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Henkel

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FY2015 Annual Report · Henkel
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2015 Annual Report

 
 
 
Contents

Our business units

  The Company

  2  Foreword
  6  Report of the Supervisory Board 
  12  Delivering on our strategy
  28  Management Board

  Combined management report

  30  Management report subindex 
  31  Corporate governance 
  52  Shares and bonds 
  57  Fundamental principles of the Group
  65  Economic report
  90  Business units
 102 

 Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (condensed 
 version according to the German Com-
mercial Code [HGB])

 106  Subsequent events
 106  Risks and opportunities report 
 114  Forecast

 Consolidated financial  

  statements

 116 

 118 

 Consolidated financial statements 
 subindex 
 Consolidated statement of financial 
 position 

 120  Consolidated statement of income 
 Consolidated statement of  
 121 
comprehensive income
 Consolidated statement of changes  
in equity 

 121 

 122  Consolidated statement of cash flows 
 123 

 Notes to the consolidated financial 
 statements
 Independent Auditor’s Report
 Responsibility statement by the 
Personally Liable Partner
 Corporate management bodies of  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

 180 
 183 

 184 

  Further information

Index of tables and graphs

 188  Quarterly breakdown of key financials 
 189  Multi-year summary
 190 
 192  Glossary 
 195  Credits
 196 

 Contacts 
Financial calendar

Laundry & Home Care 

Our top brands 

Beauty Care

Our top brands 

Sales

+ 4.9 %

organic  
sales growth

Sales

+ 2.1 %

organic  
sales growth

Adhesive Technologies 

Our top brands 

Sales

+ 2.4 %

organic  
sales growth

 
 
 
 
 
Key financials Laundry & Home Care 

4

Sales Laundry & Home Care 
in million euros

2014

2015

+/–

2011

4,304

in million euros

Sales

Operating profit (EBIT)

Adjusted 1 operating profit (EBIT)

4,626

5,137

615

749

786

879

Return on sales (EBIT)

Adjusted 1 return on sales (EBIT)

13.3 %

16.2 %

15.3 %

17.1 %

pp = percentage points
1  Adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring charges.

11.0 %

27.8 %

17.4 %

2.0 pp

0.9 pp

2012

4,556

2013

4,580

2014

4,626

2015

5,137

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

Key financials Beauty Care 

6

Sales Beauty Care 
in million euros

2014

2015

+/–

2011

3,399

in million euros

Sales

Operating profit (EBIT)

Adjusted 1 operating profit (EBIT)

3,547

3,833

421

544

561

610

Return on sales (EBIT)

Adjusted 1 return on sales (EBIT)

11.9 %

15.3 %

14.6 %

15.9 %

pp = percentage points
1  Adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring charges.

8.1 %

33.3 %

12.2 %

2.7 pp

0.6 pp

2012

3,542

2013

3,510

2014

3,547

2015

3,833

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

Key financials Adhesive Technologies 

8

Sales Adhesive Technologies 
in million euros

2014

2015

+/–

2011

7,746

in million euros

Sales

Operating profit (EBIT)

Adjusted 1 operating profit (EBIT)

8,127

1,345

1,402

8,992

1,462

1,534

Return on sales (EBIT)

Adjusted 1 return on sales (EBIT)

16.6 %

17.2 %

16.3 %

17.1 %

pp = percentage points
1  Adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring charges.

10.6 %

8.7 %

9.4 %

– 0.3 pp

– 0.1 pp

2012

8,256

2013

8,117

2014

8,127

2015

8,992

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

5

7

9

 
 
 
Highlights 2015

Sales

EBIT

EPS

Dividend

+ 3.0 %

16.2 %

4.88 euros

1.47 euros

organic 
sales growth

adjusted 1 return on sales (EBIT): 
up 0.4 percentage points

adjusted 1 earnings per preferred 
share (EPS): up 11.4 percent

dividend per  
preferred share 2

Key financials

in million euros

Sales

Operating profit (EBIT)

Adjusted 1 operating profit (EBIT)

Return on sales (EBIT) in %

Adjusted 1 return on sales (EBIT) in %

Net income

Attributable to non-controlling interests

Attributable to shareholders of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Earnings per preferred share in euros

Adjusted 1 earnings per preferred share in euros

Adjusted 1 earnings per preferred share in euros 
(2012 before IAS 19 revised)

Return on capital employed (ROCE) in %

Dividend per ordinary share in euros

Dividend per preferred share in euros

2011 

2012

2013

2014

2015

15,605

16,510

16,355

16,428

18,089

1,765

2,029

2,199

2,335

2,285

2,516

2,244

2,588

2,645

2,923

11.3

13.0

13.3

14.1

14.0

15.4

13.7

15.8

14.6

16.2

1,191

30

1,161

1,526

46

1,480

1,625

36

1,589

1,662

34

1,628

1,968

47

1,921

2.69

3.14

15.8

0.78

0.80

3.42

3.63

3.70

18.7

0.93

0.95

3.67

4.07

4.07

20.5

1.20

1.22

3.76

4.38

4.38

19.0

1.29 

1.31

4.44

4.88

4.88

18.2

1.45 2 

1.47 2

1

+/–
2014 – 2015

10.1 %

17.9 %

12.9 %

0.9 pp

0.4 pp

18.4 %

38.2 %

18.0 %

18.1 %

11.4 %

11.4 %

– 0.8 pp

12.4 %

12.2 %

pp = percentage points
1 Adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring charges. 
2  Proposal to shareholders for the Annual General Meeting on April 11, 2016.

Sales by business unit

2

Sales by region

3

Beauty Care 

21 %

Corporate 

1 %

 Japan / Australia /  
New Zealand 

2 %

North America 

20 %

Corporate 

1 %

2015

2015

Laundry &  
Home Care 

28 %

 Adhesive  
Technologies 

50 %

Western Europe 

34 %

Emerging  
markets 1 

43 %

Corporate = sales and services not assignable  
to the individual business units.

1  Eastern Europe, Africa/Middle East, Latin America,  
Asia (excluding Japan).

Annual Report 2015

our vision

our values

A global leader  
in brands and  
technologies.

We put our customers at the  
center of what we do.

We value, challenge and 
reward our people.

We drive excellent sustainable  
financial performance.

We are committed to  
leadership in sustainability.

We build our future on our  
family business foundation.

our targets 2016

20 bn € sales
10 bn € sales in 
10 % annual growth in 

emerging markets

earnings per share 1

1  Average annual growth in adjusted earnings per  
preferred share (compound annual growth rate / CAGR).

Including continuous portfolio optimization.

A global leaderin brandsand technologies OutperformGlobalizeFocus on regions withhigh potentialLeverage potentialin categoriesInspireSimplifyDrive operationalexcellenceStrengthen ourglobal team2

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Kasper Rorsted 
Chairman of the  
Management Board

“We achieved strong financial 
 performance, continued to success-
fully implement our strategy and laid 
a strong foundation for our future.”

Henkel Annual Report 2015

3

2015 was another successful year for Henkel: We grew all our businesses, increased 
our profitability and advanced key strategic initiatives. This enabled us to improve our 
 competitiveness and create value for shareholders.

Led by our long-term vision to become a global leader in brands and technologies and 
guided by our values, we continued to implement our strategy: We want to outperform 
our competition as a globalized company with simplified operations and an inspired 
team. Our clear focus on this strategy and the dedication of our employees around 
the world were critical to delivering strong performance – despite a highly volatile and 
 challenging business environment. 

In 2015, the global economy grew only moderately. The growth in emerging markets con-
tinued to slow down to around 4 percent. This was mainly attributable to lower growth 
rates in China and recessions in a number of other emerging markets, such as Brazil. The 
conflict between Russia and Ukraine affected economic growth and the business envi-
ronment, as did instability in the Middle East. Mature markets grew around 2 percent, 
mainly driven by robust economic growth and lower unemployment in the USA. While 
lower oil prices supported industrial and household demand in many countries, they 
negatively affected emerging economies that rely on income from oil exports.

Strong performance in 2015

In 2015, Henkel Group sales grew to 18,089 million euros, a double-digit increase com-
pared to 16,428 million euros in the previous year. Organic sales growth was 3.0 percent. 
Adjusted1 earnings before interest rates and taxes (EBIT) grew by 12.9 percent to 2,923 mil-
lion euros compared to 2,588 million euros. Adjusted1 return on sales improved to 
16.2 percent compared to 15.8 percent. Adjusted1 earnings per preferred share (EPS) 
grew to 4.88 euros, an increase of 11.4 percent compared to 4.38 euros in 2014.

All three business units delivered solid organic growth and improved their profits. Our emerg-
ing markets continued to be the main growth drivers and reported strong organic growth of 
5.9 percent in 2015. We also achieved positive organic sales growth in our mature markets. 

Henkel increased its cash flow from operating activities to 2,384 million euros versus 
1,914 million euros in 2014 and continued to invest in its businesses, brands and innova-
tion capabilities. Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions) rose to 625 million euros 
from 517 million euros in 2014. In addition, we closed a number of acquisitions across 
all business units with a total value of more than 300 million euros.

At our Annual General Meeting on April 11, 2016, we will propose to our shareholders 
a dividend payment of 1.47 euros per preferred share. This represents an increase of 
12.2 percent compared to the 1.31 euros paid out in 2015.

In summary, we delivered another excellent year for Henkel in 2015: We recorded double-digit 
growth rates in sales, profits, earnings per share, share price and our proposed dividend. 

+ 3.0 %

organic sales growth.

16.2 %

adjusted 1 return on 
sales.

+ 11.4 %

adjusted 1 earnings  
per preferred share.

Outperform our competition

We have identified digitalization as a key driver of our business success and made further 
progress in integrating it into all dimensions of our business and processes. In 2015, we 
continued to standardize and digitalize our business platforms. We also improved inter-
nal networking and collaboration and successfully expanded our market- and customer-
facing digital activities.

1  Adjusted for one-time 
charges/gains and 
 restructuring charges. 

4

Henkel Annual Report 2015

61 %

of sales generated  
by top 10 brands.

43 %

of sales generated  
in emerging markets.

Around 33 %

of our managers are 
women.

Strong brands are the backbone of our business. The share of sales generated by our top 
10 brands accounted for 61 percent of total sales compared to 59 percent in the previous 
year. Our top three brands – Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite – generated combined sales 
of 5.9 billion euros. This significant increase over the previous year was driven by 
 continuous innovation, investment in brand equity and expansion into new markets. 

Our commitment to innovation is reflected in high innovation rates across all busi-
nesses: In 2015, we generated more than 45 percent of sales in our Laundry & Home Care 
and Beauty Care businesses with products launched within the last three years. In our 
Adhesive Technologies business, the share of sales from products launched within the 
last five years was around 30 percent. 

Strong relationships with our major retail and industrial customers are a critical success 
factor for our business and helped us to grow our share of sales with them in 2015. 

Globalize our company

We aim to expand our footprint in emerging markets while leveraging our strong positions 
in mature markets. In 2015, sales in emerging markets accounted for 43 percent of total 
Group sales, slightly below the share in the previous year, mainly due to declining curren-
cies in a number of emerging markets. At the same time, adjusted for currency fluctuations 
as well as acquisitions and divestments, emerging markets were the main growth driver for 
Henkel. We will continue to grow our presence in these markets.

In mature markets, we were able to grow our business and leverage our leading market 
positions. A highlight in 2015 was the successful launch of two of our flagship brands, 
Persil and Schwarzkopf, in the US retail business. These launches helped us to return to 
growth and to improve our performance in our largest market.  

Simplify our operations

We aim to continuously simplify our organization in order to improve our operational 
excellence, increase our efficiency and create competitive advantage. In 2015, we made 
 significant progress in building a scalable business model with standardized, digitalized 
and accelerated business processes. We successfully established a new organization that 
manages global supply chain and purchasing activities for all our business units. Its rollout 
will continue in 2016 and beyond. By the end of 2015, the number of employees in our six 
shared service centers around the world had climbed to more than 3,000. Key processes for 
our global organization are handled in these centers. In addition, we launched a new digital 
networking platform for all employees globally. It complements their digital workplaces 
and facilitates collaboration across the entire organization.

Inspire our global team

Excellent performance is based on a clear strategy and a strong global team that drives 
its execution. In order to excel in a highly dynamic and complex business environment, 
our diverse and increasingly virtual teams require strong leaders. We aim to continuously 
improve our leadership team and foster a unique performance culture. 

A diverse workforce that blends different cultural backgrounds and work experiences is 
an important success factor. We actively manage diversity and have made significant 
progress over the past years. In 2015, the share of employees in emerging markets was  
55 percent. The share of female managers was around 33 percent. 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

5

Committed to leadership in sustainability  

2015 was an important milestone on our path toward our long-term sustainability goal: 
By 2030 we want to triple the value we create for our customers and consumers, for the 
communities in which we operate and for our company – compared to the environmental 
footprint of our operations and products.

I am proud to report that we exceeded our interim targets for the first five-year period 
up to 2015. We improved our overall resource efficiency by 38 percent between 2011 and 
2015. This has created a strong foundation to meet our long-term goal by 2030. For the 
next five years, we have defined a target of 75 percent improvement compared to the base 
year 2010.

2016 marks another milestone in sustainability for us: We have published our 25th 
 Sustainability Report. Since our first Environment Report in 1992, we have developed 
it into a detailed and extensive report. 

We are committed to leadership in sustainability – this is anchored in our company 
 values. We will continue to be ambassadors for sustainability, drive continuous improve-
ments in all its dimensions and actively engage in dialog with stakeholders on our 
 strategy, decisions and actions. 

Committed to our targets

2015 was an excellent year for Henkel: We achieved strong financial performance, continued 
to successfully implement our strategy and laid a strong foundation for our future. After three 
years of our four-year strategy cycle, we are well on track to meet our key targets for 2016.

After 11 years on the Management Board and 8 years as CEO, I have decided to leave Henkel 
after the Annual General Meeting at the end of April 2016. I am deeply grateful for my 
time with Henkel, and I am convinced that the company is well positioned to continue to 
prosper and grow.

I would like to thank all Henkel employees for their dedication and contribution to our 
excellent business performance. I would also like to thank our supervisory bodies for 
their valuable advice. I would like to especially thank you, our shareholders, for your 
 continued trust and support. And finally, I would like to thank our customers around the 
world for their confidence in our company, people, brands and technologies. 

Everyone at Henkel is fully committed to our strategy and targets, and we will continue to 
implement our strategy and deliver excellent performance.

Düsseldorf, January 29, 2016 

 Sincerely,

Kasper Rorsted 
Chairman of the Management Board

6

Report of the Supervisory Board

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah 
Chairwoman of  
the Shareholders’ Committee 
and the Supervisory Board

“Fiscal 2015 was very successful for 
Henkel. We are well equipped for the 
challenges of the future and look 
toward the continued development 
of the corporation with confidence.”

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Report of the Supervisory Board

7

In a difficult business environment characterized 
by weaker growth in Asia, stagnating economies in 
Latin America and Eastern Europe, and moderate 
 private consumption overall, fiscal 2015 was very 
 successful for Henkel. All of our business units 
recorded organic sales growth and a further increase 
in earnings. 

Quarterly reports focused on the sales and profits of 
Henkel Group as a whole, with further analysis by 
business unit and region. All members of the Super-
visory Board consistently had sufficient opportunity 
to critically review and address the issues raised by 
each of these reports and to provide their individual 
guidance. 

On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to 
thank all of our employees for their exceptional 
 commitment this past year. My thanks are equally 
due to the members of the Management Board who 
have steered the company successfully through these 
challenging market conditions. I would also like to 
thank our employee representatives and Works 
Councils for their constructive support in moving 
Henkel forward. 

The Chairman of the Audit Committee and I, as 
Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, remained in 
regular contact with the Chairman of the Manage-
ment Board outside of Supervisory Board meetings.  
This procedure ensured that we were constantly 
aware of current business developments and signifi-
cant events. The other members were informed of 
major issues no later than by the next Supervisory 
Board or committee meeting.

To you, our shareholders, I extend my special thanks 
for your continued confidence in our company, 
its management and employees, and our brands and 
technologies over this past fiscal year.

Ongoing dialog with the Management Board 

Again in fiscal 2015, the Supervisory Board diligently 
discharged its duties in accordance with the legal 
statutes, Articles of Association and rules of proce-
dure governing our actions. In particular, we consis-
tently monitored the work of the Management Board, 
advising and supporting it in its stewardship, in the 
strategic further development of the corporation, and 
in decisions relating to matters of major importance.

In the course of 2015, the Management Board and the 
Supervisory Board continued to cooperate through 
extensive dialog founded on mutual trust and confi-
dence. The Management Board kept us regularly and 
extensively informed of all major issues affecting the 
corporation’s business and our Group companies 
with prompt written and oral reports. Specifically, 
the Management Board reported on the business 
 situation, operational development, business policy, 
profitability issues, our short-term and long-term 
corporate, financial and personnel plans, as well as 
capital expenditures and organizational measures. 

The Supervisory Board and the Audit Committee 
each held four regular meetings in the reporting year. 
Attendance at the Supervisory Board and committee 
meetings was around 91 percent and 96 percent 
respectively. Béatrice Guillaume-Grabisch attended 
two meetings of the Supervisory Board. 

There were no indications of conflicts of interest 
involving Management Board or Supervisory Board 
members that required immediate disclosure to the 
Supervisory Board and reporting to the Annual 
G eneral Meeting.

Major issues discussed at  
Supervisory Board meetings 

In each of our meetings, we discussed the reports 
submitted by the Management Board, conferring with 
it on the development of the corporation and on 
 strategic issues. We also discussed the overall eco-
nomic situation and Henkel’s business performance. 

In our meeting on March 2, 2015, we focused on 
approving the annual and consolidated financial 
statements for 2014, including the risk report and 
corporate governance report, the 2015 Declaration of 
Compliance, and our proposals for resolution by the 
2015 Annual General Meeting. A detailed report of 

8

Report of the Supervisory Board

Henkel Annual Report 2015

this was included in our last Annual Report. We also 
discussed the concept of Laundry & Home Care’s 
Global Experience Center in Düsseldorf, where we 
present our innovations to our customers through 
interactive experiences. 

In addition to the general business performance in 
the first months of the fiscal year, the focus of our 
meeting on April 13, 2015 was on the challenges fac-
ing our corporation from an increasingly digitalized 
environment. We extensively discussed the priorities 
for our digital strategy and the corresponding steps 
being taken in our business units. These include the 
increased use of digital applications by our employees, 
innovative solutions and technologies for analyzing 
data, reaching our customers through digital media, 
and the expansion of our eCommerce operations.

In our meeting on September 18, 2015, we extensively 
discussed business and market developments in 
North America. In the consumer businesses, where 
the market is characterized by intense competition, 
the introduction of Persil ProClean and of hair care 
and styling products in retail channels under the 
Schwarzkopf brand generated positive results. The 
Adhesive Technologies business unit also performed 
positively in North America. We reviewed the struc-
tural measures that had been taken, mainly in light 
of weakening growth in Asia. Likewise addressed at 
this meeting were the continued development of the 
leadership team and the recruitment of management 
talent in emerging markets.

Our meeting on December 11, 2015 focused on the 
expected figures for 2015 and on our assets and 
financial planning for fiscal 2016. We also discussed 
the associated budgets of our business units in detail 
based on comprehensive documentation. 

Supervisory Board committees 

In order to enable us to efficiently comply with the 
duties incumbent upon us according to legal statute 
and our Articles of Association, we have established 
an Audit Committee and a Nominations Committee. 
The Audit Committee was chaired in the year under 
review by Prof. Dr. Theo Siegert, who complies with 
the statutory requirements of impartiality and exper-
tise in the fields of accounting or auditing and brings 
experience in the application of accounting principles 
and internal control procedures. For more details 
on the responsibilities and composition of these 
committees, please refer to the corporate governance 
report on pages 31 to 40 and the membership lists on 
page 185 of this Annual Report. 

