has re-shaped its portfolio through a series of acquisitions and divestitures. In December 2021, the Company completed the acquisitions of the remaining 80 percent ownership stake of MTD Holdings Inc. ("MTD") for $1.5 billion and Excel Industries ("Excel") for $374 million. The MTD acquisition expanded the Company's presence in the $25 billion outdoor category, with strong brands and growth opportunities. Excel was a strategically important bolt-on acquisition that bolstered the Company's presence in the independent dealer network. In July 2022, the Company sold its Convergent Security Solutions ("CSS") business comprised of the commercial electronic security and healthcare businesses for net proceeds of $3.1 billion and its Mechanical Access Solutions ("MAS") business comprised of the automatic doors business for net proceeds of $916 million. In August 2022, the Company sold its Oil & Gas business comprised of the pipeline services and equipment businesses. Most recently, the Company announced in December 2023 that it had entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Infrastructure business, comprised of the attachment and handheld hydraulic tools business, for $760 million in cash. These recent acquisitions and divestitures are part of the Company's strategic commitment to simplify and streamline its portfolio to focus on its leading market positions in tools and outdoor, as well as engineered fastening systems.

Refer to Note E, Acquisitions, and Note T, Divestitures, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion.

Leveraging the benefits of a more focused portfolio, the Company initiated a business transformation in mid-2022 that includes reinvestment for faster growth as well as the $2.0 billion Global Cost Reduction Program through 2025. The Company’s primary areas of multi-year strategic focus remain unchanged as follows:

• Advancing innovation, electrification and global market penetration to achieve organic revenue growth of 2 to 3 times the market;

• Streamlining and simplifying the organization, and investing in initiatives that more directly impact the Company's customers and end users;

• Returning adjusted gross margins to historical 35%+ levels by accelerating the operations and supply chain transformation to improve fill rates and better match inventory with customer demand; and

• Prioritizing cash flow generation and inventory optimization.

In terms of capital allocation, the Company remains committed, over time, to returning excess capital to shareholders through a strong and growing dividend as well as opportunistically repurchasing shares. In the near term, the Company intends to direct any capital in excess of the quarterly dividend on its common stock toward debt reduction and internal growth investments.

The Company’s environmental, social and governance ("ESG") strategy is integrated into, and informed by, its overall long-term business strategy. The portfolio changes discussed above prompted the Company to re-baseline its ESG data and update its ESG targets to align with the more focused Company and its business priorities and goals, while maintaining continuity with the legacy ESG pillars of people, products, and planet. The Company’s renewed ESG priorities are as follows:

• The People strategy includes broad based diversity, equity & inclusion ("DEI") initiatives supported by equal employment opportunities and the Company's Growing the Trades program. Refer to the "Human Capital Management" section below for additional information regarding the Company's commitment to supporting its employees and improving DEI. To grow the trades, the Company is tailoring its philanthropic efforts to fund trade skill-building initiatives with $30 million pledged by 2027. The Company believes this will generate end-user loyalty and brand ambassadorship that fuels long-term demand.

• The Product strategy is focused on minimizing the environmental footprint of the Company’s products through an emphasis on Sustainable Innovation. The Company’s products are increasingly designed with sustainability in mind – from more sustainable materials specified in product design and packaging, to more eco-friendly impacts resulting from the use of its products, to thoughtful end-of-life repair, reuse and recycling programs. To measure progress in

this space, the Company set an intensity-based goal to reduce the greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions of its products' material, transportation, and use phases (Scope 3) by 52% by 2030. To reach this goal, the Company plans to engage two-thirds of its suppliers to set their own Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions reduction targets by 2027. The Company plans to work with customers and suppliers to try to reduce or eliminate problematic plastics in its packaging and improve packaging sustainability, with a specific goal to be set by 2025; and plans to continue the transformation of its product portfolio to quieter, safer, and more eco-friendly offerings through electrification.

• The Planet strategy for Sustainable Operations is focused on the responsible stewardship of the Company’s owned and operated facilities. The Company is implementing a climate science-based plan with a goal to reduce its internal operational GHG emissions by 42% (Scope 1 and Scope 2) by 2030, against the 2022 baseline. The Company expects to do this by continuing to invest in renewable power sources, such as wind and solar, while improving efficiencies through capital investments, and evaluating additional tools like power purchase agreements and energy attribute certificates. The Company will also pursue zero-waste-to-landfill across all its global manufacturing and distribution sites by 2040. The Company believes the responsible stewardship of its operations is important for energy independence and operations resilience, and increasingly as a value proposition for its customers, who value sustainable upstream suppliers as they work to reduce their own carbon footprint.

The Company’s annual ESG report, issued in August 2023, details the evolution of its ESG strategy and refreshed public commitments. The report includes a comprehensive review of the Company's ESG program and builds on a long history of annually reporting its sustainability metrics and public goals. As explained in the ESG report, the Company's goals contemplate a number of assumptions and there can be no assurances that those assumptions will be correct or that such goals will be achieved or retained.

Description of the Business

The Company’s operations are classified into two reportable business segments: Tools & Outdoor and Industrial. Both reportable segments have significant international operations and are exposed to translational and transactional impacts from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.

Additional information regarding the Company’s business segments and geographic areas is incorporated herein by reference to the material captioned “Business Segment Results” in Item 7 and Note P, Business Segments and Geographic Areas, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

Tools & Outdoor

The Tools & Outdoor segment is comprised of the Power Tools Group ("PTG"), Hand Tools, Accessories & Storage ("HTAS"), and Outdoor Power Equipment ("Outdoor") product lines. Annual revenues in the Tools & Outdoor segment were $13.4 billion in 2023, representing 85% of the Company’s total revenues. The segment is a worldwide leader in the tools and outdoor markets and carries iconic brands in the industry, including DEWALT®, CRAFTSMAN®, STANLEY®, BLACK+DECKER® and CUB CADET®.

The PTG product line includes both professional and consumer products. Professional products, primarily under the DEWALT® brand, include professional grade corded and cordless electric power tools and equipment including drills, impact wrenches and drivers, grinders, saws, routers and sanders, as well as pneumatic tools and fasteners including nail guns, nails, staplers and staples, and concrete and masonry anchors. DIY and tradesperson focused products include corded and cordless electric power tools sold primarily under the CRAFTSMAN® brand, and consumer home products such as hand-held vacuums, paint tools and cleaning appliances primarily under the BLACK+DECKER® brand.

The HTAS product line sells hand tools, power tool accessories and storage products. Hand tools include measuring, leveling and layout tools, planes, hammers, demolition tools, clamps, vises, knives, saws, chisels and industrial and automotive tools. Power tool accessories include drill bits, screwdriver bits, router bits, abrasives, saw blades and threading products. Storage products include tool boxes, sawhorses, medical cabinets and engineered storage solution products.

The Outdoor product line primarily sells corded and cordless electric lawn and garden products, including hedge trimmers, string trimmers, lawn mowers, pressure washers and related accessories, and gas powered lawn and garden products, including lawn tractors, zero turn ride on mowers, walk behind mowers, snow blowers, residential robotic mowers, utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), hand-held outdoor power equipment, garden tools, and parts and accessories to professionals and consumers under the DEWALT®, CRAFTSMAN®, CUB CADET®, BLACK+DECKER®, and HUSTLER® brand names.

The segment sells its products to professional end users, distributors, independent dealers, retail consumers and industrial customers in a wide variety of industries and geographies. The majority of sales are distributed through retailers, including home centers, mass merchants, hardware stores, and retail lumber yards, as well as third-party distributors, independent dealers, and a direct sales force.

