For release 7 November 2017 Associated British Foods plc Annual Results Announcement Year ended 16 September 2017 1 For release 7 November 2017 ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS PLC RESULTS FOR 52 WEEKS ENDED 16 SEPTEMBER 2017 Strong growth for the group Financial Headlines Actual Constant currency Group revenue £15.4bn +15% +6% Adjusted operating profit £1,363m +22% +13% Adjusted profit before tax up 22% to £1,310m Adjusted earnings per share up 20% at 127.1p Dividends per share up 12% to 41.0p Gross investment of £945m Net cash £673m Statutory operating profit up 21% to £1,336m, and with the benefit of a profit on the sale of businesses, profit before tax up 51% to £1,576m and basic earnings per share up 47% to 151.6p George Weston, Chief Executive of Associated British Foods, said: “This was a highly successful year for the group. These results reflect our international diversity, and the strong underlying performance of our businesses was driven by management actions throughout the year. Capital investment was a record as we continued to pursue the opportunities to grow our businesses into the future.” Adjusted operating profit is stated before the amortisation of non-operating intangibles, transaction costs and profits less losses on disposal of non-current assets. These items, together with profits less losses on the sale and closure of businesses, are excluded from adjusted profit before tax and adjusted earnings per share. All adjustments to profit measures are shown on the face of the consolidated income statement. Constant currency is derived by translating the 2016 results at 2017 average exchange rates. For further information please contact: Until 15.00 only Associated British Foods: John Bason, Finance Director Flic Howard-Allen, Head of External Affairs Tel: 020 7638 9571 Citigate Dewe Rogerson: Chris Barrie, Eleni Menikou Tel: 020 7638 9571 Jonathan Clare Tel: 07770 321881 After 15.00 John Bason, Finance Director Flic Howard-Allen, Head of External Affairs Tel: 020 7399 6500 2 Notes to Editors Associated British Foods is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £15.4bn and 133,000 employees in 50 countries. It has significant businesses in Europe, southern Africa, The Americas, Asia and Australia. Our aim is to achieve strong, sustainable leadership positions in markets that offer potential for profitable growth. We look to achieve this through a combination of growth of existing businesses, acquisition of complementary new businesses and achievement of high levels of operating efficiency. 3 For release 7 November 2017 ANNUAL RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT For the 52 weeks ended 16 September 2017 CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT Group revenue of £15.4bn was 15% ahead of last year and adjusted operating profit of £1,363m was 22% ahead. Given the economic and currency uncertainties a year ago, these results demonstrate the benefit of our international diversity and the strong underlying performance of our businesses. I am therefore very pleased to report excellent progress this year with adjusted earnings per share up 20% to 127.1 pence. Gross investment was again significant this year at £945m. This comprised £866m of capital expenditure and operating intangible assets, driven by a higher level of investment by Primark with expenditure in all its countries of operation, and £79m on business acquisitions. This year we delivered a particularly impressive cash flow which emphasises the group’s ability to convert profitability into cash. We also realised proceeds, net of costs and tax, of over £500m from two business disposals. Together these resulted in last year’s net debt of £315m becoming a net cash balance of £673m this year end. As anticipated, we delivered a strong recovery in sugar profits this year. This was a consequence of the recent structural changes made to AB Sugar, the considerable benefit derived from performance improvement over a number of years and an increase in EU sugar prices. Moving to full ownership of Illovo last year has proved to be a positive step with an increase in profit which benefited from an acceleration of its commercial development and performance improvement. We believe that we are well placed to take advantage of the removal of sugar quotas in the EU arising from the reform of the sugar regime, and to meet the challenges including the recent fall in EU sugar prices. Further cost reduction drove the continued recovery of the yeast and bakery ingredients business while excellence in execution was the driver of the strong performance from speciality ingredients. Together they increased adjusted operating profit by 34% this year. Good progress was made by Twinings Ovaltine, ACH in the US and George Weston Foods in Australia, but Grocery results were held back by the trading environment faced by the UK bakeries. Since the year end we have completed the acquisition of Acetum S.p.A., a producer of high-quality balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy. We look forward to the opportunity of developing further this fine business, using our existing capability in selling and marketing speciality foods internationally. Primark has the potential for significant growth and this was demonstrated again this year by its opening of a net 30 stores and 1.5 million sq ft of selling space across nine countries. The Primark management team also had further success in mitigating currency headwinds, they delivered on-trend fashion and their stores have never looked better. We look forward to further growth in the coming year. Two business disposals took place at the beginning of the financial year. In November 2016 the sale of our US herbs and spices operation significantly reduced the complexity of ACH and facilitated a reduction in overhead. In December 2016, we sold our cane sugar operations in south China to a party better placed to drive its further development. We are proud of the transformation in agricultural productivity, sugar yields and factory efficiencies that we achieved over our 20 years of ownership. We realised a pre- tax profit of £293m from these two disposals with little impact on the group’s trading profit. Corporate responsibility Our group has grown and evolved considerably since its formation in 1935 and a great deal has changed, but the essence of what we do has remained a constant. Operating ethically is a core value at the heart of our group and our intention has always been to do the right thing for our people and the wider community, believing that we achieve this by feeding and clothing millions of people every day. Our approach to ensuring that this is sustained is described in our Corporate Responsibility Report which has been updated this year. A copy of the update is available for download at www.abf.co.uk/responsibility. Remuneration As noted in the Remuneration report we revised our remuneration policy last year to align it more closely with our business strategy. In particular, an additional earnings per share measure was introduced into the long term incentive plan that is designed to take into account volatility in world and European sugar prices. Although incentive payments under this additional measure will not arise until 2019, the changes in sugar prices seen over recent months support this decision. The board We are announcing today that Tim Clarke will retire as a director with effect from 30 November 2017, after 13 years on the board. Tim’s extensive experience in retailing and his wise counsel over the years have been of immeasurable value and we are very grateful for his substantial contribution. His tenure did not diminish his independence at any time. Javier Ferrán has completed more than nine years’ service as a director of the Company and, in accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, the rest of the board must now confirm his independence annually. This having been done, we are delighted that Javier has agreed to continue as a member of the board and, with Tim’s retirement, to take on the responsibilities of Senior Independent Director. 4 We have recently announced the appointment of Michael McLintock as a non-executive director of the Company with effect from 1 November 2017. Michael is currently a trustee of the Grosvenor Estate and a non-executive director of Grosvenor Group. He was chief executive of M&G Investments from 1997 until his retirement in 2016. He became a member of the Audit and Remuneration committees on appointment. Employees Our 133,000 colleagues in 50 countries contribute to the success of the group and I would like to thank them for everything they bring to their businesses. It is their innovation, entrepreneurial skill, drive and ambition that enable us to grow and develop, and through their collaboration, build a network that makes the whole so much greater than the sum of its parts. Dividends I am pleased to report that a final dividend of 29.65p is proposed, to be paid on 12 January 2018 to shareholders on the register on 15 December 2017. Together with the interim dividend of 11.35p paid on 7 July 2017, this will make a total of 41.0p for the year, an increase of 12%. Outlook Primark’s selling space expansion will continue and with margins in line with the current year we expect an increase in Retail profit. Progress is expected from Grocery, Agriculture and Ingredients. In Sugar, higher volumes and lower costs will only partially mitigate the effect of much lower EU prices. At current exchange rates we expect no material transactional or translational effect on profit. Taking all of these factors into account, at this early stage, we expect progress in adjusted operating profit and adjusted earnings per share for the group for the coming year.