Committee activities

Pursuant to its appointment by the 2015 Annual 
 General Meeting, the Audit Committee mandated the 
external auditor to audit the annual financial state-
ments and the consolidated financial statements, 
and to review the interim financial reports for 2015. 
The audit fee and focus areas of the audit were also 
established. The Audit Committee obtained the neces-
sary validation of auditor independence for the per-
formance of these tasks. The auditor has informed 
the Audit Committee that there are no circumstances 
that might give rise to a conflict of interest in the 
execution of its duties.

The Audit Committee met four times in the year 
under review. The Chairman of the Audit Committee 
also remained in regular contact with the auditor 
outside of the meetings. The meetings and resolu-
tions were prepared through the provision of reports 
and other information by the Management Board. 
The Chair of the Committee reported promptly and 
in full to the plenary Supervisory Board on the con-
tent and results of each of the Committee meetings.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Report of the Supervisory Board

9

All Audit Committee meetings focused on the com-
pany and Group accounts, including the interim 
(quarterly and half-year) financial reports, with all 
matters arising being duly discussed with the Man-
agement Board. The three meetings at which we 
 discussed and approved the interim financial reports 
were attended by the auditor. The latter reported on 
the results of the reviews and on the main issues and 
occurrences relevant to the work of the Audit Com-
mittee. There were no objections raised in response 
to these reports.

The Audit Committee also reviewed the accounting 
process and the efficacy and further development of 
the internal Group-wide control and risk manage-
ment system. One of its tasks was to review the 
 efficiency of the risk management system, based on 
the risk reports of previous years. In addition, the 
Audit Committee received the report of the General 
Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer regarding major 
litigations and compliance within the Group, as well 
as the status report of the Head of Internal Audit. 
It approved the audit plan put forward by Internal 
Audit, which extends to examining the functional 
efficiency and efficacy of the internal control system 
and our compliance organization. Discussion also 
centered on treasury risks and their management and 
on the current reform in statutory auditing including 
its impact on the work of the Audit Committee.

At its meeting on February 22, 2016, attended by the 
auditor, the Audit Committee discussed the annual 
and consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2015, 
including the audit reports, the associated proposal 
for appropriation of profits, and the risk report. It 
also prepared the corresponding resolutions of the 
Supervisory Board. The Committee also made its rec-
ommendation to the Supervisory Board regarding the 
latter’s proposal for resolution by the Annual General 
Meeting relating to the appointment of the external 
auditor for fiscal 2016. A declaration from the auditor 
asserting its independence was again duly received, 
accompanied by details pertaining to non-audit 
 services rendered in fiscal 2015 and those envisioned 
for fiscal 2016. There was no evidence of any bias or 

partiality on the part of the auditor. As in previous 
years, other members of the Supervisory Board took 
part as guests in this specifically accounting-related 
meeting of the Audit Committee.

The Nominations Committee prepared the resolu-
tions of the Supervisory Board to be presented to the 
2016 Annual General Meeting for the upcoming new 
election of shareholder representatives. In addition 
to the qualifications of the individual candidates, 
the Nominations Committee also takes into account 
when selecting candidates the recommendations of 
the German Corporate Governance Code [DCGK] and 
the targets set by the Supervisory Board for its future 
composition. All of the candidates confirmed their 
ability to devote the time needed to perform Super-
visory Board duties.

Efficiency audit  

The Supervisory Board and Audit Committee regu-
larly review the efficiency with which they perform 
their duties, based on a comprehensive, company-
specific checklist distributed to all members. The 
checklist covers important aspects such as meeting 
preparation and procedure, the scope and content of 
documents and information – particularly with 
respect to financial reports, compliance and audits 
– as well as financial control and risk management. 
Such a survey took place in the reporting year. The 
results and assessments were examined in detail in 
the meeting of the Audit Committee on February 22, 
2016 and the meeting of the Supervisory Board on 
February 23, 2016, where issues of corporate gover-
nance and opportunities for improvement were also 
discussed. The efficiency with which the Supervisory 
Board and Audit Committee carry out their duties 
and the required independence of their membership 
were duly confirmed.

10

Report of the Supervisory Board

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Corporate governance and  
declaration of compliance

The Supervisory Board again dealt with questions of 
corporate governance in the reporting year. Specifi-
cally, in our meeting on September 18, 2015, we 
reviewed and updated our targets for the composi-
tion of the Supervisory Board, taking into account 
new legislation concerning the composition of 
supervisory boards for co-determined and listed 
companies and the relevant provisions of the German 
Corporate Governance Code. Details of these changes 
and on Henkel’s corporate governance can be found 
in the management report on corporate governance 
(pages 31 to 40 of this Annual Report), with which we 
fully acquiesce. 

At our meeting on February 23, 2016, we discussed 
and approved the joint Declaration of Compliance of 
the Management Board, the Shareholders’ Commit-
tee and the Supervisory Board with respect to the 
German Corporate Governance Code [DCGK] for 2016. 
The full wording of the current and previous declara-
tions of compliance can be found on the company 
website.

Annual and consolidated financial 
 statements / Audit

The auditor appointed for 2015 by the Annual General 
Meeting – KPMG – has examined the annual financial 
statements prepared by the Management Board in 
accordance with the provisions of the German Com-
mercial Code [HGB], and the consolidated financial 
statements along with the consolidated management 
report, which has been combined with the manage-
ment report for Henkel AG & Co. KGaA for 2015. 
The auditor issued an unqualified opinion for each 
report. The consolidated financial statements were 
prepared in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRS) as endorsed by the Euro-
pean Union (EU), and in accordance with the supple-
mentary German statutory provisions pursuant to 
Section 315a (1) HGB. The consolidated financial 
statements in their present form exempt us from the 
requirement to prepare consolidated financial state-
ments in accordance with German law.

KPMG conducted the audit in accordance with 
 Section 317 HGB and the German generally accepted 
standards for the audit of financial statements pro-

mulgated by the Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer 
 (Institute of Public Auditors in Germany), and in 
supplementary compliance with International 
 Standards on Auditing (ISA).

The annual financial statements, consolidated finan-
cial statements and combined management report, 
the audit reports of KPMG and the recommendations 
by the Management Board for the appropriation of 
the profit made by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA were pre-
sented in good time to all members of the Supervi-
sory Board. We examined these documents and dis-
cussed them at our meeting of February 23, 2016. 
This was attended by the auditor, which reported 
on its main audit findings. We received the audit 
reports and declared our acquiescence therewith. 
The Chair of the Audit Committee provided the ple-
nary session of the Supervisory Board with a 
detailed account of the treatment of the annual 
financial statements and the consolidated financial 
statements by the Audit Committee. Having received 
the final results of the review conducted by the Audit 
Committee and concluded our own examination, we 
see no reason for objection to the aforementioned 
documents. We have agreed to the results of the 
audit. The assessment by the Management Board of 
the position of the company and the Group coincides 
with our own appraisal. At our meeting of February 23, 
2016, we concurred with the recommendations of 
the Audit Committee and therefore approved the 
annual financial statements, the consolidated finan-
cial statements and the combined management 
report as prepared by the Management Board.

Additionally, we discussed and approved the 
 proposal by the Management Board to pay out of 
the unappropriated profit of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA 
a dividend of 1.45 euros per ordinary share and 
of 1.47 euros per  preferred share, and to carry the 
remainder and the amount attributable to the trea-
sury shares held by the company at the time of the 
Annual General Meeting forward to the following 
year. This proposal takes into account the financial 
and earnings position of the corporation, its 
medium-term financial and investment planning, 
and the interests of our shareholders. 

In our meeting on February 23, 2016, we also ratified 
our proposal for resolution by the Annual General 
Meeting relating to the appointment of the external 
auditor for the next fiscal year, based on the recom-
mendations of the Audit Committee. 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Report of the Supervisory Board

11

his successful career at Henkel back in 1984. In the 
more than 31 years since then, he has occupied vari-
ous management posts involving extensive regional 
responsibility in both the Laundry & Home Care and 
Beauty Care business units. Hans Van Bylen was 
appointed to the Management Board in 2005 with 
responsibility for the Beauty Care business. 

Pascal Houdayer was appointed Corporate Senior Vice 
President at the Laundry & Home Care business unit 
in 2011. Since that time he has been responsible for 
International Marketing within the Home Care busi-
ness area, the digital activities of the business unit, 
and also its operations in the Asia-Pacific region. 
Prior to this, he worked from 1993 for another globally 
active corporation, occupying a number of positions 
of international responsibility in the laundry deter-
gent / household cleaner and toiletry segments.

We wish Hans Van Bylen and Pascal Houdayer every 
success in their new roles. We are delighted to have 
two experienced leaders from within Henkel moving 
into these positions on the Management Board. 

The year ahead will once again present challenges  
to all of our employees and our management. Many 
of the issues and changes encountered and tackled 
in 2015 will remain important for us in 2016. Henkel 
is well equipped for these challenges and we look 
toward the continued development of our corpora-
tion with confidence.

We thank you for your ongoing trust and support.

Düsseldorf, February 23, 2016

On behalf of the Supervisory Board

Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah 
(Chairwoman)

Risk management

Risk management issues were examined not only by 
the Audit Committee but also the plenary Supervi-
sory Board, with emphasis on the risk management 
system in place at Henkel and any major individual 
risks of which we needed to be notified. There were 
no identifiable risks that might jeopardize the con-
tinued existence of the corporation as a going con-
cern. The structure and function of the risk early 
warning system were also integral to the audit per-
formed by KPMG, which found no cause for reserva-
tion. It is also our considered opinion that the risk 
management system corresponds to the statutory 
requirements and is fit for the purpose of early iden-
tification of developments that could endanger the 
continuation of the corporation as a going concern.

Changes in the Supervisory Board and 
 Management Board

There were no changes in the Supervisory Board in 
the year under review.

As announced in mid-January 2016, Kasper Rorsted 
will leave the company at his own request as of 
April 30, 2016. Hans Van Bylen, who is currently 
Executive Vice President with lead responsibility for 
the Beauty Care business unit, has been appointed 
as the new Chairman of the Management Board 
effective May 1, 2016. Pascal Houdayer has been 
appointed to the Management Board effective 
March 1, 2016, and will take over as Executive Vice 
President with lead responsibility for the Beauty 
Care business unit as of May 1, 2016.

Kasper Rorsted achieved a lot for Henkel during his 
11 years as a member of the Management Board, 8 of 
which he served as Chairman of the Management 
Board. Under his leadership since 2008, the company 
has delivered successful performance in a challeng-
ing market environment. Sales, profitability and 
market capitalization have increased significantly 
and our top brands have been strengthened. For this, 
I would like to sincerely thank Kasper Rorsted on 
behalf of all governance committees, employees and 
shareholders of Henkel.

Hans Van Bylen has long-standing, international 
experience at Henkel – both in managing brands and 
markets, and on the Management Board. He started 

 
12

Outperform

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Outperform

Digitalization drives business success

Leveraging digital technology to keep pace with changing customer and consumer 
trends remained an important driver of our business success in 2015. We also 
 continued to strengthen our top brands, maintained high innovation rates across 
all business units and deepened our relationships with key customers and consumers.

Digitalization offers an abundance of choices and 
creates transparency about quality and prices. It also 
helps to build strong brands in order to meet cus-
tomer and consumer demands. This has a significant 
impact on our business operations, innovations, pro-
duction technologies and processes. It also changes 

the way global teams around the world collaborate 
and communicate. We anticipated these trends early 
on and included digitalization as a main component 
of our strategic priority “Outperform.” This has given 
us the ability to leverage digital opportunities that 
lie ahead. 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Outperform

13

A clear strategic framework guides digital projects and initiatives 
across all business units and functions at Henkel. As members 
of our Digital Steering Group, Dr. Nils Daecke, Dr. Salima  Douven 
and Georg Wawer (from the left) regularly discuss current and 
future trends and align on the execution of key digital initiatives – 
from internal processes and systems to customer-facing platforms 
and channels.

Strengthening our top brands

In 2015, we continued to focus on strengthening our 
top brands and were able to expand their share of 
sales: Our top 10 brands accounted for 61 percent of 
our total Group sales, up from 59 percent in the pre-
vious year. Our top three brands, Persil, Schwarzkopf 
and Loctite, generated combined sales of around  
5.9 billion euros in 2015 compared to around 5 bil-
lion euros in 2014. We focus on our top brands and 
strengthen them through investments in innovation 
and brand equity as they generate above-average 
growth and profitability.

Persil is the leading brand for our Laundry & Home 
Care business unit and has been characterized by a 
commitment to innovation and performance for 
more than 100 years. Today, Persil is available in 
more than 50 countries, gaining market share and 
new customers year after year. In 2015, we launched 
Persil ProClean in the US market, supported by a suc-
cessful, targeted social media campaign. It is now 
being rolled out nationwide. In 2015, our high-per-
formance laundry detergents from Persil achieved 
global sales of around 1.2 billion euros.

Our Schwarzkopf brand is the global hair expert and the 
largest brand of our Beauty Care business unit. Schwarz-
kopf products are available in more than 60 countries. 
Since its creation in 1898, outstanding innovation, qual-
ity, passion and competence have been the key charac-
teristics of this iconic brand. Thanks to its winning 
innovations in both its professional and retail markets, 
Schwarzkopf has continuously gained market shares in 
all categories and generated sales of more than 2 billion 
euros. Supported by a holistic, consumer-centered 
approach with a clear focus on digital activities, we 
successfully introduced Schwarzkopf in the US retail 
market in 2015. The brand, with its premium posi-
tioned hair care, styling and color products, is now 
being rolled out nationwide. 

Our digital strategy provides a clear framework for a 
consistent and integrated approach to digitalization 
throughout the entire company. It enables us to 
evolve our digital culture, leverage data and technol-
ogy, engage customers and consumers across all dig-
ital touchpoints and grow our business through digi-
talization.

Our Digital Council promotes and coordinates this 
strategy. Within this Council, senior managers and 
digital experts from all business units and functions 
work together on strategic digital projects. In 2015, 
we made progress on the integration of our SAP sys-
tems into one platform. We also launched our inter-
nal networking platform Yammer, which connects 
our global workforce and enables digital exchange 
and collaboration. We expanded our customer-facing 
digital activities, for example through targeted social 
media campaigns. We also successfully grew our 
eCommerce activities, such as in our Beauty Care 
business in China or with our business-to-business 
platform “Henkel POD.”

14

Outperform

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Outperform

Focus on customers

Customer focus is one of our values at Henkel. We put 
our customers at the center of everything we do and 
promote customer understanding and connection 
across the entire company. We put particular emphasis 
on deepening our relationships with our largest cus-
tomers through “top-to-top” exchanges led by our 
Management Board. This helps us to better understand 
their dynamic business environment and growth 
ambitions, and to adapt our cooperation with them 
accordingly to drive joint business success.

Our Laundry & Home Care Global Experience Center 
in Düsseldorf provides a unique platform for such 
“top-to-top” meetings. Here,  visitors learn firsthand 

Loctite is the largest brand within our Adhesive Tech-
nologies business unit and one of the most trusted 
brands for adhesives, sealants and coating solutions. 
Loctite products are used in more than 130 countries 
globally and in many different industries, including 
aerospace, automotive, and industrial assembly and 
repair. It is also widely used in consumer applica-
tions. In 2015, Loctite products achieved sales of 
around 2.7 billion euros. Loctite became the first-
ever adhesives brand to advertise during the annual 
National Football League Super Bowl® in the USA in 
2015. The commercial generated 45 million page 
impressions on social media and was the number-
one trending topic on Twitter directly after airing. 
The campaign significantly increased brand aware-
ness and helped position Loctite as a leading adhe-
sives brand.

Powerful innovations

In highly competitive markets, we continuously 
strengthen our innovation capabilities to better antic-
ipate and meet the needs of our customers and  
consumers around the world. Our regional research 
centers allow us to develop customer-specific solu-
tions and innovations. Since the start of our current 
strategy cycle in 2013, we have opened or expanded 
five research and development centers globally. 

In 2015, we achieved high innovation rates in all 
three business units. In both Laundry & Home Care 
and Beauty Care, the innovation rate – the share of 
products launched within the last three years – was 
more than 45 percent. In Adhesive Technologies, the 
share of sales from products launched within the 
last five years was around 30 percent. 

With our new-generation fabric softener Silan Soft & Oils, our 
 Laundry & Home Care business answers consumer demand for 
“affordable luxury” in Eastern and Western Europe. It is the first 
transparent fabric softener on the market and allows for extra 
 softness as well as an intensive, long-lasting fragrance. This inno-
vation has enabled us to significantly increase value in the fabric 
softener category, giving us a clear competitive advantage. The 
product is available in 19 European countries under the brand 
names Silan and Vernel. Here we see a Polish consumer using   
Silan  Soft & Oils.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Outperform

15

about our innovation capabilities through cutting-
edge technology, live demonstrations and opportuni-
ties for interaction. Since its opening at the beginning 
of 2015, we have welcomed numerous customers as 
well as other  stakeholders from all over the world. 

Within Beauty Care, our strong customer focus forms 
one of the key pillars for our long-term profitable 
growth. Through both the Beauty Care Lighthouse, 
our well-established customer center in  Düsseldorf, 
and extended strategic partnerships with key retail-
ers around the world, we have been able to leverage 
global and local agreements and work together on 
joint business planning. This enables us to generate 
above-average growth and regularly earns us top 
rankings in global customer surveys as well as presti-

gious industry awards as best supplier in the beauty 
category.

Within our Adhesive Technologies business unit, we 
have further reinforced our innovation capabilities 
worldwide to develop tailor-made solutions together 
with our customers. In our global innovation centers, 
we offer a broad portfolio of application technolo-
gies, specification testing, validation, and training 
for various industries. With our new innovation cen-
ter in Shanghai, for example, our customers particu-
larly benefit from our expert knowledge based on 
strong collaboration across all our business areas.  

16

Globalize

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Globalize

Strong performance worldwide

We continued to globalize our businesses, delivering growth in emerging and mature 
markets in 2015. This successful development was driven by strategic investments 
in brands and technologies as well as in R&D and manufacturing capacities. We also 
grew our businesses through winning digital initiatives and expansion into new 
 markets and categories.

In order to strengthen our market and category posi-
tions around the world, we continued to invest in 
our leading brands and technologies to meet local or 
regional needs. We expanded our R&D capabilities 
and enhanced our manufacturing setup – in particu-

lar in emerging markets. Digital initiatives also 
played an increasingly important role in driving our 
business success in many markets. Targeted acquisi-
tions across all business units helped to further 
strengthen and complement our positions in 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Globalize

17

Singles’ Day, which is held each year on November 11 in China, has 
become the world’s largest online retail day with sales of more than 
13 billion euros and over 500,000 packages shipped. From the left: 
Adele Zhang, Tony Wan, Mark Gu and Thea Lang from the Henkel 
Beauty Care team in Shanghai discuss our product and promotion 
strategy for the 2015 Singles’ Day. With a focused strategy in place, 
Beauty Care has achieved a breakthrough in the eCommerce 
domain with an impressive quota of online sales catering to the 
highly mobile lifestyle of the world’s largest eCommerce markets.

To further expand our leading position in the Chi-
nese hair cosmetics market, our Beauty Care busi-
ness unit launched an advanced strategic partner-
ship with Alibaba, China’s largest online commerce 
company. In 2015, Beauty Care generated around 
30 percent of its sales in China through eCommerce, 
which is double the amount from the previous year. 
This also exceeds the high growth rates in the 
 Chinese eCommerce market. Driven by tailored 
 eInnovations and a dedicated, passionate team of 
local experts, Schwarzkopf now is the number one 
hair care brand on Tmall,  Alibaba’s business-to-con-
sumer platform. 