Industrial

The Industrial segment is comprised of the Engineered Fastening and Infrastructure businesses. Annual revenues in the Industrial segment were $2.4 billion in 2023, representing 15% of the Company’s total revenues.

The Engineered Fastening business is a global leader of highly engineered, application-based solutions. The business primarily sells highly engineered components such as fasteners, fittings and various engineered products, which are designed for specific application across multiple verticals. The product lines include externally threaded fasteners, blind rivets and tools, blind inserts and tools, drawn arc weld studs and systems, engineered plastic and mechanical fasteners, self-piercing riveting systems, precision nut running systems, micro fasteners, high-strength structural fasteners, axel swage, latches, heat shields, pins, and couplings. The business sells to customers in the automotive, manufacturing, electronics, construction, and aerospace industries, amongst others, and its products are distributed through a direct sales force and, to a lesser extent, third-party distributors.

The Infrastructure business designs, manufactures, and sells attachments, typically used on excavators, and handheld hydraulic and battery-powered tools for applications in infrastructure, construction, scrap recycling, demolition, and railroad infrastructure. The products and services are primarily distributed through a direct sales force and, to a lesser extent, third-party distributors.

Other Information

Competition

The Company competes on the basis of its reputation for product quality, its well-known brands, its commitment to customer service, its strong customer relationships, the breadth of its product lines, its innovative products and customer value propositions.

The Company encounters active competition in the Tools & Outdoor and Industrial segments from both larger and smaller companies that offer the same or similar products and services or that produce different products appropriate for the same uses. Certain large customers offer private label brands (“house brands”) that compete across a wide spectrum of the Company’s Tools & Outdoor segment product offerings.

Major Customers

A significant portion of the Company’s Tools & Outdoor products are sold to home centers and mass merchants in the U.S. and Europe. A consolidation of retailers both in North America and abroad has occurred over time. While this consolidation and the domestic and international expansion of these large retailers have provided the Company with opportunities for growth, the increasing size and importance of individual customers creates a certain degree of exposure to potential sales volume loss. Lowe's accounted for approximately 14%, 15% and 15% of the Company's consolidated net sales in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, while The Home Depot accounted for approximately 13%, 13% and 15% of the Company's consolidated net sales in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. No other customer exceeded 10% of the Company's consolidated net sales in 2023, 2022 or 2021.

Working Capital

The Company continues to practice the operating principles encompassed by Operational Excellence, one element of the supply chain transformation, leveraging the principles of: sales and operations planning, operational lean, global supply management, order-to-cash excellence, and upskilling the Company's workforce. The Company aims to develop standardized business processes and system platforms to reduce costs and provide scalability. Working capital turns were 4.2 at the end of 2023, up 0.7 turns from 2022, driven by the Company's focus on optimizing inventory levels via improved supply chain conditions and strategic inventory management. As a result of this focus and planned production curtailments initiated during the back half of 2022, inventory as of December 30, 2023 was $4.7 billion, down $1.9 billion from its peak at the end of the second quarter of 2022. The Company plans to continue leveraging Operational Excellence to generate ongoing improvements in working capital turns, cycle times, and customer service levels.

Raw Materials

The Company’s products are manufactured using resins, ferrous and non-ferrous metals including, but not limited to, steel, zinc, copper, brass, aluminum and nickel. The Company also purchases components such as batteries, motors, engines, transmissions, and electronic components to use in manufacturing and assembly operations along with resin-based molded parts. The raw materials required are procured globally and generally available from multiple sources at competitive prices. As part of the Company's Enterprise Risk Management, the Company has implemented a supplier risk mitigation strategy in order to identify and address any potential supply disruption or material scarcity issues associated with commodities, components, finished goods and critical services. The Company does not anticipate difficulties in obtaining supplies for any raw materials used in its production processes and has maintained the proactive measures taken in 2022 to secure energy supply in its European factories to insulate the Company's production from supply constraints in the region.

Patents and Trademarks

No business segment is solely dependent, to any significant degree, on patents, licenses, franchises or concessions, and the loss of one or several of these patents, licenses, franchises or concessions would not have a material adverse effect on any of the Company's businesses. The Company owns numerous patents, none of which individually are material to the Company's operations as a whole. These patents expire at various times over the next 20 years. The Company holds licenses, franchises and concessions, none of which individually or in the aggregate are material to the Company's operations as a whole. These licenses, franchises and concessions vary in duration, but generally run from one to 40 years.

The Company has numerous trademarks that are used in its businesses worldwide. In the Tools & Outdoor segment, significant trademarks include DEWALT®, CRAFTSMAN®, STANLEY®, BLACK+DECKER®, DEWALT FLEXVOLT®, DEWALT POWERSTACK®, DEWALT POWERSHIFT™, IRWIN®, LENOX®, PORTER-CABLE®, BOSTITCH®, FATMAX®, Powers®, Guaranteed Tough®, MAC TOOLS®, PROTO®, Vidmar®, FACOM®, Expert®, LISTA®, MTD®, CUB CADET®, TROY-BILT®, HUSTLER®, and the yellow & black color scheme for power tools and accessories. Significant trademarks in the Industrial segment include STANLEY®, NELSON®, CribMaster®, POP®, Avdel®, Tucker®, NPR®, Spiralock®, CAM®, Bristol Industries®, Voss™, Aerofit™, EA Patten™, Integra®, and Optia®. The terms of these trademarks typically vary from 10 to 20 years, with most trademarks being renewable indefinitely for like terms.

Governmental Regulations

The Company's operations are subject to numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations, both within and outside the U.S., in areas such as environmental protection, international trade, anti-corruption, data privacy, tax, consumer protection, government contracts, climate change and others. The Company is subject to import and export controls, tariffs, and other trade-related regulations and restrictions in the countries in which it has operations or otherwise does business. These controls, tariffs, regulations, and restrictions have had, and may continue to have, a material impact on the Company's business, including its ability to sell products and to manufacture or source components. Refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding various laws and regulations that affect the Company's business operations.

The Company is also subject to various environmental laws and regulations in the U.S. and foreign countries where it has operations. In the normal course of business, the Company is involved in various legal proceedings relating to environmental issues. The Company’s policy is to accrue environmental investigatory and remediation costs for identified sites when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. In the event that no amount in the range of probable loss is considered most likely, the minimum loss in the range is accrued. The amount of liability recorded is based on an evaluation of currently available facts with respect to each individual site and includes such factors as existing technology, presently enacted laws and regulations, and prior experience in remediation of contaminated sites. The liabilities recorded do not take into account any claims for recoveries from insurance or third parties. As assessments and remediation progress at individual sites, the amounts recorded are reviewed periodically and adjusted to reflect additional technical and legal information that becomes available. As of December 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had reserves of $124.5 million and $129.3 million, respectively, for remediation activities associated with Company-owned properties, as well as for Superfund sites, for losses that are probable and estimable. Of the 2023 amount, $46.0 million is classified as current and $78.5 million as long-term, which is expected to be paid over the estimated remediation period. As of December 30, 2023, the Company has recorded $17.0 million in other assets related to funding by the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") and monies received have been placed in trust in accordance with the Consent Decree associated with the West Coast Loading Corporation ("WCLC") proceedings, as further discussed in Note S, Contingencies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. Accordingly, the Company's net cash obligation as of December 30, 2023 associated with the aforementioned remediation activities is $107.5 million. As of December 30, 2023, the range of environmental remediation costs that is reasonably possible is $79.9 million to $226.8 million, which is subject to change in the near term. The Company may be liable for environmental remediation of sites it no longer owns. Liabilities have been recorded on those sites in accordance with the Company's policy.

The amount recorded for identified contingent liabilities is based on estimates. Amounts recorded are reviewed periodically and adjusted to reflect additional technical and legal information that becomes available. Actual costs to be incurred in future periods may vary from the estimates, given the inherent uncertainties in evaluating certain exposures. Subject to the imprecision in estimating future contingent liability costs, the Company does not expect that any sum it may have to pay in connection with these matters in excess of the amounts recorded will have a materially adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or liquidity. Additional information regarding environmental matters is available in Note S, Contingencies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

Compliance with government regulations, including environmental and climate change regulations, has not had, and based on current information and the applicable laws and regulations currently in effect, is not expected to have a material effect on the Company's capital expenditures, results of operations or competitive position. However, laws and regulations may be changed, accelerated or adopted that impose significant operational restrictions and compliance requirements upon the Company and which could negatively impact its operating results and financial condition.

Human Capital Management

The Company has a strategic vision to grow as an employer of choice with leading market positions in each of its major categories. The Company’s human capital management fuels every part of the path to this vision, supporting long-term growth. It begins with its Purpose (why we do what we do), Values (intrinsically what we prioritize), Leadership Principles (how we lead), Focus Forward Priorities (what we work on), Operating Model (how we work), and Key Performance Indicators (how we measure success).

To achieve this vision, the Company will be focusing intently on its Focus Forward strategy, which details the long-term focus areas that will guide the journey forward. The priorities and core focus areas include a strong foundation of attracting, developing and retaining talent, building organizational capabilities, and evolving the Company's culture. The Company’s People & Culture foundation is something that everyone is responsible for – especially people managers. The Company’s goal is to continue to strive to cultivate a diverse and inclusive environment where all employees thrive and are motivated to deliver their best work, extraordinary outcomes and achieve full potential. The Company remains fully engaged in its key priorities of: Health & Safety; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Environmental & Social Responsibility; and Integrity & Compliance.

As of December 30, 2023, the Company had approximately 50,500 employees in 59 countries. Approximately 36% of total employees were employed in the U.S. In addition, the Company had approximately 7,300 temporary contractors globally, primarily in operations. The workforce is comprised of approximately 69% hourly-paid employees, principally in manufacturing and distribution centers, and 31% salaried employees. There were approximately 1,000 U.S. employees covered by collective bargaining agreements dispersed among 8 different local labor unions, and a majority of European employees are represented by Works Councils. Three U.S. collective bargaining agreements are scheduled for renegotiation in the next 12 months. The Company strives to maintain a positive relationship with all its employees, as well as the unions and Works Councils representing them, where applicable.

Talent Attraction, Development, Retention and Compensation

Attraction

In 2023, the Company continued to invest in developing a global talent acquisition center of excellence, including hiring a dedicated Global Talent Acquisition Leader and continuing the work started in 2022 within the regions to better focus on skill shortages locally. Additionally, the Company commenced work with a dedicated focus on improving the candidate experience, from attraction through onboarding to enhance the ease of application for job seekers. The Company plans to continue this work through 2024. The Company also began the rollout of a comprehensive hiring toolkit, which focuses on implementing equal employment opportunity principles, such as competency versus skills-based interviewing and aims to reduce bias in the recruitment process.

The Company has also placed an emphasis on fostering strategic partnerships with organizations that intentionally connect with candidates of diverse backgrounds, work experiences, global perspectives, and varied skills. These include organizations such as Heroes MAKE America for Veterans, Ready Willing and Able (RWA), Community Living for individuals with intellectual disabilities, Hartford Promise Scholars, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers, and Thurgood Marshall College Fund. In addition, the Company has a partnership program with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) providing scholarships and career opportunities. The Company has a process in place to post opportunities to diversity-focused job boards such as DirectEmployers Association, Inc. to improve visibility of its career opportunities with diverse applicants. Approximately 35% of global new hires in 2023 were women versus 39% in 2022, and in the U.S. approximately 40% of new employees were racially or ethnically diverse versus 39% in 2022.

Development

Talent development is a key enabler of the People & Culture pillar of the Company's Focus Forward strategy. Key parts of development include clearly defined goals and performance feedback. Throughout 2023, the Talent Development team has continued preparing for the Company’s annual feedback process and utilizing the new Human Capital Management tool. The performance feedback process has been simplified and encourages both self-reflection and leader feedback against goals to support on-going development. The process started in the fourth quarter of 2023 and is targeted for full implementation by the middle of 2024. Lifelong learning is supported internally through Stanley Black & Decker University and externally with third-party partners. The Company offers over 25,000 training courses to its colleagues, and employees attended more than 29,000 hours of online and in-person voluntary learning in 2023. Additionally, the Company focuses on leadership development anchored around its Leadership Principles and Values, while promoting leadership habits and behaviors that highlight the importance of attributes like empathy, inclusivity and listening.

To further development in 2023, the Company invested in a 360-assessment process for many of its leaders where they had the chance to gain valuable feedback and insights into their leadership strengths and opportunities based on the leadership behaviors. The Company intends to use this information through 2024 to aid in the creation of enterprise-wide training and development experiences and courses to aid in the accelerated preparation of the Company's leaders. In 2023, the Company had approximately 4,600 users with 10,000 published videos and 179,000 workflow views to assist operations employees with on-the-job training.

Retention

The Company monitors organizational health through a variety of channels including employee opinion surveys, town halls, roundtables, listening sessions, and an internal communications and social collaboration platform called Workplace. The Company recently launched its new Human Capital Management tool which will allow the Company’s Human Resources data team to continuously share new metrics, reports and dashboards related to headcount, hiring, and retention to provide value driven insight from people data.

Compensation

Compensation and benefits are globally managed and tailored by country to maintain market competitiveness, and effectively attract, retain, and reward employees. The Company’s portfolio of programs is designed in the context of its compensation philosophy underpinned by the tenets of competitive pay, pay for performance, alignment with shareholder interests, balance of risk versus reward, and the Company's intent to provide fair and equitable pay supporting an inclusive culture. In addition to standard compensation and benefits packages, a sizable portion of managers and select individual contributors receive annual incentives contingent on achievement of business objectives, and all employees are generally eligible for special recognition awards.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Company strives to build and nurture an inclusive culture of passion and belonging where employees feel valued and heard, and are positioned to succeed through equal employment opportunities. As of December 30, 2023, the Company's Board of Directors (the “Board”) is comprised of 45% women versus 33% in 2022, 18% racially or ethnically diverse directors versus 17% in 2022, and 18% that are of a diverse national origin versus 17% in 2022. The Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and his direct staff are comprised of 25% women leaders, versus 42% in 2022, and 25% racially or ethnically diverse leaders versus 25% in 2022. Women represented approximately 34% of the Company's global workforce in 2023 versus 35% in 2022. In the U.S., approximately 35% of employees are racially or ethnically diverse in both 2023 and 2022. A copy of the Company's most recently filed Equal Employment Opportunity report to the U.S. government (EEO-1) can be found on the Company’s website.

The Chief Diversity Officer (“CDO”), with the support of a dedicated team of diversity, equity, and inclusion professionals, promotes a broad approach to DEI with the goal of accelerating Company performance, optimizing organizational culture, enhancing transparency, and strengthening accountability. The Company is continuing to execute initiatives across the global workforce designed to foster an inclusive workplace and facilitate equitable career development opportunities.

Management monitors hiring, retention, promotion and continued progress toward achieving the Company's DEI goals. Ongoing DEI reviews are completed by management to support diverse representation throughout the organization and emphasize leadership accountability to support a diverse and inclusive workplace across various dimensions of diversity. The Company provides training and guidance to employees including inclusive workforce modules. An internal knowledge library of DEI resources is available on the Company's intranet. Mentorship programs cultivate talent at the Company by pairing women, people of color, early career talent and DEI leadership development program participants with the Company’s leaders to influence leadership growth and mentor allyship.