Our Laundry & Home Care business unit has created 
global impact for its brands with over 6.5 billion 
qualitative ad impressions from digital campaigns in 
2015. We have gained over 30 percent growth in reach 
on social media platforms and are constantly explor-
ing new marketing technologies. We have also made 
significant progress in eCommerce in emerging mar-
kets: For example, over 30 percent of our revenue in 
South Korea is generated through digital channels, 
and we are constantly expanding this share. The stra-
tegic focus of our brands such as Persil, Bref and 
Somat is to utilize these digital trends. We are con-
stantly improving marketing efficiency, exploring 
new communication channels and focusing on 
engaging video content. We have partnered with dig-
ital start-ups in order to stay up-to-date on trends 
and ensure business model innovation. In 2016, we 
plan to further increase our investment in digital 
marketing by a high double-digit percentage. 

In our Adhesive Technologies business unit, we con-
tinued to invest in modern multi-technology produc-
tion sites, especially in emerging markets. In India, 
the second-largest emerging market globally, we 
began construction of a new adhesives production 
facility. When completed in early 2017, the 20,000 
square meter plant will be the largest of its kind in 
India with a potential output of around 80,000 metric 
tons per year. In Mumbai, we inaugurated the Henkel 
Flexible Packaging Academy, the first of its kind in the 
India, Middle East and Africa region. This academy 

selected markets and categories or add specific 
 technological expertise. Our successful development 
in a volatile business environment is testament to 
the strength and commitment of our teams in both 
emerging and mature markets.

Strong performance in emerging markets 

In 2015, emerging markets continued to be the main 
growth driver for Henkel with an organic sales 
growth of 5.9 percent. The share of sales generated in 
emerging markets was 43 percent.

With a population of over 1.3 billion, China is not 
only the world’s leading emerging country, but also 
the largest eCommerce market. While we saw the 
impact of the economic slowdown in our industrial 
business, our Beauty Care business continued to 
deliver double-digit organic sales growth, also driven 
by strong online sales.

18

Globalize

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Globalize

offers certified training programs for professionals in 
the flexible packaging industry in association with 
the Indian Institute of Packaging. In addition, we 
opened new adhesives production facilities in Russia 
and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We also began con-
struction of a new plant in Georgia.

Top positions in mature markets

Henkel holds leading positions in many mature mar-
kets around the world. In 2015, we achieved organic 
sales growth of 0.7 percent in these markets. This 
was driven in particular by positive development in 
North America. 

Our Laundry & Home Care business unit has con-
tinuously strengthened its leading position in its 
mature markets – from Western Europe to the USA – 
and expanded into new markets in Australia and 
New Zealand. In 2015, we acquired Colgate-Palmolive’s 
entire range of laundry detergent and pre-wash brands 
in Australia and New Zealand. This acquisition makes 
the Laundry Care business one of the leading players in 
the detergents category in those countries. In Western 
Europe, the integration of Spotless Group, which was 
acquired in 2014, has created new growth potential in 
highly profitable categories, complementing our exist-
ing Laundry & Home Care portfolio. In the USA, we 
successfully launched our flagship detergent brand 
Persil ProClean. 

Working closely with customers like Morey, an electronics manu-
facturing services partner in the United States, enables Henkel to 
provide tailor-made solutions around the world. Morey employee 
Kevin Hussey explains to Hailey Kamen from Henkel how he tracks 
the application of Loctite GC 10 on circuit boards. 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Globalize

19

Further leveraging country and category opportuni-
ties, our Beauty Care business unit complemented its 
strong performance in the USA, the largest hair mar-
ket worldwide, with the successful launch of our top 
brand Schwarzkopf in the retail market. Introduced 
in parallel across all hair categories, the brand and 
products have been recognized with multiple indus-
try and consumer awards. In Europe, Beauty Care 
invested in the expansion of its production facility 
for shampoos and shower gels in Germany. This 
advanced, high-throughput facility serves all West-
ern European markets as well as selected markets in 
Eastern Europe.

Based on the strong positions of its different business 
areas, Adhesive Technologies was able to leverage its 
innovation competence and introduce state-of-the-art 
technologies globally. With the first-ever temperature- 
stable solder paste Loctite GC 10, for example, we 
offer customers in the electronics industry process 
improvements and cost reductions by providing them 
with a solution to logistical and storage challenges. 
The product cuts energy consumption and reduces 
waste by eliminating the need for refrigerated trans-
port and storage. Loctite GC 10 has been a catalyst for 
expanding partnerships with our customers, such as 
with the US-based electronics manufacturing service 
partner Morey Corporation. The company recently 
selected Henkel as its primary solder paste and 
 adhesives partner. 

20

Simplify

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Simplify  

Creating competitive advantage 

In 2015, we made significant progress in driving operational excellence and building a 
scalable business model, which will increase our efficiency and competitiveness. We 
successfully launched our global supply chain organization, expanded shared  services 
and advanced the integration of our IT platforms. 

Continuously simplifying our organization is one of 
our strategic priorities. We aim to improve opera-
tional excellence in all dimensions of our business 
processes. Building a scalable business model with 
standardized, digitalized and accel erated processes 
will help us create competitive advantages in terms 
of speed, agility and cost efficiency. 

Rollout of one global supply chain

Our newly established global supply chain organiza-
tion blends the knowledge of a company with nearly 
140 years of history with the energy and excitement 
of a start-up. Within this new organization, colleagues 
from all business units and functions work together 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Simplify

21

Around 150 employees from all functions and business units work 
together in our new global supply chain company, located in one of 
the world’s most sustainable buildings, The Edge, in Amsterdam, 
the Netherlands. From the left: Andrea Hermanns, Chen Zhang, 
Diego Patruno, May ElMenshawy, Nataliya Soloveva and Marilia 
Figueiredo use the open space of our new global supply chain office 
to team up on projects and coordinate tasks. 

Expansion of shared services

In 2015, we continued to expand our shared services 
organization. Already by the end of 2015, we had 
more than 3,000 employees in six global shared ser-
vice centers handling key processes for our global 
organization. We have also successfully integrated 
these shared services with our global IT in our Inte-
grated Business Solutions organization.  

Strong focus on IT 

Digitalization at Henkel goes beyond customer-fac-
ing platforms. The ongoing implementation of our 
SAP platforms plays a key role in establishing our 
scalable business model, and we have successfully 
completed this process in the Asia-Pacific region. We 
also made progress on the implementation in Europe 
in 2015.    

As part of our “Sourcing@Best” initiative, we contin-
ued to improve cost efficiency and increase the flex-
ibility of our global sourcing processes in 2015. We 
expanded our eSourcing activities across the entire 
company. 

In 2015, we also introduced our internal digital net-
working platform Yammer for all employees around 
the world. From its launch in September to the end 
of 2015, around 20,000 employees had registered on 
this platform. It complements the digital workplaces 
at Henkel and facilitates collaboration and simpli-
fied communication across the company.  

in our Amsterdam office. Here, we established a cen-
tralized hub for global decision-making for both sup-
ply chain and purchasing activities in 2015. The new 
entity manages supply planning, sourcing, manufac-
turing, inventory and distribution for all our business 
units. This harmonization across the entire company 
will lead to higher process standardization, improved 
customer service levels and enhanced efficiency – and 
thereby drive competitive advantages for Henkel. 

The global rollout of our global supply chain structure 
will continue in 2016 and beyond. We achieved our 
first major milestone in July 2015 with the successful 
launch in Benelux and Switzerland as well as at the 
Beauty Care sites in Germany and Slovenia. By 2017, 
we will finalize the implementation for 30 countries 
in Europe, with other regions following subsequently. 

During the fourth quarter of 2015, we also began 
establishing our second hub in Singapore. This office 
will provide support for the Amsterdam office in the 
Asia-Pacific region.

22

Inspire

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Inspire

Developing strong leadership

In 2015, we continued to strengthen our leadership capabilities, focused on the 
 development of our talents, reinforced our performance culture and promoted 
the  diversity of our global workforce. 

Diverse and increasingly virtual teams that operate 
in a complex and fast-paced business environment 
need strong leadership in order to perform success-
fully. With this in mind, we developed the Leader-
ship Forum in cooperation with the  Harvard Busi-
ness School in the USA. This unique forum is based 
on the concept of “leaders teaching leaders” and it 

provided an intense learning platform for our senior 
leaders in 2015. Here, we further developed our 
 leadership team with a shared understanding of our 
Leadership Principles. These principles provide a 
clear framework and guidance for successfully 
 managing teams worldwide. As of 2015, a total of 
140 senior leaders had completed the program. 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Inspire

23

Focus on strong leadership: Around 1,700 Henkel employees par-
ticipated in classroom and webinar leadership training throughout 
the year. As of 2015, a total of 140 senior leaders had completed the 
Leadership Forum – a program specifically developed with the 
 Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. From the 
left: Henkel Vice Presidents Nicolas Krauss, Alfredo Morales and 
Marie-Laure Marduel engage in a discussion during a lecture break.

individual development of our employees play a key 
role in attracting the best talents. 

Our Henkel Global Academy combines all training 
offerings, providing employees with a concise out-
line of learning opportunities. This gives them a 
transparent overview of which training offerings best 
fit their individual development needs and also 
establishes a stronger link between talent manage-
ment and learning.    

Our annual Development Round Table has also been 
an integral part of talent development and perfor-
mance management at Henkel since 2008. This 
 globally standardized procedure enables us to evaluate 
the performance and development potential of our 
 managers worldwide in one integrated process. As 
a result, we can identify managers with strong 
 development potential and actively manage their 
careers within Henkel. In 2015, we promoted around 
1,300 employees.

Diversity as a competitive advantage

Our company culture and diverse workforce provide 
us with a competitive edge in a highly dynamic 
 business environment. In 2015, our global internal 
 diversity and inclusion campaign created awareness 
of how we support employees in all dimensions of 
diversity. We also systematically support female 
career development. The share of female managers 
was around 33 percent of our global leadership team 
by the end of 2015. 

Focus on leadership

Strengthening our pipeline of strong leaders, partic-
ularly in emerging markets, is essential to reaching 
our ambitious growth targets. Our EXCEED program 
offers talents with strong development potential 
opportunities for interaction with top management 
and peers and gives them the opportunity to build 
diverse networks as future leaders. Since its success-
ful launch in the previous year, around 200 employees 
have participated in the program.  

Managing talent development and 
 performance culture

Henkel is regularly recognized as an attractive 
employer around the world. In 2015, for example, we 
were included in Argentina’s “Best Employers” rank-
ing for the third consecutive year. Opportunities for 

24

Sustainability

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Sustainability

On track toward our long-term goal

For Henkel, sustainability means contributing to the quality of life of a growing 
 population while using less resources and causing less emissions. This is the idea at 
the heart of our long-term goal: By 2030, we want to triple the value we create in 
 relation to our environmental footprint. In 2015, we exceeded our first milestone 
 targets toward this highly ambitious goal.

By the year 2050, the world’s population is expected 
to grow to 9 billion. The accompanying acceleration 
in global economic activity will lead to rising 
 consumption and resource depletion. The effect of 
increasing pressure on available resources is becom-
ing more noticeable around the world. If we are to 

meet the needs of a growing population, we must 
become more efficient in the way we use our planet’s 
limited resources to create value – for our customers 
and consumers, for the communities we operate in, 
and for our company. 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Sustainability

25

Our production site in Viersen-Dülken, Germany, achieved a 
reduction in electricity consumption of 10 percent in 2015. Regu-
lar check-ups of the plant and equipment ensure the efficient use 
of resources and optimize energy consumption. Here, Reinhard 
Borowczak and Dr. Dagmar Preis-Amberger use a special detector 
to identify leakages in compressed air tubes. The generation of 
compressed air is energy-intensive and even the smallest of leaks 
in tubes can result in a significant amount of wasted energy and 
higher costs. With the leakage detector, employees can test for 
leaks, even in noisy production areas. 

With a 38 percent overall efficiency improvement, we 
have clearly achieved the first set of interim  targets 
for the period from 2011 to 2015 – and we are well on 
track toward meeting our long-term goal.

By the end of 2015, we had reached all five of our 2015 
targets: We improved net sales per ton of product by 
11 percent (target: 10 percent) and we lowered our 
worldwide accident rate by 33 percent (target: 20 per-
cent). We reduced our energy consumption by 18 per-
cent, water usage by 23 percent and waste by 17 per-
cent – exceeding our reduction targets of 15 percent in 
each of these three focal areas.  

To stay on track for our long-term goal for 2030, we 
will need to increase our efficiency by 75 percent by 
2020, which is our next milestone. We have defined 
corresponding targets in our focal areas: 
•   22 percent improvement in net sales per ton of 

product

•   30 percent reduction in our carbon dioxide emis-
sions from energy consumption, water usage and 
waste per ton of product

•   40 percent reduction in our worldwide accident   

rate 

compared to the base year 2010.

We are committed to leadership in sustainability – 
this is one of our company values. As sustainability 
leaders, we pioneer new solutions while continuing 
to shape our business responsibly and increase our 
economic success. We are convinced that sustain-
ability will be more important than ever before, 
 supporting our growth, improving our cost efficiency 
and reducing risks. 

All interim sustainability targets achieved 

Our long-term goal for 2030 to triple our efficiency, 
which we call Factor 3, requires an average improve-
ment of 5 to 6 percent each year. For the five-year 
period up to 2015, we had set interim targets for each 
focal area that would result in a 30 percent overall 
improvement in efficiency. 

We have also committed to drive progress along the 
entire value chain. Accordingly, we are continuously 
expanding and refining our measurement systems. 
This has enabled us to assess our entire footprint, 
including our raw materials as well as the consumption 
and use of our products. Based on this comprehensive 
assessment, we have identified additional improve-
ment opportunities and ambitions to create more value 
and reduce our footprint along the value chain.

26

Sustainability

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Sustainability

in sustainability reporting, our experience in align-
ing our activities to sustainable development, and 
our recognition by external rating agencies help us to 
position ourselves as a preferred partner. Cooperat-
ing closely with our customers in trade and industry, 
we are able to leverage our experience to optimize 
logistics, increase the efficiency of production pro-
cesses, develop more sustainable products and foster 
sustainable, resource-conserving consumption.  

Our people make the difference 

Our employees play a key role in implementing our 
strategy and leveraging sustainability to strengthen 
our business. That is why we strive to give our 

Focus on products is integral to our goal

If we are to decouple increased quality of life from 
resource use, product innovations will play an essen-
tial role. Our products need to offer customers and 
consumers more value and better performance while 
generating a smaller environmental footprint. For 
 us, this is not a question of developing individual 
“green” products with a focus on selected environ-
mental facets. Our aim is to continuously improve 
all products across our entire portfolio, taking every 
aspect into account. 

This includes the smarter and more efficient aerosol 
cans we introduced for our Fa, Souplesse and Neu-
tromed deodorant ranges. The cans are both lighter 
and contain 25 percent recycled aluminum, signifi-
cantly reducing their carbon footprint. Our Persil 
ProClean laundry detergents contain high-perform-
ing enzymes that enable powerful stain removal 
and full washing performance even at low tempera-
tures, helping consumers in the USA save energy. 
And our innovative Loctite GC 10 solder paste for 
the assembly of electronic components helps our 
customers save energy and costs. Unlike traditional 
solder pastes, it does not need to be refrigerated dur-
ing transport and storage. 

Preferred partner in sustainability 

The importance of sustainability in our relationships 
with customers and consumers continues to grow. 
Our customers expect their suppliers and business 
partners to ensure compliance with global environ-
mental, safety, and social standards and to drive 
 sustainability along the entire value chain. Our stan-
dards and management systems, our long tradition 

“Say yes! to the future”: This special training course enables sales 
employees to integrate sustainability topics more effectively in 
retail customer dialogs. Our long-term commitment to sustainable 
business activities reaches across all business units and functions 
with the initiative. From the left: Steffi Götzel, Uta Steffen-Holder-
baum and Eva Braem prepare for a customer meeting. 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Sustainability

27

employees a clear understanding of sustainability 
and enable them to convey its importance to others. 
Sustainability plays a key role in our internal com-
munications and forms an integral part of our train-
ing and education programs. 

We further promote the involvement of our employ-
ees through our Sustainability Ambassadors pro-
gram. The program was launched in 2012 to engage 
employees more deeply on the topic of sustain-
ability. Since then, Henkel has trained around 
 6,200 Sustainability Ambassadors – including all 
Management Board members – in 74 countries. 
Ambassadors are encouraged to visit elementary 
schools in order to explain the concept of sustain-

ability by means of simple, everyday examples. Since 
the start of the  program, the Sustainability Ambassa-
dors have helped to educate around 63,000 school-
children in 43 countries. 

We also engaged our employees around the world 
through our campaign “(Y)our move toward sustain-
ability.” Here we informed and encouraged them to 
contribute to a sustainable society in their everyday 
lives. In 2015, we expanded the program and devel-
oped an additional module focusing on our retail 
partners: “Say yes! to the future” combines training 
for our sales teams, information on Henkel and its 
product portfolio as well as a systematic approach to 
partnering with our customers.

28

Management Board

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Management Board

Jan-Dirk Auris

Bruno Piacenza

Hans Van Bylen

Executive Vice President  
Adhesive Technologies 

Born in Cologne, Germany 
on February 1, 1968; 
with Henkel since 1984.

Executive Vice President  
Laundry & Home Care 

Born in Paris, France 
on December 22, 1965; 
with Henkel since 1990.

Executive Vice President  
Beauty Care 

Born in Berchem, Belgium 
on April 26, 1961; 
with Henkel since 1984.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Management Board

29

Kasper Rorsted

Chairman of the  
Management Board

Born in Aarhus, Denmark 
on February 24, 1962; 
with Henkel since 2005.

Kathrin Menges

Carsten Knobel

Executive Vice President  
Human Resources /  
Infra structure Services

Born in Pritzwalk, Germany 
on October 16, 1964; 
with Henkel since 1999.

Executive Vice President  
Finance (CFO) / Purchasing / 
Integrated Business Solutions 

Born in Marburg / Lahn, Germany 
on January 11, 1969; 
with Henkel since 1995.

30

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

  71  Net assets and financial position
  71  Acquisitions and divestments
  72  Capital expenditures
  73  Net assets
  74  Financial position
  74   Financing und capital management
  75  Key financial ratios

  76  Employees
  79  Procurement
  81  Production
  83  Research and development
  88  Marketing and distribution
  90  Business units

  90   Laundry & Home Care
  94  Beauty Care
  98  Adhesive Technologies

 102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  

(condensed version according to the 
German Commercial Code [HGB])

 106  Subsequent events

 106  Risks and opportunities report
 106   Risks and opportunities
 106   Risk management system
 108   Major risk categories
 112   Major opportunity categories
 113   Risks and opportunities in summary

 114  Forecast
 114   Macroeconomic development
 114   Sector development
 115   Outlook for the Henkel Group 2016

 31  Corporate governance
  31     Corporate governance  report/ 

Statement on corporate governance

  40   Statutory and regulatory 

situation

  41   Remuneration report

 52  Shares and bonds
  54  Henkel represented in all major indices
  55  International shareholder structure
  55  Employee share program
  55  Henkel bonds
  56  Pro-active capital market communication

 57  Fundamental principles of the Group
  57  Operational activities

  57  Overview
  57   Organization and business units
  58  Strategy and financial targets 2016

  58  Financial targets 2016
  59   Strategic priorities in summary
  61  Sustainability strategy 2030

  64    Management system and performance indicators
  64  Cost of capital

 65  Economic report
  65     Macroeconomic and industry-related  conditions
  66   Review of overall business performance
  67  Results of operations
  67  Sales and profits
  69   Comparison between actual business  

performance and guidance

  70  Expense items
  70   Other operating income and charges
  70  Financial result
  71   Net income and  

earnings per share (EPS)

  71  Dividends
  71  Return on capital employed (ROCE)
  71  Economic Value Added (EVA®)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

31

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Corporate governance  
at  Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
The Management Board, the Shareholders’ Commit-
tee and the Supervisory Board are committed to 
ensuring that the management and stewardship of 
the corporation are conducted in a responsible and 
transparent manner aligned to achieving a long-term 
increase in shareholder value. With this in mind, 
they have pledged themselves to the following three 
principles: 
•   Value creation as the foundation of our manage-

ment approach

•   Sustainability achieved through the application 
of socially responsible management principles
•   Transparency supported by an active and open 

information policy

Corporate governance report /  
Statement on corporate governance

The German Corporate Governance Code [DCGK] was 
introduced in order to promote confidence in the 
management and oversight of listed German corpo-
rations. It sets out the nationally and internationally 
recognized regulations and standards of responsible 
corporate governance applicable in Germany. The 
DCGK is aligned to the statutory provisions applica-
ble to a German joint stock corporation (“Aktien-
gesellschaft” [AG]). It is applied analogously by Henkel 
AG & Co. KGaA (the corporation). For a better under-
standing of Henkel’s situation, this report describes 
the principles underlying the management and con-
trol structure of the corporation. It also outlines the 
special features distinguishing us from an AG which 
derive from our specific legal form and our Articles 
of Association. The primary rights of shareholders  
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA are likewise explained. The 
report takes into account the recommendations of 
the DCGK and contains all disclosures and explana-
tions required according to Sections 289 (4), 289a and 
315 (4) of the German Commercial Code [HGB]. 