The Company has nine Employee Resource Groups ("ERGs") and two regional inclusion councils. These ERGs are formed around various dimensions of diversity and employees are encouraged to engage with all ERGs when and how they prefer. The ERGs include Abilities (visible and invisible abilities), African Ancestry, Asian Heritage, Hispanic/Latino/Latinx, Developing Professionals, Pride & Allies (LGBTQ+), Veterans, Women, and Working Parents. Company executives and leaders actively participate, sponsor and engage with the ERGs. The CEO and direct staff also provide executive sponsorship and support for one or more ERGs, which serves as one of the cornerstones for inclusion and engagement of talent at scale.

The Company's 10-point racial equity roadmap has guided its progress in this space since it was launched in 2020, and has been refined to align with the Company's timing and progress related to its ongoing business transformation. In light of the business transformation, the Company is now revising the two outstanding points of the roadmap to align with its plan to build a new, resilient supply chain and to continue to strengthen and sustain its relationships with external partners supporting its DEI efforts. The Company prioritizes investing in its communities by supporting individuals and organizations that advance DEI goals across regions in which it operates. There is a wide array of program offerings provided through the Company's DEI external partnership network. Offerings span across multiple demographics (African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latino/Latinx, Disabilities, Women, LGBTQ+) and levels of participation range from early in career through executive level. Through the RISE (Reach. Inspire. Support. Engage.) Community program, the Company provides scholar students, in high school and college, access to expanded experiential learning beyond their classrooms. The Company’s goal is to help its RISE scholars discover their passions, expose them to business, technology, and STEM career opportunities, and help to develop them as leaders.

The Company continues to support gender representation in leadership as a part of its broader DEI goals. The Company also participates in the Business Roundtable, where many of the largest U.S.-based employers are committed to building a more inclusive environment. The Company was also among the signatories of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion initiative.

Employee Well-being

The Company believes that employees who are thriving as individuals are best capable of sustainable and resilient high performance and contributing to a thriving company culture. Therefore, the need to optimize employee well-being has been identified as a strategic enabler for the success of the Company's Focus Forward strategy. In 2023, the Company embarked on a long-term vision to develop a global well-being strategy dedicated to supporting employee well-being as a competitive benefit to attract and retain talent. The implementation of the strategy will vary by country but will include benefits to support the broad wellness of employees’ healthy lifestyles, mental health, and retirement readiness, which will be bolstered by programs to support a healthy, psychologically safe culture at work. The Company also supports its employees and promotes work/life balance through benefits such as paid parental leave, paid time off, flexible work arrangements and virtual/hybrid working model policies.

Environment, Health and Safety

The Company’s Environmental, Health and Safety (“EHS”) Management System describes the core elements of EHS responsibility and accountability, including policies and procedures that are designed in alignment with global standards, the Company’s Code of Business Ethics, applicable laws and individual facility needs. In 2023, the Company reinforced EHS as a

key priority that applies to employees and operating locations worldwide, including manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, warehouses, laboratories, field service centers, retail locations, office locations and mobile units, as well as to the Company's subsidiaries. With a focus on continuous improvement, the Company launched efforts to update its EHS Management System to better align with its current organization and allows the Company to be even more proactive in risk recognition and mitigation at all levels. Legal requirements and responses may vary in the different countries in which the Company’s facilities are located. The Company also organized the Corporate EHS team to support technically and more effectively with developing capabilities that enable strong performance at the Company’s sites globally.

Governance and Oversight

The CEO and the management Executive Committee are entrusted with developing and advancing the Company’s human capital strategy which is reviewed annually with periodic updates on progress with the Board. The Chief Human Resources Officer (“CHRO”), who reports directly to the CEO, is charged with the development and stewardship of this strategy on an enterprise-wide basis. This incorporates a broad range of dimensions, including culture, values, labor and employee relations, leadership expectations and capabilities, talent development, performance management and total rewards. Each year, the Company conducts an extensive talent review with its CEO where the leadership team, key talent, and succession plans are reviewed. Afterwards, the CEO or CHRO leads a talent review with the Compensation & Talent Development Committee of the Board and the entire membership of the Board, at least annually.

Refer to the caption "Information About Our Executive Officers" in Part 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance of the Registrant in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding the Company's Executive Officers.

Code of Business Ethics, Workplace Harassment Prevention, and Managing Unconscious Bias training, among others, are provided to employees and the content is regularly reviewed and updated. Employees have access to the INTEGRITY@SBD platform where support, guidance and resources are available. Employees are encouraged to raise any concerns through multiple channels, including through the confidential Integrity Helpline, without fear of retaliation or retribution. Additional information regarding the Company's Human Capital programs and initiatives is available in the Company's ESG Report located under the "Impact" heading of the Company’s website. The information on the Company’s website is not, and is not intended to be, part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is not incorporated into this report by reference.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs, which are classified in Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A"), were $362.0 million, $357.4 million and $276.3 million for fiscal years 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company continues to invest in its innovation model with both breakthrough and core innovations and places an emphasis on electrification.

Available Information

The Company’s website is located at http://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com. This URL is intended to be an inactive textual reference only. It is not intended to be an active hyperlink to the Company's website. Additionally, this Annual Report on Form 10-K includes several website addresses and references to additional materials found on those websites. These websites and materials, including the information on the Company's website that may be referenced in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, is provided for convenience only and is not intended to be part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is not incorporated into this report by reference. The Company makes its Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and amendments to each available free of charge on its website as soon as reasonably practicable after filing them with, or furnishing them to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

The Company’s business, operations and financial condition are subject to various risks and uncertainties. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including those risks set forth under the heading entitled "Cautionary Statements Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995" in Item 7, and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC, before making any investment decision with respect to its securities. If any of the risks or uncertainties actually occur or develop, the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects could change. Under these circumstances, the trading prices of the Company’s securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment in the Company’s securities.

Strategic Risks

The successful execution of the Company’s business strategy depends on its ability to recruit, retain, train, motivate, and develop employees and execute effective succession planning.

The success of the Company’s efforts to grow its business depends on the contributions and abilities of key executives and management personnel, its sales force and other personnel, including the ability of its sales force to adapt to any changes made in the sales organization and achieve adequate customer coverage. The Company must therefore continue to recruit, retain, train and motivate management, sales and other personnel sufficiently to maintain its current business and support its projected growth. In addition, the Company must invest heavily in reskilling and upskilling its employees, including placing an emphasis on lifelong learning. Additionally, any unplanned turnover or inability to attract and retain key employees could have a negative effect on the Company’s results of operations.

A shortage of key employees might jeopardize the Company’s ability to implement its business strategy, and changes in the key management team can result in loss of continuity, loss of accumulated knowledge, departure of other key employees, disruptions to the Company’s operations and inefficiency during transitional periods. The Company’s reputation, business, revenue and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected if it is unable to recruit, retain, train, motivate, and develop employees and successfully execute organizational change and management transitions at leadership levels.

The Company’s acquisitions, exiting of businesses, divestitures, strategic investments and alliances and joint ventures, as well as general business reorganizations, may result in financial results that are different than expected and certain risks for its business and operations.

As part of the Company's strategy, it may acquire businesses or assets, divest businesses or assets, enter into strategic alliances and joint ventures, and make investments to further its business (collectively, “business combinations and investment transactions”), and also handle any post-closing issues, such as integration and transition services. The Company may make additional divestitures or pursue acquisitions in the future.