Legal form / Special statutory features of 
 Henkel AG & Co. KGaA 
Henkel is a “Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien” 
[KGaA]. A KGaA is a company with a legal identity 
(legal entity) in which at least one partner has unlim-
ited liability with respect to the company’s creditors 
(personally liable partner). The other partners’ liability 
is limited to their shares in the capital stock and they 
are thus not liable for the company’s debts  (limited 
partners per Section 278 (1) German Stock Corporation 
Act [AktG]).

In terms of its legal structure, a KGaA is a mixture of 
a joint stock corporation [AG] and a limited partner-
ship [KG], with a leaning toward stock corporation 
law. The differences with respect to an AG are primarily 
as follows: The duties of the executive board of an AG 
are performed at Henkel AG & Co. KGaA by Henkel 
Management AG – acting through its Management 
Board – as the sole Personally Liable Partner (Sec-
tions 278 (2) and 283 AktG in conjunction with Art. 11 
of our Articles of Association). 

The rights and duties of the supervisory board of a 
KGaA are more limited compared to those of the 
supervisory board of an AG. Specifically, the supervi-
sory board is not authorized to appoint personally 
liable partners, preside over the partners’ contractual 
arrangements, impose procedural rules on the man-
agement board, or rule on business transactions. 
A KGaA is not required to appoint a director of labor 
affairs, even if, like Henkel, the company is bound to 
abide by Germany’s Codetermination Act of 1976.

The general meeting of a KGaA essentially has the 
same rights as the shareholders’ meeting of an AG. 
For example, it votes on the appropriation of earn-
ings, formally approves the actions of the manage-
ment board, elects members of the supervisory board 
(shareholder representatives), and formally approves 
the supervisory board’s actions. It appoints the audi-
tor and also votes on amendments to the articles of 
association and measures that change the company’s 
capital, which are implemented by the management 
board. Additionally, as stipulated by the legal form, 
it also votes on the adoption of the annual financial 
statements of the company, formally approves the 
actions of the personally liable partner(s), and elects 
and approves the actions of the members of the share-
holders’ committee as established under the articles 
of association. Resolutions passed in general meeting 
require the approval of the personally liable partner(s) 
where they involve matters which, in the case of a 
partnership, require the authorization of the person-
ally liable partners and also that of the limited part-
ners (Section 285 (2) AktG) or relate to the adoption of 
annual financial statements (Section 286 (1) AktG).

According to our Articles of Association, in addition 
to the Supervisory Board, Henkel also has a standing 
Shareholders’ Committee comprising a minimum of 
five and a maximum of 10 members, all of whom are 
elected by the Annual General Meeting (Art. 27 of the 
Articles of Association). The Shareholders’ Committee 
is required in particular to perform the following 
functions (Section 278 (2) AktG in conjunction with 
Sections 114 and 161 HGB, and Articles 8, 9 and 26 of 
the Articles of Association): 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast 
 
32

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

•   It acts in place of the Annual General Meeting in 
guiding the business activities of the corporation.
•   It decides on the appointment and dismissal of the 

Personally Liable Partner(s).

•   It holds both the power of representation and 
executive powers over the legal relationships 
 prevailing between the corporation and Henkel 
 Management AG, the Personally Liable Partner.
•   It exercises the voting rights of the corporation in 
the Annual General Meeting of Henkel Manage-
ment AG, thereby choosing its three-member 
Supervisory Board which, in turn, appoints and 
dismisses the members of the Management Board. 

•   It issues rules of procedure incumbent upon 

 Henkel Management AG.

Capital stock denominations / Shareholder rights /
Amendments to the Articles of Association 
The capital stock of the corporation amounts to 
437,958,750 euros. It is divided into a total of 
437,958,750 bearer shares of no par value, of which 
259,795,875 are ordinary bearer shares (nominal pro-
portion of capital stock: 1 euro per ordinary share or 
a total of 259,795,875 euros, representing 59.3 per-
cent) and 178,162,875 are preferred bearer shares 
(nominal proportion of capital stock: 1 euro per pre-
ferred share or a total of 178,162,875 euros, represent-
ing 40.7 percent). All shares are fully paid in. Multi-
ple share certificates for shares may be issued. In 
accordance with Art. 6 (4) of the Articles of Associa-
tion, there is no right to individual share certificates. 

Each ordinary share grants to its holder one vote (Art. 
21 (1) of the Articles of Association). The preferred 
shares grant to their holders all shareholder rights 
apart from the right to vote (Section 140 (1) AktG). 
The preferred shares carry the following preferential 
right in the distribution of profit (Section 139 (1) AktG 
in conjunction with Art. 35 (2) of the Articles of Asso-
ciation) unless otherwise resolved by the Annual 
General Meeting: 
•   The holders of preferred shares receive a preferred 
dividend in the amount of 0.04 euros per preferred 
share. If the profit to be distributed in a fiscal year 
is insufficient for payment of a preferred dividend 
of 0.04 euros per preferred share, the arrears are 
paid without interest from the profit of the follow-
ing years, with older arrears to be paid in full 
before more recent arrears and the preferred divi-
dend from the profit of a particular fiscal year paid 
only after the clearance of all arrears. The holders 
of ordinary shares then receive a preliminary divi-
dend from the remaining unappropriated profit of 
0.02 euros per ordinary share, with the residual 
amount being distributed to the holders of ordi-

nary and preferred shares in accordance with the 
proportion of the capital stock attributable to them. 

•   If the preferred dividend is not paid out either in 
part or in whole in a year, and the arrears are not 
paid off in the following year together with the full 
preferred share dividend for that second year, the 
holders of preferred shares are accorded voting 
rights until such arrears are paid (Section 140 (2) 
AktG). Cancellation or limitation of this preferred 
dividend requires the consent of the holders of 
preferred shares (Section 141 (1) AktG). 

There are no shares carrying multiple voting rights, 
preference voting rights, maximum voting rights or 
special controlling rights.

The shareholders exercise their rights in the Annual 
General Meeting as per the relevant statutory provi-
sions and the Articles of Association of Henkel AG & 
Co. KGaA. In particular, they may exercise their right 
to vote (ordinary shares only) – either personally, by 
postal vote, through a legal representative or through 
a proxyholder nominated by the corporation (Section 
134 (3) and (4) AktG in conjunction with Art. 21 (2 and 
3) of the Articles of Association) – and are also enti-
tled to submit motions on the resolution proposals 
of management, speak on agenda items, and raise 
pertinent questions and motions (Section 126 (1), 
Section 131 AktG in conjunction with Art. 23 (2) of the 
Articles of Association). The ordinary Annual General 
Meeting usually takes place within the first four 
months of the fiscal year.

Shareholders whose shares jointly represent at least 
one twentieth of the capital stock – corresponding 
to 21,897,938 ordinary or preferred shares or a com-
bination of both – may request that a general meet-
ing of shareholders be called. If their proportionate 
amount of the capital stock jointly amounts to 
500,000 euros – corresponding to 500,000 ordinary 
or preferred shares or a combination of both – they 
may request that items be placed on the agenda and 
published (Section 122 (1 and 2) AktG). In addition, 
shareholders whose combined share of the capital 
stock amounts to 100,000 euros or more may, 
 subject to certain conditions, request that a special 
auditor be appointed by the court to examine certain 
matters (Section 142 (2) AktG).

Through the use of electronic communications, par-
ticularly the internet, the corporation makes it easy 
for shareholders to participate in the Annual General 
Meeting. It also enables them to be represented by 
proxyholders for exercising their voting rights. The 
reports, documents and information required by law 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

33

for the Annual General Meeting, including the finan-
cial statements and annual reports, are made available 
on the internet, as are the agenda for the Annual 
General Meeting and any countermotions or nomi-
nations for election by shareholders that require 
publication.

Unless otherwise mandated by statute or the Articles 
of Association, the resolutions of the Annual General 
Meeting are adopted by simple majority of the votes 
cast. If a majority of capital is required by statute, 
 resolutions are adopted by simple majority of the voting 
capital represented (Art. 24 of the Articles of Associa-
tion). This also applies to changes in the Articles of 
Association. However, modifications to the object of 
the corporation require a three-quarters’ majority 
(Section 179 (2) AktG). The Supervisory Board and 
Shareholders’ Committee have the authority to resolve 
purely formal modifications of and amendments to 
the Articles of Association (Art. 34 of the Articles of 
Association). By resolution of the Annual General 
Meeting, the Supervisory Board is also authorized to 
amend Articles 5 and 6 of the Articles of Association 
with respect to each use of the Authorized Capital and 
upon expiration of the term of the authorization.

Authorized Capital / Share buy-back /   
Treasury shares
According to Art. 6 (5) of the Articles of Association, 
there is an Authorized Capital limit. Acting within 
this limit, the Personally Liable Partner is authorized, 
with the approval of the Shareholders’ Committee 
and of the Supervisory Board, to increase the  capital 
stock of the corporation until April 12, 2020, by up to 
a nominal total of 43,795,875 euros through the issue 
of up to 43,795,875 new preferred shares with no 
voting rights against cash and/or payment in kind. 
The authorization can be used in full or also in one 
or several acts. The proportion of capital stock repre-
sented by shares issued against payment in kind on 
the basis of this authorization must not exceed a 
total of 10 percent of the capital stock existing at the 
time the authorization takes effect. 

The Personally Liable Partner is authorized, with 
the approval of the Shareholders’ Committee and of 
the Supervisory Board, to set aside the pre-emptive 
rights of shareholders in the case of a capital 
increase against payment in kind, particularly for 
the purpose of business combinations or the (direct 
or indirect) acquisition of entities, operations, 
parts of businesses, equity interests or other assets, 
including claims against the corporation or compa-
nies dependent upon it within the meaning of 
 Section 17 AktG.

If capital is increased against payment in cash, all 
shareholders are essentially assigned pre-emptive 
rights. However, these may be set aside in three 
cases, subject to the approval of the Shareholders’ 
Committee and of the Supervisory Board: (1) in order 
to dispose of fractional amounts; (2) to grant to credi-
tors/holders of bonds with warrants or conversion 
rights or a conversion obligation issued by the cor-
poration or one of the companies dependent upon it, 
pre-emptive rights corresponding to those that 
would accrue to such creditors/bondholders follow-
ing exercise of their warrant or conversion rights or 
on fulfillment of their conversion obligations; or (3) 
if the issue price of the new shares is not significantly 
below the quoted market price at the time of issue 
price fixing.

In addition, the Personally Liable Partner is autho-
rized to purchase ordinary and/or preferred shares of 
the corporation at any time until April 12, 2020, up to 
a maximum nominal proportion of the capital stock 
of 10 percent. This authorization can be exercised 
for any legal purpose. To the exclusion of the pre-
emptive rights of existing shareholders, treasury 
shares may, in particular, be transferred to third 
 parties for the purpose of acquiring entities or par-
ticipating interests of entities. Treasury shares may 
also be sold to third parties against payment in cash, 
provided that the selling price is not significantly 
below the quoted market price at the time of share 
disposal. Treasury shares may likewise be used to 
satisfy warrants or conversion rights granted by the 
corpo ration. The Personally Liable Partner has also 
been authorized, with the approval of the Sharehold-
ers’ Committee and of the Supervisory Board, to can-
cel treasury shares without the need for further reso-
lution by the Annual General Meeting.

Insofar as shares are issued or used to the exclusion 
of pre-emptive rights, the proportion of capital stock 
represented by such shares shall not exceed 10 percent. 

Concerning the number of treasury shares and their 
use, please refer to the disclosures provided in the 
notes to the consolidated financial statements under 
Note 10 on pages 141 and 142.

Restrictions with respect to voting rights or the 
transfer of shares
A share-pooling agreement has been concluded 
between members of the families of the descendants 
of company founder Fritz Henkel which contains 
restrictions with respect to transfers of the ordinary 
shares covered (Art. 7 of the Articles of Association). 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast34

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

61.02 %

of voting rights are 
held by members 
of the Henkel 
 family share-pool-
ing agreement.

Henkel preferred shares acquired by employees 
through the Employee Share Program, including 
bonus shares acquired without additional payment, 
are subject to a company-imposed lock-up period of 
three years, which begins on the first day of the 
respective participation period. Essentially, the 
shares should not be sold before the end of this 
period. If employee shares are sold during the lock-
up period, the bonus shares are forfeited.

Contractual agreements also exist with members of 
the Management Board governing lock-up periods 
for Henkel preferred shares which they are required 
to purchase as part of their variable annual cash 
remuneration (for additional information, please 
see the remuneration report on pages 41 to 51).

Major shareholders
According to notifications received by the corpora-
tion on December 17, 2015, a total of 61.02 percent of 
the voting rights are held by members of the Henkel 
family share-pooling agreement. (For additional 
information, please see the disclosures provided in 
the notes to the consolidated financial statements 
under Note 40 on page 178.) No other direct or indi-
rect investment in capital stock exceeding 10 percent 
of the voting rights has been reported to us or is 
known to us.

Management Board
The Supervisory Board of Henkel Management AG 
is responsible for the appointment and dismissal 
of members of the Management Board of Henkel 
 Management AG (Management Board). The appoint-
ments are for a maximum tenure of five years. A 
reappointment or extension of the tenure is permitted 
for a maximum period of five years in each case 
 (Section 84 AktG). 

The Management Board is composed of at least two 
members in accordance with Art. 7 (1) of the Articles 
of Association of Henkel Management AG. The 
Supervisory Board of Henkel Management AG is also 
responsible for determining the number of members 
on the Management Board. The Supervisory Board of 
Henkel Management AG can appoint a member of 
the Management Board as Chairperson. 

As the executive body of the Group, the Management 
Board is bound to uphold the interests of the busi-
ness and is responsible for ensuring a sustainable 
increase in shareholder value. The members of the 
Management Board are responsible for managing 
Henkel’s business operations in their entirety. The 
individual Management Board members are 

assigned, in accordance with a business distribution 
plan, areas of competence for which they bear lead 
responsibility. The members of the Management 
Board cooperate closely as colleagues, informing one 
another of all major occurrences within their areas of 
competence and conferring on all actions that may 
affect several such areas. Further details relating to 
cooperation and the division of operational respon-
sibilities within the Management Board are regulated 
by the rules of procedure issued by the Supervisory 
Board of Henkel Management AG. The Management 
Board reaches its decisions by a simple majority of 
the votes cast. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson 
has the casting vote.

It is the duty of the Management Board to prepare 
the annual financial statements of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA, the consolidated financial statements for each 
quarter, half year and year and also the correspond-
ing management reports. The Management Board is 
responsible for management of the overall business 
including planning, coordination, allocation of 
resources, financial control, and risk management. It 
must also ensure compliance with legal provisions, 
regulatory requirements and internal company 
guidelines, and take steps to ensure that Group 
 companies also observe them.

Supervisory Board and Shareholders’ Committee; 
other committees
It is the responsibility of the Supervisory Board to 
advise and supervise the Management Board in the 
performance of its business management duties. The 
Supervisory Board regularly discusses business per-
formance and planning with the Management Board. 
It reviews the annual financial statements of Henkel 
AG & Co. KGaA and the Group’s consolidated financial 
statements as well as the associated management 
reports, taking into account the reviews and audit 
reports submitted by the auditor. It also votes on the 
proposal of the Management Board regarding the 
appropriation of profit and submits to the Annual 
General Meeting a proposal indicating its recommen-
dation for the appointment of the external auditor. 

As a general rule, the Supervisory Board meets four 
times per year. It passes resolutions by a simple 
majority of the votes cast. In the event of a tie, the 
Chairperson has the casting vote. The Supervisory 
Board has established an Audit Committee and a 
Nominations Committee. 

The Audit Committee is made up of three share-
holder and three employee representative members 
of the Supervisory Board. Each member is elected by 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

35

the Supervisory Board based on nominations of their 
fellow shareholder or fellow employee representa-
tives on the Board. The Chairperson of the Audit 
Committee is elected based on a proposal of the 
shareholder representative members. It is a 
 statutory requirement that the Audit Committee 
includes at least one independent member of the 
Supervisory Board with expertise in the fields of 
accounting or auditing. The Chairperson of the Audit 
Committee in 2015, Prof. Dr. Theo Siegert, who is 
not the Chairperson of the Supervisory Board nor a 
present or former member of the Management 
Board, satisfies these requirements. 

The Audit Committee, which generally meets four 
times a year, prepares the proceedings and resolu-
tions of the Supervisory Board relating to the adop-
tion of the annual financial statements and the con-
solidated financial statements, and also the auditor 
appointment proposal to be made to the Annual 
 General Meeting. It issues audit mandates to the audi-
tor and defines the focal areas of the audit as well as 
deciding on the fee for the audit and other advisory 
services provided by the auditor. It monitors the 
independence and qualifications of the auditor, 
requiring the latter to submit a declaration of inde-
pendence which it then evaluates. Furthermore, the 
Audit Committee monitors the accounting process 
and assesses the effectiveness of the Internal Control 
System, the Risk Management System and the Inter-
nal Auditing and Review System. It is likewise 
involved in compliance issues. The Group’s Internal 
Audit function reports regularly to the Audit Com-
mittee. It discusses with the Management Board – 
with the external auditor in attendance – the 
 quarterly reports and the financial report for the 
half year, prior to their publication. 

The Nominations Committee comprises the Chair-
person of the Supervisory Board and two further 
shareholder representatives elected by the Supervi-
sory Board based on nominations of the sharehold-
ers’ representatives. The Chairperson of the Super-
visory Board is also Chairperson of the Nominations 
Committee. The Nominations Committee prepares 
the resolutions of the Supervisory Board on election 
proposals to be presented to the Annual General 
Meeting for the election of members to the Supervi-
sory Board (shareholder representatives). 

The Shareholders’ Committee generally meets six 
times per year and holds a joint conference with the 
Management Board lasting several days. The Share-
holders’ Committee reaches its decisions by a simple 
majority of the votes cast. It has established Finance 

and Human Resources Subcommittees that likewise 
meet six times per year, as a rule. Each subcommittee 
comprises five of the members of the Shareholders’ 
Committee. 

The Finance Subcommittee deals primarily with 
financial matters, questions of financial strategy, 
financial position and structure, taxation and 
accounting policy, as well as risk management 
within the corporation. It also performs the neces-
sary preparatory work for decisions to be made by 
the Shareholders’ Committee in matters for which 
decision authority has not been delegated to it. 

The Human Resources Subcommittee deals primar-
ily with personnel matters relating to members of 
the Management Board, with issues pertaining to 
human resources strategy, and with remuneration. 
It performs the necessary preparatory work for deci-
sions to be made by the Shareholders’ Committee in 
matters for which decision authority has not been 
delegated to it. The Subcommittee also addresses 
issues concerned with succession planning and 
management potential within the individual business 
units, taking into account relevant diversity aspects.