Risks associated with business combinations and investment transactions include the following, any of which could adversely affect the Company's financial results, including its effective tax rate:

• the failure to identify the most suitable candidates for acquisitions and to close on such acquisitions within desired time frames and at a reasonable cost;

• difficulty in finding buyers or alternative exit strategies on acceptable terms in a timely manner, or disposing of a business at a price or on terms that are less desirable than the Company had anticipated;

• the ability to conduct and evaluate the results of due diligence with respect to business combinations and investment transactions;

• the failure to identify significant issues with a target company’s product quality, financial disclosures, accounting practices or internal control deficiencies or the factors necessary to estimate reasonably accurate costs, timing and other matters, and the failure to identify, or accurately assess the risks of, historical practices of target companies that would create liability or other exposures for the Company if they continue post-completion or as a result of successor liability;

• the difficulties and cost in obtaining any necessary regulatory or government approvals on acceptable terms and any delay from the inability to satisfy pre-closing conditions;

• the anticipated additional revenues from the acquired companies do not materialize, despite extensive due diligence;

• the acquired businesses may lose market acceptance or profitability;

• difficulties in retaining existing or attracting new business and operational relationships, including with customers, suppliers and other counterparties;

• the impact of divestitures on the Company's revenue growth may be larger than projected, as the Company may experience greater dis-synergies than expected;

• the diversion of Company management’s attention and other resources;

• incurring significant restructuring charges and amortization expense, assuming liabilities, ongoing or new lawsuits related to the transaction or otherwise or pre-closing regulatory violations of the acquired business, potential impairment of acquired goodwill and other intangible assets, and increasing the Company's expenses and working capital requirements;

• continued financial involvement in a divested business, such as through continuing equity ownership, guarantees, indemnities or other financial obligations;

• increased volatility and market vulnerability as a result of a more focused portfolio following completion of business combinations and investment transactions; and

• the loss of key personnel, distributors, clients or customers of acquired companies and difficulty in maintaining employee morale.

In addition, the current and the proposed changes to the U.S. and foreign regulatory approval process and requirements in connection with an acquisition or divestiture may jeopardize, delay or reduce the anticipated benefits of the transaction to the Company. Failure to effectively integrate acquired companies, strategic investments and alliances, consummate or manage any future acquisitions, exit businesses or consummate divestitures, or general business reorganizations, and mitigate the related risks, may adversely affect the Company’s existing businesses and harm its operational results due to large write-offs, significant restructuring costs, contingent liabilities, substantial depreciation, and/or adverse tax or other consequences. The Company cannot ensure that such integrations and reorganizations will be successfully completed or that all of the planned synergies and other benefits will be realized.

Business and Operational Risks

The Company’s business is subject to risks associated with sourcing, manufacturing and maintaining appropriate inventory levels.

The Company imports large quantities of finished goods, component parts and raw materials. Lead times for these items vary significantly and may be further impacted by global shortages of critical components. Global supply chain constraints in the wake of geopolitical tensions and conflicts have, and could again, adversely impact the availability and lead times for products, component parts and raw materials and thus negatively impact the Company’s results of operations. Specifically, the Company sources materials from South Korea, China and Taiwan, and any future tensions or conflicts in such regions could cause material disruptions in the Company's supply chain which could, in turn, cause product shortages, delays in delivery and/or increases in the Company's cost incurred to produce and deliver products to its customers. Other potential consequences arising from th

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None.

The Company has implemented a comprehensive cybersecurity program to assess, identify and manage risks from cybersecurity threats that may result in adverse effects to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of its information systems and oversee compliance with applicable regulatory, operational, and contractual requirements.

Cyber Incident Response Team and Governance

Board of Directors

The Board has delegated the primary responsibility for oversight of cybersecurity matters to the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee regularly reviews compliance and disclosure control procedures for cybersecurity matters. Members of management responsible for cybersecurity and digital risk management for the Company, including the Vice President and Chief Information

Officer (the “CIO”), Chief Information Security Officer (the “CISO”) and the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary (the “General Counsel”), provide regular updates to the Audit Committee regarding data protection and cybersecurity risks and the Company’s new and existing cyber risk controls intended to mitigate them. The Audit Committee regularly briefs the full Board on these matters, and the full Board also receives briefings from management and third-party cybersecurity advisors on the Company’s cybersecurity program, as appropriate. The Company has protocols and procedures by which certain cybersecurity incidents are escalated within the Company and, where appropriate, reported promptly to the Audit Committee and the full Board.

Management

At the management level, oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats has been integrated into the Company’s overall risk management processes. The Senior Risk Council has broad oversight of the Company’s risk management processes, and is also responsible for the assessment and management of risks from cybersecurity threats. The Senior Risk Council is comprised of senior management personnel representing different functional and business areas, including the Chief Executive Officer; Chief Financial Officer; General Counsel; Treasurer; and CIO, as well as other senior business leaders. The Company believes the experience that Senior Risk Council members have from serving on the Senior Risk Council provides them with an understanding of the Company’s risk management process overall, and individual members are able to provide further insight to the risk analysis process based on their functional area of expertise within the business. The CIO also has extensive leadership experience in computer product engineering and information technology fields, including responsibility for overseeing cybersecurity risk management and digital risk management. The CIO also holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science. The Senior Risk Council meets regularly to discuss the risk management measures implemented by the Company, including measures to identify and mitigate data protection and cybersecurity risks. The Senior Risk Council receives regular updates on cybersecurity incidents from the CISO and CIO.

The Company’s CISO is the member of management principally responsible for overseeing the Company’s cybersecurity risk management program, in coordination with the CIO and other business leaders across the Company, including legal, product engineering management, internal audit, finance and risk management. The CISO has extensive cybersecurity knowledge and skills gained from over 20 years of technical and business experience in the cybersecurity and information security fields, including as a Chief Information Security Officer and through other leadership and technical roles in IT governance and strategy, security risk and compliance, corporate product security and data privacy, and IT infrastructure. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Information and Cybersecurity from the University of California, Berkeley. The CISO reports directly to the CIO who in turn reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer. The CISO receives reports on cybersecurity threats from members of the Cyber Security Office on an ongoing basis and, in conjunction with the Senior Risk Council, regularly reviews risk management measures implemented by the Company to identify and mitigate data protection and cybersecurity risks. The CISO and CIO also work closely with the Company's legal department to oversee compliance with applicable legal, regulatory and contractual security requirements.

Internal Cybersecurity Team

The Company's Cyber Security Office, led by the CISO, is responsible for the implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of cybersecurity governance, operations and data protection practices across the Company. Reporting to the CISO are a number of experienced information security directors responsible for various parts of the Company’s business, each of whom is supported by a team of trained cybersecurity professionals. The team also holds a number of industry recognized certifications such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Certified Information Security Manager, Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control, and Certified Ethical Hacker, among others. In addition to its internal cybersecurity capabilities, the Company also regularly engages assessors, consultants, auditors, or other third parties to assist with assessing, identifying, and managing cybersecurity risks.

Risk Management & Strategy

The Company has adopted information security policies that establish requirements and responsibilities with respect to the protection of the Company’s interests and information technology assets against loss, improper disclosure and unauthorized modification. The Company regularly educates and shares best practices with its employees to raise awareness of cybersecurity threats and the Company’s information security program, which the Company believes creates a culture of shared responsibility for the security of sensitive data and the Company’s network. All employees are regularly offered information security and protection training, including specialized training for employees exposed to sensitive information, which prompt them to certify their awareness of and compliance with applicable information technology policies and additional technology and cybersecurity standards. The Company deploys technical safeguards that are designed to protect the Company’s information systems from cybersecurity threats, including firewalls, encryption intrusion prevention and detection systems, anti-malware functionality, data monitoring, endpoint extended detection and response, architecture controls, access controls and ongoing vulnerability assessments.