At regular intervals, the Supervisory Board and the 
Shareholders’ Committee hold an internal review to 
determine the efficiency with which they and their 
committees/subcommittees carry out their duties. 
This self-assessment is performed on the basis of an 
extensive checklist, whereupon points relating to 
corporate governance and improvement opportuni-
ties are also discussed. 

Conflicts of interest must be disclosed in an appro-
priate manner to the Supervisory Board or Share-
holders’ Committee, particularly those that may arise 
as the result of a consultancy or committee function 
performed in the service of customers, suppliers, 
lenders or other business partners. Members encoun-
tering material conflicts of interest that are not of 
a merely temporary nature are required to resign 
their mandate.

Some members of the Supervisory Board and of the 
Shareholders’ Committee are or were in past years 
holders of senior managerial positions in other com-
panies. If and when Henkel pursues business activi-
ties with these companies, the same arm’s length 
principles apply as those applicable to transactions 
with and between unrelated third parties. In our 
view, such transactions do not affect the impartiality 
of the members in question.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast36

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Interaction between Management Board, 
 Supervisory Board and Shareholders’ Committee
The Management Board, Supervisory Board and 
Shareholders’ Committee work in close cooperation 
for the benefit of the corporation.

Our vision: 
•  A global leader in brands and technologies.

Our vision provides the foundation for building a 
company with a common ethic.

The Management Board agrees the strategic direction 
of the corporation with the Shareholders’ Committee 
and discusses with it the status of strategy imple-
mentation at regular intervals.

Our values:
•   We put our customers at the center of what we do.
•   We value, challenge and reward our people. 
•   We drive excellent sustainable financial 

In keeping with good corporate governance, the 
Management Board informs the Supervisory Board 
and the Shareholders’ Committee regularly, and in a 
timely and comprehensive fashion, of all relevant 
issues concerning business policy, corporate plan-
ning, profitability, the business development of the 
corporation and our major affiliated companies, 
and also matters relating to risk exposure and risk 
management.

For transactions of fundamental significance, the 
Shareholders’ Committee has established a right of 
veto in the procedural rules governing the actions 
of Henkel Management AG in its function as sole 
 Personally Liable Partner (Art. 26 of the Articles of 
Association). This covers, in particular, decisions or 
measures that materially change the net assets, 
financial position or results of operations of the 
 corporation. The Management Board complies with 
these rights of consent of the Shareholders’ Commit-
tee and also duly submits to the decision authority 
of the corporation’s Annual General Meeting.

Principles of corporate governance / Compliance
The members of the Management Board conduct the 
corporation’s business with the care of a prudent and 
conscientious business director in accordance with 
legal requirements, the Articles of Association of 
Henkel Management AG and the Articles of Associa-
tion of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, the rules of procedure 
governing the actions of the Management Board, the 
provisions contained in the individual contracts of 
employment of its members, and also the compliance 
guidelines and resolutions adopted by and within 
the Management Board. 

Corporate management principles which go beyond 
the statutory requirements are derived from our 
vision and our values. For our corporation to be 
 successful, it is essential that we share a common 
approach to entrepreneurship. The corporation’s 
vision provides our management and employees 
worldwide with both direction and a primary objec-
tive. It reaffirms our ambition to meet the highest 
ethical standards in everything we do.

 performance.

•   We are committed to leadership in sustainability.
•   We build our future on our family business 

 foundation. 

These values guide our employees in all the day-to-
day decisions they make, providing a compass for 
their conduct and actions.

Henkel is committed to ensuring that all business 
transactions are conducted in an ethically irre-
proachable, legal fashion. Consequently, Henkel 
expects all our employees not only to respect the 
 corporation’s internal rules and all relevant laws, but 
also to avoid conflicts of interest, to protect Henkel’s 
assets and to respect the social values of the coun-
tries and cultural environments in which the corpo-
ration does business. The Management Board has 
therefore issued a series of Group-wide codes and 
standards with precepts that are binding worldwide. 
These regulatory instruments are periodically 
reviewed and amended as appropriate, evolving in 
step with the changing legal and commercial condi-
tions that affect Henkel as a globally active corpora-
tion. The Code of Conduct supports our employees 
in ethical and legal issues. The Leadership Principles, 
for example, define the scope of responsibilities 
for managers. The Code of Corporate Sustainability 
describes the principles that drive our sustainable, 
socially responsible approach to business. This code 
also enables Henkel to meet the commitments 
derived from the United Nations Global Compact.

Ensuring compliance in the sense of adherence to 
laws and regulations is an integral component of 
our business processes. Henkel has established a 
Group-wide compliance organization with locally 
and regionally responsible compliance officers led 
by a globally responsible General Counsel & Chief 
Compliance Officer (CCO). The General Counsel & 
CCO, supported by the Corporate Compliance Office 
and the interdisciplinary Compliance & Risk Com-
mittee, manages and controls compliance-related 
activities undertaken at the corporate level, coordi-
nates training courses, oversees fulfillment of both 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

37

internal and external regulations, and takes appro-
priate action in the event of compliance violations. 

The local and regional compliance officers are 
responsible for organizing and overseeing the train-
ing activities and implementation measures tailored 
to the specific requirements of their locations. They 
report to the Corporate Compliance Office. The Gen-
eral Counsel & CCO reports regularly to the Manage-
ment Board and to the Audit Committee of the Super-
visory Board on identified compliance violations.

The issue of compliance is also a permanent item in 
the target agreements signed by all managerial staff 
of Henkel. Due to their position, it is particularly 
incumbent on them to set the right example for their 
subordinates, to effectively communicate the com-
pliance rules and to ensure that these are obeyed 
through the implementation of suitable organiza-
tional measures.

The procedures to be followed in the event of com-
plaints or suspicion of malpractice also constitute an 
important element of the compliance policy. In addi-
tion to our internal reporting system and complaint 
registration channels, employees may also, for 
the purpose of reporting serious violations to the 
Cor porate Compliance Office, anonymously use a 
 compliance hotline operated by an external service 
provider. The Head of the Corporate Compliance 
Office is mandated to initiate the necessary follow-
up  procedures.

Our corporate compliance activities are focused on 
antitrust law and the fight against corruption. In our 
Code of Conduct, the corporate guidelines based 
upon it, and other publications, the Management 
Board clearly expresses its rejection of all violations 
of the principles of compliance, particularly antitrust 
violations and corruption. We do not tolerate such 
violations in any way. For Henkel, bribery, anticom-
petitive agreements, or any other violations of laws 
are no way to conduct business.

A further compliance-relevant area relates to capital 
market law. Supplementing the legal provisions, 
internal codes of conduct have been put in place to 
regulate the treatment of information that has the 
potential to affect share prices. The corporation has 
an Ad Hoc Committee comprised of representatives 
from various departments. In order to ensure that all 
insider information is handled as required by law, 
this Committee reviews developments and events for 
their possible effect on share prices, determining the 

need to issue reports to the capital markets on an ad 
hoc basis. There are also rules that go beyond the 
legal requirements, governing the behavior of the 
members of the Management Board, the Supervisory 
Board and the Shareholders’ Committee, and also 
employees of the corporation who, due to their 
 function or involvement in projects, have access to 
insider information. An insider register is duly kept 
of the people involved.

Transparency / Communication
An active and open communication policy ensuring 
prompt and continuous information dissemination 
is a major component of the value-based manage-
ment approach at Henkel. Hence shareholders, 
shareholder associations, participants in the capital 
market, financial analysts, the media and the public 
at large are kept informed of the current situation 
and major business changes relating to the Henkel 
Group. All stakeholders are treated equally in this 
respect. All such information is also promptly made 
available on the internet.

Up-to-date information is likewise incorporated in 
the regular financial reporting undertaken by the 
corporation. The dates of the major recurring publi-
cations, and also the dates for the press conference 
on the preceding fiscal year and the Annual General 
Meeting, are announced in our financial calendar, 
which is also available on the internet.

The corporation’s advancements and targets in rela-
tion to the environment, safety, health and social 
responsibility are published annually in our Sustain-
ability Report. Shareholders, the media and the 
 public at large are further provided with comprehen-
sive information through press releases and infor-
mation events, while occurrences with the potential 
to  materially affect the price of Henkel shares are 
communicated in the form of ad hoc announce-
ments.

Further information on corporate governance can 
be found in the section “Principles of corporate 
governance / Compliance” on page 36. The composi-
tion of the Management Board is shown on page 187. 
For more details on the composition of the Supervi-
sory Board and the Shareholders’ Committee or the 
(sub)committees established by the Supervisory 
Board and Shareholders’ Committee, please refer to 
pages 184 to 186. Details of the compensation of the 
Management Board, the Supervisory Board and the 
Shareholders’ Committee can be found in the remu-
neration report on pages 41 to 51.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast38

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Targets for the proportion of women on the 
 Management Board and in the first two manage-
ment levels below the Management Board 
In accordance with Section 76 (4) and Section 111 (5) 
AktG, targets must be set for the proportion of 
women on the Management Board and in the first 
two management levels below the Management 
Board. If the proportion of women is below 30 percent 
at the time the targets are set, the targets may not be 
below the proportion already achieved. Deadlines 
for achievement of the targets must be established 
at the same time. Each deadline must be within 
five years and the first deadline can be no later than 
June 30, 2017.

Proportion of women on the Management Board
In September 2015, the Supervisory Board of Henkel 
Management AG, as the body responsible for 
appointing the Management Board, established 
in agreement with the recommendations of the 
Shareholders’ Committee and its Human Resources 
Subcommittee, a target for the proportion of women 
on the Management Board of 17 percent, taking into 
account the remaining tenures of current members 
and an appropriate Management Board size for the 
corporation. This proportion will apply, and the 
 target will be met, by December 31, 2016.

The proportion of women on the Management Board 
at December 31, 2015 was 17 percent.

Proportion of women in the management levels 
below the Management Board
In September 2015, the Management Board established 
the following targets for the first two levels of 
 management below the Management Board within 
the meaning of Section 76 (4) AktG in consideration 
of the current personnel mix. These targets are 
expected to be achieved by December 31, 2016:
•   First management level: Proportion of 17 percent 

women 

•   Second management level: Proportion of  

28 percent women 

In accordance with the legal requirements, the point 
of reference for the definition of the management 
levels was based exclusively on Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA and not the Henkel Group – regardless of 
 Henkel’s globally aligned management organization. 
As a result, the figures include only employees of 
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA with management responsi-
bility who report directly to the Management Board 
(management level 1) and those who report to 
 management level 1 (management level 2).

Separately from the targets listed above for the first 
two levels of management below the Management 
Board of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA – and mindful of 
our globally aligned management organization – it 
is our goal to increase our ratio of women at all levels 
of management at Henkel in the long term. Worldwide, 
our overall proportion of women in management at 
December 31, 2015 was around 33 percent.

Objectives regarding Supervisory Board  
composition
Given Henkel’s position as a listed corporation 
 subject to the Codetermination Act, the Supervisory 
Board of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA must consist of at 
least 30 percent women and at least 30 percent men 
(Section 96 (2) AktG). These minimums apply to all 
new elections on or after January 1, 2016.

In consideration of the specific situation of the 
 corporation, the Supervisory Board has, in addition 
to the statutory requirements listed above, estab-
lished the objectives described below with respect to 
its composition in accordance with Item 5.4.1 of the 
German Corporate Governance Code [DCGK]. In 2015, 
the Supervisory Board updated these objectives tak-
ing into account the amendments to the DCGK 
issued on May 5, 2015. These objectives will be taken 
into account by the Supervisory Board when propos-
ing election candidates to the Annual General 
 Meeting for all re-electable and ad hoc replacement 
Supervisory Board positions:
•   The members of the Supervisory Board should, 

generally speaking, offer the knowledge, skills and 
relevant experience necessary in order to properly 
perform their duties. In particular, experience 
and expertise are required in one or several of the 
fields of corporate management, accounting, 
financial control/risk management, corporate gov-
ernance/compliance, research and development, 
production/engineering, and marketing/sales/ 
distribution, as is knowledge of the industrial or 
consumer businesses and of the primary markets 
in which Henkel is active. Members of the Super-
visory Board should also have sufficient time at 
their disposal in order to carry out their mandate.

•   The international activities of the corporation 

should be appropriately reflected in the composi-
tion of the Supervisory Board. Thus, it aims to 
include several members with an international 
background. The mix of candidates proposed for 
election should also contain an appropriate num-
ber of women. Efforts will therefore be made for 
upcoming new and ad hoc replacement elections 
to achieve a proportion higher than the minimum 
30 percent required by law.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

39

•   In addition, the Supervisory Board should have an 
appropriate number of independent members. 
Specifically, the Supervisory Board should contain 
no more than two former members of the Manage-
ment Board, no persons who perform board or 
committee functions or act as consultants for 
major competitors, and no persons whose rela-
tionship with the corporation or members of the 
Management Board could give rise to material con-
flicts of interest that are not of a merely temporary 
nature. Assuming that the exercise of their Super-
visory Board mandate by the employee representa-
tives cannot be the sole basis for doubt as to 
whether the independence criteria as defined by 
Item 5.4.2 of the DCGK are fulfilled, the Supervi-
sory Board should include at least 13 members who 
are independent as defined by the DCGK. Consis-
tent with the corporation’s tradition as an open 
family business, possession of a controlling inter-
est or attribution of a controlling interest due to 
membership in the Henkel family share-pooling 
agreement is not viewed as a circumstance that 
creates a conflict of interest in the meaning above. 
However, irrespective of this, at least three of the 
shareholder representatives on the Supervisory 
Board should, as a rule, be neither members of the 
 Henkel family share-pooling agreement nor mem-
bers of  the Shareholders’ Committee nor members 
of the Supervisory Board of Henkel Management AG. 

•   No persons shall be proposed for election at the 
Annual General Meeting who, at the time of the 
election, have already reached their 70th birthday. 
Also, as a rule, no persons should be proposed 
who, at the time of the election, have already 
served more than two full terms of office on the 
Supervisory Board. However, to ensure continuity, 
members may also serve on the Supervisory Board 
for longer periods of time in individual cases. 
 Consistent with the tradition of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA as an open family business, this applies 
 particularly to members of the Henkel family 
share- pooling agreement.

The statutory minimums listed above, or objectives 
within the meaning of the DCGK, were achieved in 
full in the year under review. 

Among the 16 members of the Supervisory Board are 
nine men and seven women. Shareholder represen-
tatives consist of five men and three women, while 
the employee representatives consist of four men 
and four women. This represents an overall ratio on 
the Supervisory Board of around 56 percent men and 
44 percent women. Throughout the entire year under 

review, each gender was represented by at least 
30 percent among both the shareholder representa-
tives and the employee representatives.

Overall, the Supervisory Board has at its disposal the 
knowledge, skills and technical abilities needed to 
properly and effectively perform its duties. In addi-
tion, several members of the Supervisory Board offer 
international business experience or other interna-
tional expertise. No individual on the Supervisory 
Board exceeds the specified maximum age. 

None of the Supervisory Board members elected by 
the Annual General Meeting is a former Management 
Board member, or performs board or committee 
functions or acts as a consultant for major competi-
tors, and none are persons whose relationship with 
the corporation or members of the Management 
Board could give rise to material conflicts of interest 
that are not of a merely temporary nature. Four of the 
eight shareholder representatives are not members 
of the Henkel family share-pooling agreement, and 
seven of the eight shareholder representatives are 
neither members of the Shareholders’ Committee 
nor members of the Supervisory Board of Henkel 
Management AG.

Application of the German Corporate  
Governance Code
Taking into account the special features arising from 
our legal form and Articles of Association, Henkel AG 
& Co. KGaA complies with the recommendations 
(“shall” provisions) of the DCGK, latest edition, with 
one exception: So as to protect the legitimate inter-
ests and privacy of those members of the corporate 
management bodies who are also members of the 
Henkel family, in deviation from Section 6.3 of the 
DCGK as amended on June 24, 2014 and subsequently 
on May 5, 2015, the shareholdings of those members  
exceeding one percent of the shares issued by the 
corporation have not been and will not be disclosed 
unless required by law. The DCGK requires disclosure 
of shareholdings upward of one percent. In accor-
dance with the Declaration of Compliance, the fol-
lowing information is reported concerning the aggre-
gate shareholdings of all members of a  corporate 
body, taking the relevant provisions for attribution 
into account: The aggregate holdings of the members 
of the Supervisory Board and of the members of the 
Shareholders’ Committee exceed in each case one 
percent of the shares issued by the  corporation. The 
members of the Management Board together hold 
less than one percent of the shares issued by the cor-
poration.

Around 44 %

female member-
ship on the Super-
visory Board.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast 
40

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Henkel also complies with all non-compulsory 
 suggestions (“may/should” provisions) of the DCGK, 
in keeping with our legal form and the special statu-
tory features anchored in our Articles of Association. 

The corresponding declarations of compliance 
together with the reasons for deviations from 
 recommendations can be found on our website at  

  www.henkel.com/ir

Directors’ dealings
In accordance with Section 15a of the German Securi-
ties Trading Act [WpHG] (Directors’ Dealings), mem-
bers of the Management Board, the Supervisory 
Board and the Shareholders’ Committee, and parties 
related to same, are obliged to disclose notifiable 
transactions involving shares in Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA or their derivative financial instruments where 
the value of such transactions by the member, and 
parties related to the member, attains or exceeds 
5,000 euros in a calendar year. The transactions 
reported to the corporation in the past fiscal year 
were properly disclosed and can be seen on the 
 website 

  www.henkel.com/ir

Statutory and regulatory situation

Our business is governed by national rules and 
 regulations and – within the European Union (EU) 
– increasingly by harmonized pan-European laws. 
In addition, some of our activities are subject to 
rules and regulations derived from approvals, 
licenses, certificates or permits.

Our manufacturing operations are bound by rules 
and regulations with respect to the registration, eval-
uation, usage, storage, transportation and handling 
of certain substances and also in relation to emis-
sions, wastewater, effluent and other waste. The con-
struction and operation of production facilities and 
other plant and equipment are governed by frame-
work rules and regulations – including those relating 
to the decontamination of soil.

Product-specific regulations of relevance to us relate 
in particular to ingredients and input materials, 
safety in manufacturing, the handling of products 
and their contents, and the packaging and marketing 
of these items. The control mechanisms include 
 statutory material-related regulations, usage prohi-
bitions or restrictions, procedural requirements (test 
and inspection, identification marking, provision of 
warning labels, etc.), and product liability law.

Our internal standards are geared to ensuring com-
pliance with statutory regulations and the safety of 
our manufacturing facilities and products. The asso-
ciated requirements have been incorporated within, 
and implemented throughout, our management 
 systems, and are subject to a regular audit and review 
regime. This includes monitoring and evaluating 
 relevant statutory and regulatory requirements and 
changes in a prompt and timely fashion.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

41

Remuneration report

This remuneration report provides an outline of the 
compensation system for the Management Board, 
Henkel Management AG as the Personally Liable 
 Partner, the Supervisory Board and the Shareholders’ 
Committee of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, and the Super-
visory Board of Henkel Management AG; it also explains 
the level and structure of the remuneration paid.

The report takes into account the recommendations 
of the German Corporate Governance Code [DCGK] 
and contains all disclosures and explanations pursu-
ant to the provisions of the German Commercial 
Code [HGB] and the appropriate principles of German 
Accounting Standards [DRS], and as required by 
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). 
The remuneration report forms part of the combined 
management report for Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and 
the Group; the associated information has not there-
fore been additionally disclosed in the notes to the 
consolidated financial statements.

1. Management Board remuneration

Regulation, structure and amounts
The compensation for members of the Management 
Board of Henkel Management AG is set by the Super-
visory Board of Henkel Management AG in consulta-
tion with the Human Resources Subcommittee of the 
Shareholders’ Committee. The Supervisory Board of 
Henkel Management AG is comprised of three mem-
bers of the Shareholders’ Committee. 