The Company has adopted a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan (the “IRP”) that applies in the event of a cybersecurity threat or incident, which is designed to protect the Company’s information systems from cybersecurity threats and to promptly respond to cybersecurity incidents. The IRP sets out a coordinated approach to investigating, containing, documenting and mitigating incidents, including reporting findings and keeping senior management and other key stakeholders informed and involved as appropriate. To facilitate the success of this program, multi-disciplinary teams throughout the Company are deployed to address cybersecurity threats and to respond to cybersecurity incidents in accordance with the IRP. Through the ongoing communications among these teams, the CISO, in coordination with the legal department and the Senior Risk Council, monitor the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents, and report such incidents to the Board and the Audit Committee when appropriate, as discussed above. In general, the IRP leverages the National Institute of Standards and Technology guidance. The IRP applies to all Company personnel who provide or deliver technology systems (including employees or contractors and service providers).

As part of the Company’s cybersecurity risk management strategy, the Company takes measures to test and improve its cybersecurity program, including reviewing and updating the information technology policies and IRP, such as engaging an independent third party to conduct regular assessments of its cyber security maturity against industry best practice frameworks and conducting tabletop exercises. The Company also engages in internal and external audits to meet its regulatory obligations or customer requirements. The assessment summaries and action plans are shared with the Audit Committee as part of the CISO’s regular briefings, and in turn the Audit Committee Chair regularly updates the Board on such briefings.

The Company has processes and procedures as part of its centralized supplier risk management system to oversee, identify, assess and reduce cybersecurity threats and risks associated with key third-party service providers. As part of this process, the Company utilizes external frameworks and tools to provide assessment scoring, planning and monitoring against cybersecurity threats and risks and remediation recommendations, as applicable. Updates on third-party service provider risks are included in regular briefings to the Senior Risk Council by the CISO and CIO and escalated to the Audit Committee as appropriate.

Cybersecurity Risks, Threats & Incidents

Risks from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have not materially affected the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations or financial condition, and the Company does not believe that such risks are reasonably likely to have such an effect over the long term.

The Company deploys measures which leverage industry accepted frameworks to deter, prevent, detect, respond to, and mitigate these threats. The Company has invested and continues to invest in risk management and information security and data privacy measures in order to protect its systems and data, including employee and critical service provider training, organizational investments, incident response plans, tabletop exercises and technical defenses. Despite these efforts, cybersecurity incidents (against the Company or parties with whom the Company contracts), depending on their nature and scope, could potentially result in the misappropriation, disclosure, destruction, corruption or unavailability of critical data and confidential or proprietary information (the Company's or that of third parties) and the disruption of business operations. Refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which should be read in conjunction with the foregoing information, for additional information on cybersecurity risks the Company faces.

As of December 30, 2023, the Company and its subsidiaries owned or leased significant facilities used for manufacturing, distribution and sales offices in 21 states and 22 countries. The Company leases its corporate headquarters in New Britain, Connecticut. The Company has 121 facilities including its corporate headquarters that are larger than 100,000 square feet, as follows:

The combined size of these facilities is approximately 36 million square feet. The buildings are in good condition, suitable for their intended use, adequate to support the Company’s operations, and generally fully utilized. Of the 121 facilities above, there are two owned and three leased facilities included in Industrial, which relate to the recently announced pending divestiture of the Infrastructure business.

Government Investigations

On January 19, 2024, the Company was notified by the Compliance and Field Operations Division (the “Division”) of the Consumer Product Safety Commission that the Division intends to recommend the imposition of a civil penalty of approximately $32 million for alleged untimely reporting in relation to certain utility bars and miter saws that were subject to voluntary recalls in September 2019 and March 2022, respectively. The Company is currently evaluating and believes there are defenses to the Division’s claims, and the Company is cooperating with the Division. However, given the early stage of this matter, at this time, the Company is not in a position to assess the likelihood of any potential loss or adverse effect on its financial condition or to estimate the amount of potential loss, if any, from this matter.

As previously disclosed, the Company has identified certain transactions relating to its international operations that may raise compliance questions under the FCPA and voluntarily disclosed this information to the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the SEC in January 2023. The Company is cooperating with both agencies in their investigations of these transactions (the “FCPA Matters”). Currently, the Company does not believe that the FCPA Matters will have a material impact on its financial condition or results of operations, although it is possible that a loss related to the FCPA Matters may be incurred.

Given the ongoing nature of the FCPA Matters, management cannot predict the duration, scope, or outcome of the DOJ’s or SEC’s investigations or estimate the potential magnitude of any such loss or range of loss, or the cost of the ongoing investigations. Any determination that certain transactions relating to the Company’s international operations were not in compliance with the FCPA could result in the imposition of fines, civil or criminal penalties, equitable remedies, including disgorgement, injunctive relief, or other sanctions against the Company. The Company also may become a party to litigation or other legal proceedings over the FCPA Matters described above.

The Company is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance and is continuously focused on ensuring the effectiveness of its policies, procedures, and controls. The Company is in the process, with the assistance of professional advisors, of reviewing and further enhancing relevant policies, procedures, and controls.

Class Action Litigation

As previously disclosed, on March 24, 2023, a putative class action lawsuit titled Naresh Vissa Rammohan v. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., et al., Case No. 3:23-cv-00369-KAD (the “Rammohan Class Action”), was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut against the Company and certain of the Company’s current and former officers and directors. The complaint was filed on behalf of a purported class consisting of all purchasers of Stanley Black & Decker common stock between October 28, 2021 and July 28, 2022, inclusive. The complaint asserts violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 based on allegedly false and misleading statements related to consumer demand for the Company’s products amid changing COVID-19 trends and macroeconomic conditions. The complaint seeks unspecified damages and an award of costs and expenses. On October 13, 2023, Lead Plaintiff General Retirement System of the City of Detroit filed an Amended Complaint that asserts the same claims and seeks the same forms of relief as the original complaint. The Company intends to vigorously defend this action in all respects and on December 14, 2023 filed a motion to dismiss the Amended Complaint in its entirety. Briefing on that motion is expected to conclude in April 2024. Given the early stage of this litigation, at this time, the Company is not in a position to assess the likelihood of any potential loss or adverse effect on its financial condition or to estimate the amount or range of potential losses, if any, from this action.

Derivative Actions

As previously disclosed, on August 2, 2023 and September 20, 2023, derivative complaints were filed in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, titled Callahan v. Allan, et al., Case No. 3:23-cv-01028-OAW (the “Callahan Derivative Action”) and Applebaum v. Allan, et al., Case No. 3:23-cv-01234-OAW (the “Applebaum Derivative Action”), respectively, by putative stockholders against certain current and former directors and officers of the Company premised on the same allegations as the Rammohan Class Action. The Callahan and Applebaum Derivative Actions were consolidated by Court order on November 6, 2023 and defendants’ responses to both complaints have been stayed pending the disposition of any motions to dismiss in the Rammohan Class Action. The individual defendants intend to vigorously defend the Callahan and Applebaum Derivative Actions in all respects. However, given the early stage of this litigation, at this time, the Company is not in a position to assess the likelihood of any potential loss or adverse effect on its financial condition or to estimate the amount or range of potential losses, if any, from these actions.

On October 19, 2023, a derivative complaint was filed in Connecticut Superior Court, titled Vladimir Gusinsky Revocable Trust v. Allan, et al., Docket Number HHBCV236082260S, by a putative stockholder against certain current and former directors and officers of the Company. Plaintiff seeks to recover for alleged breach of fiduciary duties and unjust enrichment under Connecticut state law premised on the same allegations as the Rammohan Class Action. By Court order on November 11, 2023,

the Connecticut Superior Court granted the parties’ motion to stay defendants’ response to the complaint pending the disposition of any motions to dismiss in the Rammohan Class Action. The individual defendants intend to vigorously defend this action in all respects. However, given the early stage of this litigation, at this time, the Company is not in a position to assess the likelihood of any potential loss or adverse effect on its financial condition or to estimate the amount or range of potential losses, if any, from this action.

Other Actions

In addition to the matters above, in the normal course of business, the Company is involved in various lawsuits and claims, including product liability, environmental, intellectual property, contract and commercial, advertising, employment and distributor claims, and administrative proceedings. The Company does not expect that the resolution of these matters occurring in the normal course of business will have a materially adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

Not applicable.

INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following is a list of the executive officers of the Company as of February 27, 2024:

PART II

The Company’s common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (“NYSE”) under the abbreviated ticker symbol “SWK”, and is a component of the Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) 500 Composite Stock Price Index. The Company increased its annual dividend per common share by $0.04 in 2023 compared to 2022 and intends to continue to pay quarterly dividends in 2024. In July 2023, the Company raised the quarterly dividend per common share, its 56th annual consecutive increase, which extended its record for the longest, consecutive quarterly and annual dividend payments among industrial companies listed on the NYSE. As of February 1, 2024, there were 8,258 holders of record of the Company’s common stock. Information required by Item 201(d) of Regulation S-K concerning securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans can be found under Item 12 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table provides information about the Company’s purchases of equity securities that are registered by the Company pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for the three months ended December 30, 2023:

(a)The Company issues time-vested restricted stock units (“RSUs”) as part of its benefit plans. In the Consolidated Financial Statements, shares of common stock withheld for tax purposes on behalf of the participant in connection with the vesting or delivery of RSUs are treated in a similar manner as common stock repurchases because they reduce the number of shares that would have been issued upon vesting or delivery. Such withholdings of shares of common stock are not considered common stock repurchases under the Company's authorized common stock repurchase program.

(b)On April 21, 2022, the Board approved a share repurchase program of up to 20 million shares of the Company’s common stock (the “April 2022 Program”). The April 2022 Program does not have an expiration date. The Company may repurchase shares under the April 2022 Program through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or share repurchase programs, including one or more accelerated share repurchase programs (under which an initial payment for the entire repurchase amount may be made at the inception of the program). Such repurchases may be funded from cash on hand, short-term borrowings or other sources of cash at the Company’s discretion, and the Company is under no obligation to repurchase any shares pursuant to the repurchase program. The currently authorized shares available for repurchase under the April 2022 Program do not include approximately 3.6 million shares reserved and authorized for purchase under the Company’s approved repurchase program in place prior to the April 2022 Program relating to a forward share purchase contract entered into in March 2015.

Stock Performance Graph

The following line graph compares the yearly percentage change in the Company’s cumulative total shareholder return for the last five years to that of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Capital Goods Index. The S&P 500 Capital Goods Index represents a focused group of companies across major industrial manufacturing categories that carry similar operational characteristics to the Company.

The comparison assumes $100 invested at the closing price on December 28, 2018 in the Company’s common stock, S&P 500 Index, and S&P 500 Capital Goods Index. Total return assumes reinvestment of dividends.

The financial and business analysis below provides information which the Company believes is relevant to an assessment and understanding of its consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows. This financial and business analysis should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes. All references to “Notes” in this Item 7 refer to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The following discussion and certain other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K contain statements reflecting the Company’s views about its future performance that constitute “forward-looking statements” under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry and markets in which the Company operates as well as management’s beliefs and assumptions. Any statements contained herein (including without limitation statements to the effect that the Company or its management “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans” and similar expressions) that are not statements of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation, those set forth, or incorporated by reference, below under the heading “Cautionary Statements Under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act Of 1995.” The Company does not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Strategic Objectives

Over the past two years, the Company has re-shaped its portfolio to focus on its leading positions in the tools & outdoor and engineered fastening markets. Leveraging the benefits of a more focused portfolio, the Company initiated a business transformation in mid-2022 that includes reinvestment for faster growth as well as a $2.0 billion Global Cost Reduction Program through 2025. The Company’s primary areas of multi-year strategic focus remain unchanged as follows:

• Advancing innovation, electrification and global market penetration to achieve organic revenue growth of 2 to 3 times the market;

• Streamlining and simplifying the organization, and investing in initiatives that more directly impact the Company's customers and end users;

• Returning adjusted gross margins to historical 35%+ levels by accelerating the operations and supply chain transformation to improve fill rates and better match inventory with customer demand; and

• Prioritizing cash flow generation and inventory optimization.

The Company's business transformation is intended to drive strong financial performance over the long term, including:

• Organic revenue growth at 2 to 3 times the market;

• 35%+ adjusted gross margins;

• Free cash flow equal to, or exceeding, net income; and

*•*Cash Flow Return On Investment ("CFROI"), computed as cash from operations plus after-tax interest expense, divided by the two-point average of debt and equity, between 12-15%.

In terms of capital allocation, the Company remains committed, over time, to returning excess capital to shareholders through a strong and growing dividend as well as opportunistically repurchasing shares. In the near term, the Company intends to direct any capital in excess of the quarterly dividend on its common stock toward debt reduction and internal growth investments.

Share Repurchases And Other Securities

During the first quarter of 2022, the Company repurchased 12,645,371 shares of its common stock for approximately $2.3 billion through a combination of an accelerated share repurchase ("ASR"), which provided for an initial delivery of 85% of the total notional share equivalent at execution, or 10,756,770 shares, and open market share repurchases for a total of 1,888,601 shares. The final delivery of the remaining shares under the ASR totaled 3,211,317 and was completed during the second quarter of 2022.

Refer to Note J, Capital Stock, for further discussion.

In addition, on April 23, 2021, the Board of Directors approved repurchases by the Company of its outstanding securities, other than its common stock up to an aggregate amount of $3.0 billion. No repurchases have been executed pursuant to this authorization to date.

Pending Sale of Infrastructure Business

In December 2023, the Company announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of its Infrastructure business to Epiroc AB for $760 million in cash. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. The Company expects to utilize the net proceeds to reduce debt.

Divestitures

On August 19, 2022, the Company sold its Oil & Gas business comprised of the pipeline services and equipment businesses to Pipeline Technique Limited.

On July 22, 2022, the Company sold its Convergent Security Solutions ("CSS") business comprised of the commercial electronic security and healthcare businesses to Securitas AB for net proceeds of approximately $3.1 billion.

On July 5, 2022, the Company sold its Mechanical Access Solutions ("MAS") business comprised of the automatic doors business to Allegion plc for net proceeds of $916.0 million.

Proceeds from the sale of these businesses were used to repay borrowings made in the first quarter of 2022 to fund the Company's share repurchase program previously discussed. The use of proceeds to support a share repurchase program is consistent with the Company's long-term capital allocation strategy.

The Company has also divested several smaller businesses in recent years that allowed the Company to invest in other areas that fit into its long-term strategy.

Refer to Note T, Divestitures, for further discussion of the Company's divestitures.

Acquisitions

On December 1, 2021, the Company acquired the remaining 80 percent ownership stake in MTD Holdings Inc. ("MTD"), a privately held global designer, manufacturer and distributor of lawn tractors, zero turn ride on mowers, walk behind mowers, snow blowers, residential robotic mowers, hand-held outdoor power equipment and garden tools for both residential and professional consumers under well-known brands like CUB CADET® and TROY-BILT®. The Company previously acquired a 20 percent interest in MTD in January 2019.