The structure and amounts of Management Board 
remuneration are aligned to the size and international 
activities of the corporation, its economic and finan-
cial position, its performance and future prospects, 
the normal levels of remuneration encountered in 
comparable companies, and also the general compen-
sation structure within the corporation. The compen-
sation package is further determined on the basis of 
the functions, responsibilities and personal perfor-
mance of the individual executives, and the perfor-
mance of the Management Board as a whole. The vari-
able annual remuneration components have been 
devised such that they take into account both positive 
and negative developments. The overall remuneration 
mix is designed to be internationally competitive 
while also providing an incentive for sustainable 
business development and a sustainable increase in 
shareholder value in a dynamic environment.  

The Supervisory Board of Henkel Management AG 
regularly reviews the compensation system as well 
as the appropriateness of the compensation, based 

on the aforementioned criteria. In doing so, Manage-
ment Board remuneration is analyzed relative to the 
compensation paid to senior management and the 
staff as a whole, both overall and over time, whereby 
the Supervisory Board determines the boundaries 
between senior management and relevant staff 
members. 

As recommended by the Human Resources Subcom-
mittee of the Shareholders’ Committee, the Supervi-
sory Board of Henkel Management AG reviewed the 
remuneration system for the Management Board and 
approved amendments for application from fiscal 
2015 onwards. The former breakdown of remunera-
tion into non-performance-related and variable, per-
formance-related components remains unchanged. 
What has changed is the ratio of the individual 
 components of remuneration to one another, with 
greater weight being given to the multi-year compo-
nent. The basis for determining annual variable cash 
remuneration has also been modified, and the com-
pany  pension plan simplified. This modified remu-
neration system was approved by the 2015 Annual 
General Meeting with a large majority.

Members of the Management Board receive remu-
neration consisting of non-performance-related 
components and variable, performance-related 
 components. The non-performance-related compen-
sation is made up of their fixed salary together with 
various in-kind and other benefits (other emol-
uments). The performance-related compensation 
has two parts. The first is a variable annual cash pay-
ment (short-term incentive or “STI”), 65 percent of 
which is short-term variable cash remuneration and 
35 percent of which is long-term variable cash remu-
neration in the form of an investment financed by 
the recipient in Henkel preferred shares (share defer-
ral). The second is a variable cash payment based on 
the long-term performance of the business (long-
term incentive or “LTI”). The remuneration targeting 
long-term performance thus consists of the share 
deferral and the LTI. 

If all performance targets are met in full (“at target”), 
around 21 percent of the remuneration (excluding 
other emoluments and pension benefits) is paid as 
the fixed component, while the STI and share deferral 
account for around 56 percent, and the LTI for around 
23 percent.

Pension benefits also form part of the remuneration 
package. In addition, the Supervisory Board of  
Henkel Management AG may, at its discretion and 
after due consideration, grant a special payment 
in recognition of exceptional achievements. 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast42

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Remuneration structure

10

Long-term incentive
Performance parameters: Increase in adjusted EPS

Variable annual cash remuneration (STI)
Performance parameters: ROCE, EPS,  
adjusted in each case; individual targets

Fixed salary and other emoluments

Share deferral (35 % of STI)

Short-term variable cash remuneration (65 % of STI)

 Non-performance- 
related components

  Performance-related 
components, short-term

 Performance-related 
components, long-term

The components in detail:

Non-performance-related compensation 

Fixed salary
The fixed remuneration takes into account the 
assigned function and responsibility and the market 
conditions. It is paid out monthly as salary and 
amounts to 1,200,000 euros per year for the Chairman 
of the Management Board and 750,000 euros per year 
for the other Management Board members.

Other emoluments
The members of the Management Board also receive 
other emoluments, primarily in the form of costs 
associated with, or the cash value of, in-kind  
benefits and other fringe benefits such as standard 
 commercial insurance policies, reimbursement of 
accommodation/moving costs, costs associated 
with preventive medical examinations, and provi-
sion of a company car or use of a car service, includ-
ing any taxes on same. All members of the Manage-
ment Board are entitled, in principle, to the same 
emoluments, whereby the amounts vary depending 
on personal situation.

Performance-related compensation 

Variable annual cash remuneration 
The performance criteria governing the variable 
annual cash remuneration (STI) are return on capital 
employed (ROCE) and earnings per preferred share 
(EPS) in the relevant fiscal year (“year of payment”), 
adjusted in each case for exceptional items, together 
with separate targets for each individual member. 

The ROCE targets are derived from a strategic target 
yield. EPS performance is measured on the basis of 
actual-to-actual comparison, i.e. the EPS in the year of 
payment is compared to the EPS from the previous year.

Thresholds have been defined for both key finan-
cials; payment is withheld if the minimum targets 
are not met. If adjusted EPS in the year of payment is 
more than 25 percent above or below the comparable 
prior-year figure as a result of extraordinary events, 
the Supervisory Board of Henkel Management AG 
may, at its discretion and after due consideration, 
decide to adjust the target within this corridor, or 
may  determine a new reference value for measuring 
 performance in the following year. 

The STI is calculated on the basis of a 40-percent 
weighting each of ROCE and EPS performance in the 
year of payment, and a 20-percent weighting of indi-
vidual targets. The following factors play a key role in 
measuring individual performance: the Group results 
and the results of the relevant business unit, the 
 quality of management demonstrated in those busi-
ness units, and the individual contribution made by 
the Management Board member concerned. The 
application of these performance parameters ensures 
that profitable growth is duly rewarded by Henkel.

In determining the STI, the Supervisory Board of  
Henkel Management AG also takes into account the 
apparent sustainability of the economic performance 
delivered in the course of the year, and the perfor-
mance levels of the Management Board members.

The total amount of the STI is subject to a cap of 
150 percent of the target amount. 

 
 
 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

43

Short-term and long-term components of the 
variable annual cash remuneration 
The STI is paid annually in arrears in the full amount 
in cash once the corporation’s annual financial state-
ments have been approved by the Annual General 
Meeting. 

The recipients can dispose of around 65 percent of 
this payment as they wish. This constitutes their 
short-term variable cash remuneration. The mem-
bers of the Management Board invest the remaining 
amount, corresponding to around 35 percent, in 
Henkel preferred shares which they purchase on the 
stock exchange at the price prevailing at the time of 
acquisition. This constitutes their long-term variable 
cash remuneration, known as the share deferral. 
These shares are placed in a blocked custody account 
with a drawing restriction. The lock-up period in 
each case expires on December 31 of the fourth year 
following the year of payment. This share deferral 
ensures that the members of the Management Board 
participate through a portion of their compensation 
in the long-term performance of the corporation. 

Long-term incentive (LTI)
The long-term incentive is a variable cash payment 
based on the long-term performance of the corpora-
tion, the amount payable being dependent on the 
future increase registered in EPS over three consecu-
tive years (the performance period). 

On completion of the performance period, target 
achievement is ascertained by the Supervisory Board 
of Henkel Management AG on the basis of the 
increase in EPS attained. The EPS of the fiscal year 
preceding the year of payment is compared to the 
EPS of the second fiscal year following the year of 
payment. The figures used for the calculation of the 
increase are, in each case, the earnings per preferred 
share adjusted for exceptional items, as disclosed in 
the certified and approved consolidated financial 
statements of the relevant fiscal years.

The total amount of the long-term incentive is 
 subject to a cap. 

Special payments
In addition to the remuneration components 
described above, the Supervisory Board of Henkel 
Management AG may, at its discretion and after due 
consideration, grant a special payment in recogni-
tion of exceptional achievements. Such special 
 payment is limited to an amount equating to the 
respective Management Board member’s fixed salary; 
the maximum compensation level – as determined 
by remuneration for a fiscal year if the caps on STI 
and LTI are reached – may not be exceeded as a result 
of such payment.

Caps on remuneration
Taking into account the above-mentioned caps for 
the variable performance-related components of 
remuneration, the table below shows the minimum 
and maximum remuneration amounts that result 
for a fiscal year (excluding other emoluments and 
 pension benefits).

Caps on remuneration 

11

in euros

Chairman of the   
Management Board

Ordinary member of the 
Management Board

Fixed salary

Short-term 
variable cash 
remuneration

Long-term  
variable cash 
remuneration 
(share deferral) 

Long-term 
incentive,  
conditional 
entitlement 

Total  
compensation 
minimum

Total 
 compensation 
maximum

1,200,000

0 to 3,315,000 

0 to 1,785,000

0 to 2,100,000

1,200,000

8,400,000

750,000

0 to 1,950,000

0 to 1,050,000

0 to 1,200,000

750,000

4,950,000

Pension benefits (retirement pensions and 
 survivors’ benefits)
The former pension scheme affording members of the 
Management Board a superannuation lump-sum pay-
ment once a covered event occurs, and a continuing 
basic annuity, has been simplified and converted to a 
purely defined contribution system since January 1, 

2015. Accordingly, members of the Management Board 
now receive a superannuation lump-sum payment 
comprised of the total contributions to the plan 
 during their time in office. The annual contributions – 
based on a full fiscal year – are 750,000 euros for the 
Chairman and 450,000 euros each for the other mem-
bers of the Management Board. 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast44

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

An entitlement to pension benefits arises on retire-
ment, on termination of the employment relation-
ship on or after attainment of the statutory retirement 
age, in the event of death, or in the event of perma-
nent complete incapacity for work. If a member of the 
Management Board has received no pension benefits 
prior to their death, the superannuation lump sum 
accumulated up to time of death is paid out to the sur-
viving spouse or surviving children.

Provisions governing termination of position on 
the Management Board
If an active member of the Management Board who 
was first appointed prior to 2009 retires, or dies while 
still in office, payment of their fixed remuneration 
continues for a further six months, but not beyond 
their 65th birthday. In the event of death in service, 
the payments are made to the surviving spouse or 
entitled dependent children. 

In the event that a member’s position on the Man-
agement Board is terminated prematurely by the cor-
poration without that member providing good cause 
or reason for the termination, the executive contract 
provides for a severance settlement amounting to the 
remuneration for the remaining contractual term 
(fixed remuneration plus variable annual remunera-
tion for single or multiple years) in the form of a 
 discounted lump-sum payment. These severance 
payments are limited to two years’ compensation 
(severance payment cap) and may not extend over a 
period that exceeds the residual term of the execu-
tive contract. In the event that the sphere of respon-
sibility/executive function is altered or restricted to 
such an extent that it is no longer comparable to 
the position prior to the change or restriction, the 
affected members of the Management Board are 
 entitled to resign from office and request premature 
 termination of their contract. In such case, members 
are entitled to severance payments amounting to 
not more than two years’ compensation.

Upon an executive’s departure from the Management 
Board, the STI is paid on a time-proportion basis on 
the ordinary payment date after the end of the fiscal 
year in which the appointment ends. If not already 
expired, lock-up periods for the share deferral end 
six months after departure. This applies accordingly 
to entitlements under the LTI. However, entitlements 
from any tranche whose performance period has not 
yet ended at the date of departure are forfeited with-
out replacement if the departure is based on good 
cause or reason that would have justified revocation 
of the appointment or termination of the employ-
ment contract.

In addition, the executive contracts include a post-
contractual non-competition clause with a term of 
up to two years. This attracts a discretionary payment 
totaling 50 percent of the annual compensation 
after allowing for any severance payments and is 
payable unless the Supervisory Board of Henkel Man-
agement AG waives the non-competition clause. Simi-
larly, any earnings from new extra-contractual 
activities  during the non-competition period shall 
be offset against this discretionary payment to the 
extent that such earnings and discretionary payment 
together exceed the actual compensation paid in the 
last fully ended fiscal year by 10 percent or more. No 
entitlements exist in the event of premature termi-
nation of executive duties resulting from a change in 
control.

Other provisions
The corporation maintains directors and officers 
insurance (D&O insurance) for directors and officers 
of the Henkel Group. For members of the Manage-
ment Board there is a deductible amounting to 
10 percent per loss event, subject to a maximum for a 
fiscal year of one and a half times their annual fixed 
remuneration.

Remuneration for 2015 
Excluding pension entitlements, the total compen-
sation paid to members of the Management Board 
for the performance of their duties for and on behalf 
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and its subsidiaries during 
the year under review amounted to 25,804,019 euros 
(previous year: 27,404,426 euros). Fixed salaries 
accounted for 4,950,000 euros (previous year: 
4,550,000 euros), other emoluments for 360,477 euros 
(previous year: 319,926 euros), short-term variable 
cash remuneration for 9,810,801 euros (previous 
year: 12,576,000 euros), long-term variable cash 
remuneration – share deferral – for 5,282,741 euros 
(previous year: 8,384,000 euros), and the long-term 
incentive for 5,400,000 euros (previous year: 
1,574,500 euros). In accordance with legal regula-
tions, the value of the long-term incentive granted 
for 2015, which is payable in 2018 contingent on 
the achievement of performance objectives, is 
 recognized here based on the target amount that 
would be paid assuming a 30 percent increase in 
EPS within the performance period. 

Compensation for the reporting period granted to 
members of the Management Board serving in 2015, 
separated into the above-mentioned components, 
is shown in the following table:

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

45

Remuneration of Management Board members who served in 2015 

12

Total

Kasper Rorsted 
(Chairman)

Jan-Dirk Auris 
(Adhesive 
 Technologies)

Carsten Knobel 
(Finance)

Kathrin Menges 
(Human  
Resources)

Bruno Piacenza  
(Laundry & 
Home Care)

Hans Van Bylen 
(Beauty Care)

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
4/1/2005

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
1/1/2011

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
7/1/2012

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
10/1/2011

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
1/1/2011

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
7/1/2005

1,200,000

1,050,000

79,206

65,252

2,418,846

3,216,000

750,000

700,000

47,361

51,276

1,375,171

1,872,000

750,000

700,000

50,806

53,072

1,527,921

1,872,000

750,000

700,000

40,285

43,126

1,466,821

1,872,000

750,000

700,000

99,033

59,236

1,527,921

1,872,000

750,000

700,000

43,786

47,964

1,494,121

1,872,000

4,950,000

4,550,000

360,477

319,926

9,810,801

12,576,000

3,698,052

2,172,532

2,328,727

2,257,106

2,376,954

2,287,907

15,121,278

4,331,252

2,623,276

2,625,072

2,615,126

2,631,236

2,619,964

17,445,926

1,302,456

740,477

822,727

789,827

822,727

804,527

5,282,741

2,144,000

1,400,000

399,500

1,248,000

1,248,000

1,248,000

1,248,000

1,248,000

800,000

235,000

800,000

235,000

800,000

235,000

800,000

235,000

800,000

235,000

8,384,000

5,400,000

1,574,500

2,702,456

1,540,477

1,622,727

1,589,827

1,622,727

1,604,527

10,682,741

2,543,500

6,400,508

6,874,752

1,483,000

3,713,009

4,106,276

1,483,000

3,951,454

4,108,072

1,483,000

3,846,933

4,098,126

1,483,000

3,999,681

4,114,236

1,483,000

3,892,434

4,102,964

9,958,500

25,804,019

27,404,426

in euros

1. Fixed salary 1

2015

2014

2.  Other emoluments 1

2015

3.  Short-term variable 
cash remuneration 1

Single-year  
remuneration  
(Total of 1 to 3)

4.  Long-term variable 
cash remuneration 
(share deferral) 1

5.  Long-term  
incentive 2

Multi-year  
remuneration  
(Total of 4 and 5)

Total remuneration 
(Total of 1 to 5)

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

1  The payout is reported pursuant to HGB / IFRS.
2  Target amount pursuant to HGB / IFRS, based on a 30-percent increase in adjusted earnings per preferred share within the performance period of three years.  

LTI payout for 2015 occurs in 2018; LTI payout for 2014 occurs in 2017.

In the year under review, no member of the Manage-
ment Board was granted non-standard benefits by 
the company in connection with premature termina-
tion of their tenure, nor were any such entitlements 
or arrangements modified. No member of the Man-
agement Board was pledged payments from third 
parties in respect of their duties as executives of 
the company, nor were any such payments granted 
in the reporting period. 

Structure of Management Board remuneration 

13

Components of  
single-year remuneration 

Components of  
multi-year remuneration

Fixed salary

Other  
emoluments

Short-term 
variable cash 
remuneration

Long-term  
variable cash 
remuneration 
(share deferral) 

Long-term 
incentive

Total  
remuneration

2015

4,950,000

360,477

9,810,801

5,282,741

5,400,000

25,804,019

19.2 %

1.4 %

38.0 %

20.5 %

20.9 %

100 %

2014

4,550,000

319,926

12,576,000

8,384,000

1,574,500

27,404,426

16.6 %

1.2 %

45.9 %

30.6 %

5.7 %

100 %

in euros

Total

Total

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast 
 
 
46

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Pension benefits
The figures calculated in accordance with the  
German Commercial Code [HGB] and International 
Accounting Standards (IAS) 19 for service cost for 

entitlements acquired in the reporting year and the 
present value of total pension benefits accruing to the 
end of the fiscal year are shown in the following table:

Service cost / Present value of pension benefits 

14

in euros

Kasper Rorsted

Jan-Dirk Auris

Carsten Knobel

Kathrin Menges

Bruno Piacenza

Hans Van Bylen

Total

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

HGB

IAS

Service cost for   
pension benefits 
in the reporting year 

Present value of  
pension benefits  
as of December 31

Service cost for  
pension benefits 
in the reporting year 

Present value of  
pension benefits  
as of December 31

791,760

649,406

456,041

393,196

455,659

396,020

454,902

395,533

454,174

392,296

460,637

392,372

3,073,173

2,618,823

7,057,239

5,759,924

2,628,382

1,980,974

1,994,619

1,402,326

2,051,174

1,451,597

2,045,361

1,458,826

5,506,250

4,598,944

21,283,025

16,652,591

798,237

650,059

456,927

394,602

457,887

399,364

455,704

397,958

454,174

393,045

460,637

392,994

3,083,566

2,628,022

7,116,328

5,849,341

2,746,697

2,495,849

2,103,255

2,002,885

2,113,541

1,661,415

2,049,561

1,465,545

5,937,632

5,346,432

22,067,014

18,821,467

For pension obligations to former members of the 
Management Board and the former management 
of Henkel KGaA, as well as the former management 
of its legal predecessor and surviving dependents, 
98,729,434 euros (previous year: 108,218,489 euros) 
is deferred. Amounts paid to such recipients during 
the year under review totaled 7,163,382 euros (previ-
ous year: 7,138,469 euros).