On November 12, 2021, the Company acquired Excel Industries ("Excel"), a leading designer and manufacturer of premium commercial and residential turf-care equipment under the HUSTLER® brand. This was a strategically important bolt-on acquisition that bolstered the Company's presence in the independent dealer network.

The combination of MTD, Excel and the Company's existing outdoor strategic business unit in Tools & Outdoor created a global leader in the $25 billion outdoor category, with strong brands and growth opportunities. As part of the integration of these businesses into the Tools & Outdoor segment, the Company designed, developed and manufactured battery and electric-powered solutions for professional and residential users. This positioned the combined businesses to be a leader in outdoor power equipment as preferences shift from gas powered equipment toward electrified solutions.

Refer to Note E, Acquisitions, for further discussion.

Global Cost Reduction Program

In mid-2022, the Company launched a program comprised of a series of initiatives designed to generate cost savings by resizing the organization and reducing inventory with the ultimate objective of driving long-term growth, improving profitability and generating strong cash flow. These initiatives are expected to optimize the

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The Company incorporates by reference the material captioned “Market Risk” in Item 7 and in Note I, Financial Instruments, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

See Item 15 for an index to Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedule. Such Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedule are incorporated herein by reference.

None.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The management of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (the “Company”) is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements.

Management has assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 30, 2023. In making its assessment, management has utilized the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013 Framework). Management concluded that based on its assessment, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 30, 2023. Ernst & Young LLP, the auditor of the financial statements included in this annual report, has issued an attestation report on the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting, a copy of which appears on page 63.

Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, the Company has, pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures (as defined under Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act). Based upon that evaluation, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of December 30, 2023, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal quarter ended December 30, 2023 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

During the three months ended December 30, 2023, no director or Section 16 officer of the Company adopted, modified or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as each term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.

Not applicable.

PART III

The information required by this Item, except for the identification of the executive officers of the Company presented in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the caption "Information About Our Executive Officers," and certain information with respect to the Company’s Code of Business Ethics and any material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Company’s Board of Directors, as set forth below, is incorporated herein by reference to the information set forth in the section of the Company’s definitive proxy statement (which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the close of the Company’s fiscal year) under the headings “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports,” “Corporate Governance,” “Information Concerning Nominees for Election as Directors,” and “Board of Directors".

Available on the Company's website at http://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com under the “Investors” heading is the Code of Business Ethics applicable to all of its directors and officers, including the President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Accounting Officer, and employees worldwide, as well as the Supplemental Code of Ethics for CEO and Senior Financial Officers, applicable to the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and all senior financial officers, including the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer. The Company intends to post on its website required information regarding any amendment to, or waiver from, the Code of Business Ethics or the Code of Ethics for CEO and Senior Financial Officers that applies to the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer and senior financial officers within four business days after any such amendment or waiver.

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the information set forth under the sections entitled “Compensation Discussion & Analysis,” “2023 Executive Compensation,” “Director Compensation,” and “Compensation and Talent Development Committee Report” of the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The information required by Item 403 of Regulation S-K is incorporated herein by reference to the information set forth under the sections entitled “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners” and “Security Ownership of Directors and Officers” of the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

Compensation plans under which the Company’s equity securities are authorized for issuance at December 30, 2023 follow:

(1)Consists of 5,490,848 shares underlying outstanding stock options (whether vested or unvested) with a weighted-average exercise price of $133.22 and a weighted-average remaining term of 6.22 years; 2,222,052 shares underlying time-vesting restricted stock units that have not yet vested and the maximum number of shares that will be issued pursuant to outstanding performance awards if all established goals are met; and 170,546 of shares earned but related to which participants elected deferral of delivery. All stock-based compensation plans are discussed in Note J, Capital Stock, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8.

(2)There is no cost to the recipient for shares issued pursuant to time-vesting restricted stock units or performance awards. Because there is no strike price applicable to these stock awards they are excluded from the weighted-average exercise price which pertains solely to outstanding stock options.

(3)Consists of 1,070,126 of shares available for purchase under the employee stock purchase plan ("ESPP") at the election of employees and 6,161,350 securities available for future grants under stock-based compensation plans. On February 16, 2022, the Board of Directors adopted the 2022 Omnibus Award Plan (the "2022 Plan") and authorized the issuance of 9,800,000 shares of the Company's common stock in connection with the awards pursuant to the 2022 Plan. No further awards are available for issuance under the Company's 2013 Long-Term Incentive Plan or the 2018 Omnibus Award Plan.

(4)U.S. non-highly compensated employees are eligible to contribute from 1% to 25% of their salary to a qualified tax deferred savings plan as described in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan ("ESOP") section of Note L, Employee Benefit Plans, of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. The Company contributes an amount equal to one half of the employee contribution up to the first 7% of salary. There is a non-qualified tax deferred savings plan for highly compensated salaried employees which mirrors certain qualified plan provisions, but was not specifically approved by security holders. Eligible highly compensated salaried U.S. employees are eligible to contribute from 1% to 50% of their salary to the non-qualified tax deferred savings plan. The same matching arrangement was provided for highly compensated salaried employees in the non-qualified plan, to the extent the match was not fully met in the qualified plan, except that the arrangement for these employees is outside of the ESOP, and is not funded in advance of distributions. If the Company decides to make matching contributions for a year, it will make contributions, in an amount determined at its discretion, that may constitute part or all of or more than the matching contributions that would have been made pursuant to the provisions of the Stanley Black & Decker Supplemental Retirement Account Plan that were in effect prior to 2019. For both qualified and non-qualified plans, the investment of

the employee’s contribution and the Company’s matching contribution is controlled by the employee and may include an election to invest in Company stock. Shares of the Company’s common stock may be issued at the time of a distribution from the qualified plan. The number of securities remaining available for issuance under the plans at December 30, 2023 is not determinable, since the plans do not authorize a maximum number of securities.

The information required by Items 404 and 407(a) of Regulation S-K is incorporated by reference to the information set forth under the sections entitled “Corporate Governance” and “Related Person Transactions” of the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The information required by Item 9(e) of Schedule 14A is incorporated herein by reference to the information set forth under the section entitled “Fees of Independent Auditors” and “Corporate Governance” of the Company’s definitive proxy statement, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE

(a) Index to documents filed as part of this report:

1. and 2. Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedule.

The response to this portion of Item 15 is submitted as a separate section of this report beginning with an index thereto on page 57.

3. Exhibits

See Exhibit Index in this Form 10-K on page 117.

(b) See Exhibit Index in this Form 10-K on page 117.

(c) The response in this portion of Item 15 is submitted as a separate section of this Form 10-K with an index thereto beginning on page 57.

FORM 10-K

STANLEY BLACK & DECKER, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULE

All other schedules are omitted because either they are not applicable or the required information is shown in the financial statements or the notes thereto.

Not applicable.

Schedule II — Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Fiscal years ended December 30, 2023, December 31, 2022, and January 1, 2022

(Millions of Dollars)

(a)With respect to the allowance for credit losses, deductions represent amounts charged-off less recoveries of accounts previously charged-off.

(b)Amounts represent the impact of foreign currency translation, acquisitions, divestitures and net transfers to/from other accounts.

(c)Refer to Note Q, Income Taxes, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for further discussion.

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

The management of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements.

Management has assessed the effectiveness of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 30, 2023. In making its assessment, management has utilized the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013 Framework). Management concluded that based on its assessment, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 30, 2023. Ernst & Young LLP, Registered Public Accounting Firm included in this annual report, has issued an attestation report on the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting, a copy of which appears on page 63.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareowners and the Board of Directors of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (the Company) as of December 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive (loss) income, shareowners’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 30, 2023, and the related notes and the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 30, 2023, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 30, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated February 27, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the account or disclosure to which it relates.

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