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

47

Disclosures in accordance with the German  
Corporate Governance Code [DCGK]
In accordance with the recommendations of the 
DCGK, the following tables show 
a) 

 the benefits granted for fiscal 2015, including 
the maximum and minimum achievable 
 compensation for variable remuneration 
 components, and 
 the allocation for fiscal 2015. 

b) 

Pursuant to DCGK, payments / benefits granted for the reporting year  
to members of the Management Board serving in 2015 

1. Fixed 
salary 1

2. Other 
emolu-
ments 1

Total  
(1 and 2)

3. Short-
term  
variable 
cash remu-
neration 2

4. Long-
term vari-
able cash 
remunera-
tion (share 
deferral) 2

5. Long-
term  
incentive 3

Total  
(1 to 5)

6. Service 
cost 4

15

Total remu-
neration 
pursuant to 
DCGK  
(Total of  
1 to 6)

2015

1,200,000

79,206

1,279,206

2,484,464

1,337,788

1,400,000

6,501,458

798,237

7,299,695

2015 (min)

1,200,000

79,206

1,279,206

0

0

0

1,279,206

798,237

2,077,443

2015 (max)

1,200,000

79,206

1,279,206

3,315,000

1,785,000

2,100,000

8,479,206

798,237

9,277,443

2014

2015

1,050,000

65,252

1,115,252

3,135,150

2,090,100

399,500

6,740,002

650,059

7,390,061

750,000

47,361

797,361

1,461,449

786,934

800,000

3,845,744

456,927

4,302,671

2015 (min)

750,000

47,361

797,361

0

0

0

797,361

456,927

1,254,288

2015 (max)

750,000

47,361

797,361

1,950,000

1,050,000

1,200,000

4,997,361

456,927

5,454,288

2014

2015

700,000

51,276

751,276

1,836,300

1,224,200

235,000

4,046,776

394,602

4,441,378

750,000

50,806

800,806

1,461,449

786,934

800,000

3,849,189

457,887

4,307,076

2015 (min)

750,000

50,806

800,806

0

0

0

800,806

457,887

1,258,693

2015 (max)

750,000

50,806

800,806

1,950,000

1,050,000

1,200,000

5,000,806

457,887

5,458,693

2014

2015

700,000

53,072

753,072

1,836,300

1,224,200

235,000

4,048,572

399,364

4,447,936

750,000

40,285

790,285

1,461,449

786,934

800,000

3,838,668

455,704

4,294,372

2015 (min)

750,000

40,285

790,285

0

0

0

790,285

455,704

1,245,989

2015 (max)

750,000

40,285

790,285

1,950,000

1,050,000

1,200,000

4,990,285

455,704

5,445,989

2014

2015

700,000

43,126

743,126

1,836,300

1,224,200

235,000

4,038,626

397,958

4,436,584

750,000

99,033

849,033

1,461,449

786,934

800,000

3,897,416

454,174

4,351,590

2015 (min)

750,000

99,033

849,033

0

0

0

849,033

454,174

1,303,207

2015 (max)

750,000

99,033

849,033

1,950,000

1,050,000

1,200,000

5,049,033

454,174

5,503,207

2014

2015

700,000

59,236

759,236

1,836,300

1,224,200

235,000

4,054,736

393,045

4,447,781

750,000

43,786

793,786

1,461,449

786,934

800,000

3,842,169

460,637

4,302,806

2015 (min)

750,000

43,786

793,786

0

0

0

793,786

460,637

1,254,423

2015 (max)

750,000

43,786

793,786

1,950,000

1,050,000

1,200,000

4,993,786

460,637

5,454,423

2014

700,000

47,964

747,964

1,836,300

1,224,200

235,000

4,043,464

392,994

4,436,458

in euros

Kasper Rorsted 
(Chairman)

Member of the 
Management Board 
since 4/1/2005

Jan-Dirk Auris 
(Adhesive  
Technologies)

Member of the 
Management Board 
since 1/1/2011

Carsten Knobel 
(Finance)

Member of the 
Management Board 
since 7/1/2012

Kathrin Menges 
(Human Resources)

Member of the 
Management Board 
since 10/1/2011

Bruno Piacenza 
(Laundry &  
Home Care)

Member of the 
Management Board 
since 1/1/2011

Hans Van Bylen 
(Beauty Care)

Member of the 
Management Board 
since 7/1/2005

1 Payment amount.
2 Pursuant to DCGK, expected amount based on an average probability scenario (not the actual amount paid out).
3  Target amount pursuant to DCGK, based on a 30-percent increase in adjusted earnings per preferred share within the performance period of three years.   

LTI payout for 2015 occurs in 2018; LTI payout for 2014 occurs in 2017.

4 Pursuant to DCGK, service cost determined in accordance with IAS.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast48

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Pursuant to DCGK, payments / benefits made for the reporting year  
to members of the Management Board serving in 2015 

16

Total remu-
neration 
pursuant to 
DCGK  
(Total of  
1 to 6)

1. Fixed 
salary 1

2. Other 
emolu-
ments 1

Total  
(1 and 2)

3. Short-
term  
variable 
cash remu-
neration 2

4. Long-
term vari-
able cash 
remunera-
tion (share 
deferral) 2

5. Long-term incentive 3

2013  
tranche  
(term  
1/1/2013 – 
12/31/2015)

2012 
tranche  
(term  
1/1/2012 – 
12/31/2014)

Total  
(1 to 5)

6. Service 
cost 4

2015

1,200,000

79,206

1,279,206

2,418,846

1,302,456

426,838

5,427,346

798,237

6,225,583

2014

1,050,000

65,252

1,115,252

3,216,000

2,144,000

536,637

7,011,889

650,059

7,661,948

2015

750,000

47,361

797,361

1,375,171

740,477

251,081

3,164,090

456,927

3,621,017

2014

700,000

51,276

751,276

1,872,000

1,248,000

315,669

4,186,945

394,602

4,581,547

2015

750,000

50,806

800,806

1,527,921

822,727

251,081

3,402,535

457,887

3,860,422

2014

700,000

53,072

753,072

1,872,000

1,248,000

157,834

4,030,906

399,364

4,430,270

2015

750,000

40,285

790,285

1,466,821

789,827

251,081

3,298,014

455,704

3,753,718

2014

700,000

43,126

743,126

1,872,000

1,248,000

268,318

4,131,444

397,958

4,529,402

2015

750,000

99,033

849,033

1,527,921

822,727

251,081

3,450,762

454,174

3,904,936

2014

700,000

59,236

759,236

1,872,000

1,248,000

315,669

4,194,905

393,045

4,587,950

2015

750,000

43,786

793,786

1,494,121

804,527

251,081

3,343,515

460,637

3,804,152

2014

700,000

47,964

747,964

1,872,000

1,248,000

315,669

4,183,633

392,994

4,576,627

in euros

Kasper Rorsted 
(Chairman)

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
4/1/2005

Jan-Dirk Auris 
(Adhesive  
Technologies)

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
1/1/2011

Carsten Knobel 
(Finance)

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
7/1/2012

Kathrin Menges 
(Human  
Resources)

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
10/1/2011

Bruno Piacenza 
(Laundry & 
Home Care)

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
1/1/2011

Hans Van Bylen 
(Beauty Care)

Member of the 
Management 
Board since 
7/1/2005

1  Payment amount.
2  Pursuant to DCGK, based on the payment amount of the remuneration components granted for the relevant fiscal year;  

actual allocation occurs in the following year.

3  Pursuant to DCGK, based on the payment amount of those tranches for which the plan term of three years ended in the  

relevant fiscal year; actual allocation occurs in the following year.
4  Pursuant to DCGK, service cost determined in accordance with IAS.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

49

2.  Remuneration of Henkel Management AG  
for assumption of personal liability, and 
 reimbursement of expenses to same

For assumption of personal liability and manage-
ment responsibility, Henkel Management AG in its 
function as Personally Liable Partner receives an 
annual payment of 50,000 euros (= 5 percent of its 
capital stock) plus any value-added tax (VAT) due, 
said fee being payable irrespective of any profit or 
loss made.

Henkel Management AG may also claim reimburse-
ment from or payment by the corporation of all 
expenses incurred in connection with the manage-
ment of the corporation’s business, including the 
remuneration and pensions paid to its corporate 
management bodies.

3.  Remuneration of the Supervisory Board  
and of the Shareholders’ Committee of  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Regulation, structure and amounts 
The remuneration for the Supervisory Board and 
the Shareholders’ Committee is determined by the 
Annual General Meeting; the corresponding provi-
sions are contained in Articles 17 and 33 of the Arti-
cles of Association. 

Each member of the Supervisory Board and of the 
Shareholders’ Committee receives a fixed fee of 
70,000 euros and 100,000 euros per year respec-
tively. The Chairs of the Supervisory Board and the 
Shareholders’ Committee each receive double this 
amount, and the Vice Chair in each case one and a 
half times the aforementioned amount.

Members of the Shareholders’ Committee who are 
also members of one or more subcommittees of the 
Shareholders’ Committee each receive additional 
remuneration of 100,000 euros; if they chair one or 
more subcommittees, they receive 200,000 euros.

Members of the Supervisory Board who are also 
members of one or more committees each receive 
additional remuneration of 35,000 euros; if they 
chair one or more committees, they receive 
70,000 euros. Activity in the Nominations Commit-
tee is not remunerated separately. 

The higher remuneration allocated to the members 
of the Shareholders’ Committee as compared to the 
Supervisory Board takes into account that, under the 

Articles of Association, the Shareholders’ Committee 
participates in the management of the corporation.

Other provisions
The members of the Supervisory Board or a com-
mittee receive an attendance fee amounting to 
1,000 euros for each meeting in which they partici-
pate. If several meetings take place on one day, the 
attendance fee is only paid once. In addition, the 
members of the Supervisory Board and of the 
 Shareholders’ Committee are reimbursed expenses 
incurred in connection with their positions. The 
members of the Supervisory Board are also reim-
bursed the value-added tax (VAT) payable on their 
total remunerations and reimbursed expenses.

The corporation maintains directors and officers 
insurance for directors and officers of the Henkel 
Group. For members of the Supervisory Board and 
Shareholders’ Committee there is a deductible 
amounting to 10 percent per loss event, subject to 
a maximum for the fiscal year of one and a half 
times their annual fixed remuneration.

Remuneration for 2015
Total remuneration paid to the members of the 
Supervisory Board for the year under review (fixed 
fee, attendance fee, remuneration for committee 
activity) amounted to 1,546,000 euros plus VAT 
 (previous year: 1,562,000 euros plus VAT). Of this 
amount, fixed fees accounted for 1,225,000 euros, 
attendance fees for 59,000 euros, and remuneration 
for committee activity (including associated atten-
dance fees) for 262,000 euros.

Total remuneration paid to the members of the 
Shareholders’ Committee for the year under review 
(fixed fee and remuneration for subcommittee 
 activity) amounted to 2,350,000 euros (previous year: 
2,350,000 euros). Of this amount, fixed fees were 
1,150,000 euros and remuneration for subcommittee 
activity 1,200,000 euros. 

In the year under review, no compensation or ben-
efits were paid or granted for personally performed 
services, including in particular advisory or interme-
diation services.

The remuneration of the individual members of the 
Supervisory Board and of the Shareholders’ Commit-
tee, broken down according to the above-mentioned 
components, is presented in the tables on the follow-
ing pages.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast50

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Supervisory Board remuneration

17

in euros

Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah 3, 
Chair

Winfried Zander 3, 
Vice Chair

Jutta Bernicke

Dr. Kaspar von Braun

Boris Canessa 

Ferdinand Groos

Béatrice Guillaume-Grabisch

Peter Hausmann 3 

Birgit Helten-Kindlein 3

Prof. Dr. Michael Kaschke 3

Barbara Kux 

Mayc Nienhaus

Andrea Pichottka

Dr. Martina Seiler

Prof. Dr. Theo Siegert 3

Edgar Topsch

Total 

Components of total remuneration

Fixed fee

Attendance fee Fee for committee 
activity 1

Total  
remuneration 2

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

140,000

140,000

105,000

105,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

70,000

4,000

4,000

4,000

4,000

3,000

5,000

4,000

5,000

4,000

5,000

4,000

5,000

2,000

5,000

3,000

3,000

4,000

4,000

3,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

4,000

5,000

4,000

5,000

4,000

4,000

4,000

4,000

4,000

5,000

1,225,000

1,225,000

59,000

71,000

38,000

38,000

38,000

39,000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

37,000

38,000

38,000

39,000

38,000

38,000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

73,000

74,000

–

–

262,000

266,000

182,000

182,000

147,000

148,000

73,000

75,000

74,000

75,000

74,000

75,000

74,000

75,000

72,000

75,000

110,000

111,000

112,000

113,000

111,000

111,000

74,000

75,000

74,000

75,000

74,000

75,000

74,000

74,000

147,000

148,000

74,000

75,000

1,546,000

1,562,000

1  Remuneration for service on the Audit Committee, including attendance fee;  
there is no separate remuneration payable for service on the Nominations Committee.
2  Figures do not include VAT.
3 Member of the Audit Committee. Audit Committee Chair: Prof. Dr. Theo Siegert.

4.  Remuneration of the members of the Super-
visory Board of Henkel Management AG

According to Article 14 of the Articles of Association 
of Henkel Management AG, the members of the 
Supervisory Board of Henkel Management AG are 
each entitled to receive annual remuneration of 
10,000 euros. However, those members of said 
Supervisory Board who are also and simultaneously 
members of the Supervisory Board or the Share- 
holders’ Committee of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA do 
not receive this remuneration.

As the Supervisory Board of Henkel Management AG 
is only comprised of members who also belong to 
the Shareholders’ Committee, no remuneration was 
paid in respect of this Supervisory Board in the year 
under review.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

51

Shareholders’ Committee remuneration

18

in euros

Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah, Chair (Chair 
Human Resources Subcommittee)

Dr. Christoph Henkel, Vice Chair 
(Chair Finance Subcommittee)

Prof. Dr. Paul Achleitner  
(Member Finance Subcommittee)

Johann-Christoph Frey  
(Member HR Subcommittee)

Stefan Hamelmann  
(Vice Chair Finance Subcommittee)

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Lehner  
(Member Finance Subcommittee)

Dr. Dr. Norbert Reithofer  
(Member Finance Subcommittee)

Konstantin von Unger  
(Vice Chair HR Subcommittee)

Jean-François van Boxmeer 
(Member HR Subcommittee)

Werner Wenning  
(Member HR Subcommittee)

Total 

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

Components of total remuneration

Fixed fee 

Fee for subcommittee 
activity 

Total remuneration 

200,000

200,000

150,000

150,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

100,000

400,000

400,000

350,000

350,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

1,150,000

1,150,000

1,200,000

1,200,000

2,350,000

2,350,000

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast52

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

+ 15.4 %

increase in Henkel 
preferred share 
price. 

+ 10.2 %

increase in Henkel 
ordinary share 
price. 

€ 41.4 bn

market 
 capitalization.

Shares and bonds

Henkel shares recorded very positive price perfor-
mance in 2015. The price of Henkel preferred shares 
increased significantly by 15.4 percent to 103.20 euros. 
The ordinary shares also showed a strong gain and 
closed at 88.62 euros, 10.2 percent higher year on year. 
Over the course of the year, the DAX rose by 9.6 percent 
to 10,743 points. The EURO STOXX®  Consumer Goods 
Index increased 18.9 percent, closing at 634 points. 
Henkel shares therefore outperformed the DAX, but 
growth was lower than other shares representing the 
consumer goods sector.

Henkel shares largely tracked the overall market in 
the course of the year. Within this environment, 
Henkel preferred shares reached an all-time high on 
April 10, 2015 of 115.20 euros. The ordinary shares 
also recorded their highest price ever, 99.26 euros, 
on April 13, 2015. After a notable decline in share 
prices in the third quarter, the equity markets posted 
a significant recovery in the fourth quarter.

The preferred shares traded at an average premium of 
15.9 percent over the ordinary shares in 2015.

Year on year, the trading volume (Xetra) of preferred 
shares declined. Each trading day saw an average of 
around 571,000 preferred shares changing hands 
(2014: around 614,000). The average volume for our 
ordinary shares increased to around 104,000 shares 
per trading day (2014: 81,000). Due to positive share 
price developments, the market capitalization of 
our ordinary and preferred shares increased from 
36.8 billion euros to 41.4 billion euros.

Henkel shares remain an attractive investment for 
long-term investors. Shareholders who invested the 
equivalent of 1,000 euros when Henkel preferred 
shares were issued in 1985, and re-invested the divi-
dends received (before tax deduction) in the stock, 
had a portfolio value of 34,171 euros at the end of 
2015. This represents an increase in value of 3,317 per-
cent or an average yield of 12.4 percent per year. Over 
the same period, the DAX provided an annual yield of 
7.7 percent. Over the last five and ten years, the Henkel 
preferred share has shown an average yield of 19.0 and 
15.6 percent per year respectively, offering a signifi-
cantly higher return than the average DAX returns of 
 10.3 percent and 8.8 percent per year for the same 
periods.

Key data on Henkel shares 2011 through 2015 

19

in euros

Earnings per share

Ordinary share

Preferred share

Share price at year-end 1

Ordinary share

Preferred share

High for the year 1

Ordinary share

Preferred share

Low for the year 1

Ordinary share

Preferred share

Dividends

Ordinary share

Preferred share

Market capitalization 1 in bn euros

Ordinary shares in bn euros

Preferred shares in bn euros

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2.67

2.69

37.40

44.59

41.10

49.81

30.78

36.90

0.78

0.80

17.6

9.7

7.9

3.40

3.42

51.93

62.20

52.78

64.61

37.25

44.31

0.93

0.95

24.6

13.5

11.1

3.65

3.67

75.64

84.31

75.81

84.48

50.28

59.82

1.20

1.22

34.7

19.7

15.0

3.74

3.76

80.44

89.42

80.44

90.45

67.00

72.64

1.29

1.31

36.8

20.9

15.9

4.42

4.44

88.62

103.20

99.26

115.20

76.32

87.75

1.45 2

1.47 2

41.4

23.0

18.4

1 Closing share prices, Xetra trading system.
2 Proposal to shareholders for the Annual General Meeting on April 11, 2016.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

31  Corporate governance
52  Shares and bonds
57   Fundamental principles  

of the Group
65  Economic report

102    Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  

(condensed version according 
to the German Commercial 
Code [HGB])
106   Subsequent events 

106    Risks and opportunities report
114   Forecast

Combined management report

53

20

Dec. 30, 2015: 
103.20 euros

Henkel share performance versus market  
January through December 2015 

Dec. 30, 2014: 
89.42 euros

in euros

120

110

100

90

80

January

February March

April

May

June

July

August

September October November December

Henkel preferred share
Henkel ordinary share (indexed)
EURO STOXX® Consumer Goods Index (indexed)
DAX (indexed)

Henkel share performance versus market  
2006 through 2015 

21

Dec. 30, 2005: 
28.33 euros

Dec. 30, 2015: 
103.20 euros

in euros

115

95

75

55

35

15

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Henkel preferred share
Henkel ordinary share (indexed)
EURO STOXX® Consumer Goods Index (indexed)
DAX (indexed)

54

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Henkel represented in all major indices

ADR data 

23

Henkel shares are traded on the Frankfurt Stock 
Exchange, predominantly on the Xetra electronic trad-
ing platform. Henkel is also listed on all regional stock 
exchanges in Germany. In the USA, investors are able 
to invest in Henkel preferred and ordinary shares by 
way of stock ownership certificates obtained through 
the Sponsored Level I ADR (American Depositary 
Receipt) program. The number of ADRs outstanding 
for ordinary and preferred shares at the end of the year 
was approximately 1.7 million (2014: 2.5 million).

The international importance of Henkel preferred 
shares derives not least from their inclusion in many 
leading indices that serve as important indicators for 
capital markets, and benchmarks for fund managers. 
Particularly noteworthy in this respect are the MSCI 
World, STOXX ® Europe 600, and the FTSE World 
Europe indices. Henkel’s inclusion in the Dow Jones 
Titans 30 Personal & Household Goods Index makes 
it one of the most important corporations in the per-
sonal and household goods sector worldwide. As a 
DAX stock, Henkel is one of the 30 most important 
exchange-listed companies in Germany.

Share data 

Security code no.

ISIN code

Stock exch. symbol

Number of shares

22

Preferred shares

Ordinary shares

604843

604840

DE0006048432

DE0006048408

HEN3.ETR

HEN.ETR

178,162,875

259,795,875

CUSIP

ISIN code

ADR symbol

Preferred shares

Ordinary shares

42550U208

42550U109

US42550U2087

US42550U1097

HENOY

HENKY

Once again our advances and achievements in sus-
tainable management earned recognition from 
external experts in 2015. Henkel’s standing was con-
firmed in a variety of national and international sus-
tainability ratings and indices. Henkel has been rep-
resented in the ethics index FTSE4Good since 2001, 
and in the STOXX ® Global ESG Leaders index family 
since its launch by Deutsche Börse in 2011. Our 
membership in the Ethibel Pioneer Investment Reg-
ister and the sustainability indices Euronext Vigeo 
World 120, Europe 120, and Eurozone 120 was also 
confirmed, as was our membership in the MSCI 
Global Sustainability Index series. As one of only 
50 companies worldwide, Henkel was also once 
again confirmed in 2015 as a member of the Global 
Challenges Index.

At year-end 2015, the market capitalization of the 
preferred shares included in the DAX index was 
18.4 billion euros. Henkel thus retained its rank of 
18th. In terms of trading volume, Henkel ranked 23rd 
(2014: 21st). Our DAX weighting increased to 2.05 per-
cent (2014: 1.65 percent).

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

55

International shareholder structure

Our preferred shares are the significantly more liq-
uid class of Henkel stock. Apart from the treasury 
shares, they are entirely in free float. A large majority 
are owned by institutional investors whose portfo-
lios are usually broadly distributed internationally.

According to notices received by the company, mem-
bers of the Henkel family share-pooling agreement 
owned a majority of the ordinary shares amounting 
to 61.02 percent as of December 17, 2015. We have 
received no other notices indicating that a share-
holder holds more than 3 percent of the voting rights 
(notifiable ownership). As of December 31, 2015, trea-
sury stock amounted to 3.7 million shares.

Shareholder structure:  
institutional investors holding Henkel shares 

24

Investing in Henkel shares through participation in 
our share program has proven to be very beneficial for 
our employees in the past. Employees who invested 
100 euros each month in Henkel shares since the pro-
gram was first launched, and waived interim payouts, 
held portfolios valued at 81,753 euros at the end of 
2015. This represents an increase in value of around 
387 percent or an average yield of around 12.0 percent 
per year. 

Henkel bonds

Henkel was represented in the international bond 
markets by one hybrid bond with a total nominal vol-
ume of 1.3 billion euros. On October 16, 2015, Henkel 
called the bond certificates for repayment at their 
nominal value plus accrued interest. The repayment 
took place on November 25, 2015. 

61.02 %

of voting rights are 
held by members 
of the Henkel fam-
ily share-pooling 
agreement.

Further information can be found on the website: 

USA 

29 %

  www.henkel.com/creditor-relations

 UK 

24 %

France 

6 %

Rest of world  11 %

Germany 

12 %

Rest of  
Europe 

18 %

At November 30, 2015 
Source: Nasdaq.

Employee share program

Since 2001, Henkel has offered an employee share 
program (ESP). For each euro invested in 2015 by an 
employee (limited to 4 percent of salary up to a max-
imum of 4,992 euros per year), Henkel added 33 euro-
cents. Around 11,300 employees in 56 countries pur-
chased Henkel preferred shares under this program 
in 2015. At year-end, some 14,500 employees held a 
total of around 2.7 million shares, representing 
approximately 1.5 percent of total preferred shares 
outstanding. The lock-up period for newly acquired 
ESP shares is three years.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast56

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Pro-active capital market communication

Henkel is covered by numerous financial analysts 
at an international level. Around 30 equity and debt 
analysts regularly publish reports and commentaries 
on the current performance of the company.

Henkel places great importance on dialog with inves-
tors and analysts. At 21 capital market conferences 
and roadshows held in Europe and North America, 
institutional investors and financial analysts had an 
opportunity to engage with the company and, in 
many instances, directly with the top management. 
We also conducted regular telephone conferences 
and numerous one-on-one meetings.

The quality of our capital market communication 
was again evaluated in 2015 by various independent 
rankings. Once again, our Investor Relations team 
took leading positions compared to other European 
corporations in the Home & Personal Care sector and 
other DAX companies – including third place in the 
Household Products & Personal Care sector in the 
Thomson Extel Pan-European Awards. In the Institu-
tional Investor ranking, Henkel was chosen by inves-
tors as having the best Investor Relations team in the 
European Household & Personal Care Products sec-
tor. Additionally, our Investor and Analyst Day 2015 
was selected in a new Institutional Investor ranking 
as “Best Investor & Analyst Day” in the European 
Household & Personal Care Products sector.

One highlight was our Investor and Analyst Day for 
the Laundry & Home Care business unit on June 1, 
2015, held in Düsseldorf. Under the theme “Experi-
ence Reinvention,” the business unit not only pre-
sented its strategy and provided information about 
its business performance, but also introduced its 
new Global Experience Center for customers. 

The quality of our communication and our perfor-
mance with respect to non-financial indicators 
(environmental, social and governance themes) was 
reflected in regular positive assessments by various 
rating agencies and further confirmed by our inclu-
sion in major sustainability indices as described 
above.

Retail investors can obtain all relevant information 
on request or via the Investor Relations website at 

A financial calendar with all important dates is pro-
vided on the inside back cover of this Annual Report.

  www.henkel.com/ir. This also serves as the portal for 
the live broadcast of telephone conferences and parts 
of the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM 
offers all shareholders the opportunity to directly 
obtain extensive information about the company.

Analyst recommendations 

25

Sell 

11 %

Buy 

56 %

Hold 

33 %

At December 31, 2015 
Basis: 27 equity analysts.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

31  Corporate governance
52  Shares and bonds
57   Fundamental principles  

of the Group
65  Economic report

102    Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  

(condensed version according 
to the German Commercial 
Code [HGB])
106   Subsequent events 

106    Risks and opportunities report
114   Forecast

Combined management report

57

1876

Year of foundation.

Fundamental principles  
of the Group

Operational activities

Overview
 Henkel was founded in 1876. Therefore, the year 
under review marks the 139th in our corporate his-
tory. Today, Henkel employs around 49,450 people 
worldwide, and we occupy globally leading market 
positions in our consumer and industrial busi-
nesses.

Organization and business units
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA is operationally active as well 
as being the parent company of the Henkel Group. It 
is responsible for defining and pursuing Henkel’s 
corporate objectives and also for the management, 
control and monitoring of Group-wide activities, 
including risk management and the allocation of 
resources. Henkel AG & Co. KGaA performs its tasks 
within the legal scope afforded to it as part of the 
Henkel Group, with the affiliated companies other-
wise operating as legally independent entities.

Operational management and control is the respon-
sibility of the Management Board of Henkel Manage-
ment AG in its function as sole Personally Liable 
Partner. The Management Board is supported in this 
by the corporate functions.

Henkel is organized into three business units:
•   Laundry & Home Care
•  Beauty Care 
•   Adhesive Technologies 

Our product range in the Laundry & Home Care busi-
ness unit comprises heavy-duty detergents, specialty 
detergents and cleaning products. The portfolio of the 
Beauty Care business unit encompasses hair cosmetics, 
products for body, skin and oral care, and products for 
the hair salon business. The Adhesive Technologies 
business unit provides customer-specific solutions 
worldwide with adhesives, sealants and functional 
coatings in two business areas: Industry, and Consum-
ers, Craftsmen and Building.

Laundry & Home Care, Beauty Care, and Adhesive 
Technologies are managed on the basis of globally 
responsible strategic business units. These are sup-
ported by the corporate functions of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA, our shared services, and our globally inte-
grated supply chain organization in order to ensure 
optimum utilization of corporate network synergies. 
Implementation of the strategies at a country and 
regional level is the responsibility of the national 
affiliated companies whose operations are supported 
and coordinated by regional centers. The executive 
bodies of these national affiliates manage their busi-
nesses in line with the relevant statutory regulations, 
supplemented by their own articles of association, 
internal procedural rules and the principles incorpo-
rated in our globally applicable management stan-
dards, codes and guidelines.

Henkel around the world: regional centers 

26

Düsseldorf, Germany 
global headquarters

Vienna, Austria
regional center

Shanghai, China 
regional center

Rocky Hill, 
Connecticut, USA 
regional center

Scottsdale,  
Arizona, USA  
regional center

Mexico City, Mexico 
regional center

São Paulo, Brazil
regional center

Dubai, United 
Arab Emirates 
regional center

58

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Strategy and financial targets 2016

In November 2012, we presented our Strategy 2016 
based on thorough analysis of the long-term mega-
trends that are relevant for Henkel, and of Henkel’s 
individual business units. As a result, we see consid-
erable potential both for further organic growth and 
for enhanced profitability in all three business units.

Three megatrends played a key role in the definition 
of our financial targets:
1.  We expect progressive consolidation among our 
competitors, customers and suppliers. Scale will 
become an increasingly important factor in our 
ability to compete over the long term. As such, 
increasing our sales is essential to allow us to con-
tinue to operate successfully in our markets in the 
future.

2.  The shift of economic growth to the emerging 
markets of Eastern Europe, Africa/Middle East, 
Latin America and Asia (excluding Japan) will con-
tinue. This will require Henkel to steadily expand 
its position in these important markets and fur-
ther increase sales in emerging markets.

3.  The speed and volatility of our markets will remain 
high and may even increase further. This requires 
processes and structures that are more flexible and 
more efficient, to enable us to respond to changes 
faster than our competitors. We therefore want to 
continuously improve our operational excellence 
and deliver outstanding financial performance.

This is why
•  absolute sales of the corporation as a whole,
•  sales in emerging markets, and
•   growth in earnings per preferred share (EPS) 
form the cornerstones of our financial targets 
through to 2016.

Financial targets 2016
By the end of 2016, we aim to generate net sales of 
20 billion euros in order to further strengthen our 
position in the competitive global market environ-
ment. The setting of our target reflects the growing 
importance of emerging markets. We aim to con-
tinue achieving above-average growth in these mar-
kets and to generate net sales of 10 billion euros 
there by the end of 2016.

We intend to continue our outstanding financial per-
formance through a balanced combination of growth 
and increasing profitability. Consequently, we aim to 
increase adjusted earnings per preferred share by an 
average of 10 percent per year (CAGR: compound 
annual growth rate) between 2013 and 2016.

The definition of our financial targets up to the end of 
2016 assumes not only that we will constantly adapt 
our structures to market conditions, but also that we 
will strive to continuously optimize our portfolio. This 
will encompass both smaller and mid-sized acquisi-
tions as well as divestments or the discontinuation of 
non-strategic activities (representing total sales of 
around 500 million euros in the period between 2013 
and 2016). Potential major acquisitions or divestments 
are not accounted for in the financial targets. 

We have defined clear selection criteria for possible 
acquisitions to make sure they fit our strategy, both in 
terms of financial attractiveness and implementabil-
ity. The focus in Laundry & Home Care and Beauty 
Care will center on strengthening our categories in 
the respective regions, while the focus in Adhesive 
Technologies will primarily be on advancing technol-
ogy leadership.

Progress in fiscal 2015:
•   Sales increased in 2015 by 10.1 percent to 18,089 mil-
lion euros. This positive sales performance was 
comprised of solid organic growth of 3.0 percent, 
positive foreign exchange effects of 4.4 percent, 
and acquisitions that contributed 2.7 percent.

•   Sales in our emerging markets matched the strong 

performance of previous years, with organic 
growth coming in at 5.9 percent. Nominal sales 
amounted to 7,797 million euros.

•   In a difficult environment, we increased adjusted 

earnings per preferred share by 11.4 percent in 2015 
compared to the level of 2014.

•   We also effectively strengthened our position in all 

three business units through acquisitions.

Financial targets 2016

27

20 bn € sales
10 bn € sales in 
10 % annual growth in 

emerging markets

 earnings per share 1

1  Average annual growth in adjusted earnings per preferred share 
(compound annual growth rate / CAGR).

Including continuous portfolio optimization.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

59

Strategic priorities in summary

Outperform: leverage potential in categories
In order to outperform our competitors in our indi-
vidual business units, we will leverage the growth 
potential in our product categories even more. In our 
core categories, we will make investments that fur-
ther strengthen and expand our leading positions. In 
our growth categories, we will also make targeted 
investments, including the development of new seg-
ments. In our value categories, we will tap existing 
earnings potential by making suitable investments 
while at the same time actively adjusting our portfo-
lio. Between 2013 and 2016, we expect to discontinue 
or divest businesses and operations representing 
total sales of 500 million euros.

In addition to this active portfolio management, we 
intend to leverage the potential of our categories by 
concentrating on three key areas: strengthening our 
top brands, innovations, and focusing on customers 
and consumers. By 2016, we intend to have increased 
the share of sales attributable to our top 10 brands to 
around 60 percent. A substantial portion of this will 
come from our rigorous customer orientation and 
particular focus on innovations.

We are also planning to open and/or significantly 
expand seven research and development sites in 
emerging markets around the world in order to 
underpin our claim to innovation leadership while 
benefiting from the proximity to our customers and 
consumers in these strategically important markets.

Progress in fiscal 2015:
•   In 2015, we were able to further raise the share of 

sales attributable to our top 10 brands by 2 percent-
age points to 61 percent. We therefore achieved our 
goal of around 60 percent for year-end 2016 one 
year ahead of time.

61 %

of sales generated 
by top 10 brands.

•   Numerous innovations strengthened our business 
performance: In 2015, the research and develop-
ment centers we opened in the emerging markets 
in recent years again acted as hubs for innovations 
targeted specifically at regional customers’ needs. 
For examples, please refer to the “Research and 
development” section on pages 83 to 87. 

•   We opened the Global Experience Center in Düs-

seldorf for the Laundry & Home Care business unit 
in 2015, creating a new platform through which we 
can further enhance collaboration with interna-
tional customers. In the Beauty Care business unit, 
the Beauty Care Lighthouse was once again a cen-
tral point of contact for our customers worldwide.

Acquisitions completed in fiscal 2015 

Key  
brands

Key coun-
tries

Contract 
signed on

Completion 
on

28

Annual 
sales in 
million 
euros

Purchase 
price in 
million 
euros

For further informa-
tion, see pages

Hairstyling brand in   
Latin America

Novamelt,  
pressure-sensitive hotmelt 
adhesives

Xtreme

Mexico

7/15/2014

7/16/2015

~ 40

55

71, 95, 126 – 127, 161

Germany

4/14/2015

6/1/2015

~ 50

48

71, 100 – 101, 126 – 127

Laundry detergent and 
 pre-wash brands in Australia 
and New Zealand

Cold Power, 
Dynamo, Fab, 
Sard

Australia, 
New Zealand

5/11/2015

12/1/2015

~ 100

194

18, 71, 91, 126 – 127, 
161

Magna-Tech, 
vacuum impregnation

USA

12/14/2015 12/14/2015

~ 15

32 

71, 100 – 101, 126 – 127

A global leaderin brandsand technologies OutperformGlobalizeFocus on regions withhigh potentialLeverage potentialin categoriesInspireSimplifyDrive operationalexcellenceStrengthen ourglobal team31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast60

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

•   In 2015, we opened an additional training center 
for the Adhesive Technologies business unit in 
Mumbai, India, where we offer customers both 
theoretical and practical training in the area of 
adhesives for flexible packaging.

Globalize: focus on regions with high potential
We will continue the successful globalization of our 
company in previous years and concentrate on regions 
and countries offering particularly high growth poten-
tial. In addition to further expanding our strong posi-
tions in mature markets, we specifically want to focus 
on further expanding our existing positions in emerg-
ing markets and on accelerating growth. We also plan 
to enter new markets on a selective basis.

By the end of 2016, we aim to have increased sales 
in emerging markets to 10 billion euros. We expect 
12 countries from the emerging markets to rank 
among our top 20 countries with the highest sales by 
2016. At the same time, we want to take full advan-
tage of our strong positions and potential in mature 
markets to increase our earning power compared to 
2012 and to achieve more top positions.

Progress in fiscal 2015:
•   The emerging markets again made an above-aver-
age contribution to growth of the Group with 
strong organic sales expansion of 5.9 percent. 
Growth momentum came in particular from East-
ern Europe, Africa/Middle East and Latin America.

•   Acquisitions enabled us to expand our portfolio 
in both the mature and our emerging markets in 
2015, thus considerably strengthening our position 
in attractive segments.

Simplify: drive operational excellence
We will continuously improve our operational excel-
lence to enable us to respond to the increasing speed 
and persisting volatility in our markets. To this end, 
we intend to further standardize our processes, 
invest in information technology (IT) to make these 
processes faster and more efficient, improve our cost 
efficiency and reduce the ratio of administrative 
costs to total sales. We also plan to further optimize 
our global presence by continuing to consolidate our 
production sites through to the end of 2016. In addi-
tion, we aim to keep our net working capital relative 
to sales at the low level already achieved.

Plans for the future also include further optimization 
of our purchasing processes, and expansion of our 
shared services. Between 2013 and 2016, we want to 
reduce the number of global suppliers by around 
40 percent, and increase the number of employees 
working in our shared service centers to more than 

3,000. We also plan to establish two more shared ser-
vice centers during this period.

Overall, we intend to raise our investments by more 
than 40 percent to around 2 billion euros between 
2013 and 2016. Investments in IT infrastructure will 
be one key lever for optimizing our processes. These 
will increase between 2013 and 2016. At the same 
time, we intend to reduce the complexity of our 
IT systems and significantly decrease the number 
of processes. 

Progress in fiscal 2015:
•   In 2015, the number of employees in shared ser-
vice centers grew to more than 3,000. We have 
therefore reached the intended number of employ-
ees one year earlier than planned.

•   Net working capital as a percentage of sales was 
3.8  percent in 2015, an improvement of 0.4 per-
centage points over the previous year. 

•   We have also integrated our production, logistics 

and purchasing activities across all business units 
into one global supply chain organization. This 
organization is based in Amsterdam and com-
menced operations in November 2014. The first 
phase of the European implementation has been 
successfully completed, and a branch office was 
opened in Singapore at the end of 2015.

Inspire: strengthen our global team
Further strengthening our global team will be a key 
element in the successful development of Henkel.

We will adopt an even more active approach to com-
peting internationally for talented professionals to 
ensure Henkel’s continued ability to recruit the best 
possible candidates around the world and promote 
their development within the corporation. One key 
driver of this will be the rigorous alignment of short-
term and long-term remuneration components to 
individual performance and overall company perfor-
mance. The diversity of our teams is also vital to our 
economic success.

Progress in fiscal 2015:
•   We supported the professional and personal devel-
opment of our employees through a variety of pro-
grams. The extensive program offered by the Henkel 
Global Academy was expanded worldwide and 
supplemented with digital learning platforms.
•   We strengthened our initiatives in the emerging 

markets in particular in order to recruit and effec-
tively develop top talent for Henkel. 

•   We also made significant advances in driving our 
performance-based culture. Within our globally 
standardized system of management assessment, 

5.9 %

organic sales 
growth in emerg-
ing markets.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

61

we are increasingly focusing on individual inter-
ests and personalized options for career planning 
and development. 

•   With the continued digitalization of day-to-day 
work through digital networking platforms, we 
have created the essential conditions for efficient 
global collaboration and a lively exchange among 
employees. 

Sustainability strategy 2030

Our corporate values as the foundation
Commitment to leadership in sustainability is one 
of our core corporate values. Maintaining a balance 
between economic success, protection of the environ-
ment, and social responsibility has been fundamental 
to our corporate culture for decades. We aim to pio-
neer new solutions for sustainable development while 
continuing to shape our business responsibly and 
increase our economic success. This ambition encom-
passes all of our company’s activities – along the 
entire value chain.

Achieving more with less
We are facing immense challenges: The global 
human footprint is already greater today than the 
planet’s resources can bear. By the year 2050, the 
world’s population is expected to grow to nine bil-
lion. The simultaneous increase in global economic 
output will lead to rising consumption and resource 
needs. The pressure on available resources will thus 
intensify even further in the coming decades. This is 
why the idea at the heart of our sustainability strat-
egy is to achieve more with less.

We want to create more value – for our customers 
and consumers, for the communities we operate in, 
and for our company – while at the same time reduc-
ing our environmental footprint. To accomplish this, 
we need innovations, products and technologies that 
can enhance quality of life while using less input 
materials. Building on our decades of experience in 
sustainable development, we aim to work together 
with our customers and consumers to develop and 
implement viable solutions for the future. By doing 
so, we will be contributing both to sustainable devel-
opment and to our company’s economic success.

Our goal for 2030:  
triple our efficiency
Our long-term goal reflects the global challenges of 
sustainable development. We will have to signifi-
cantly improve our efficiency in order to reconcile 
people’s desire to live well with the resource limits of 
the planet and to allow us to build on our economic 
success.

factor

Therefore, compared to 2010 as the base year, we 
want to triple the value we create through our busi-
ness operations in relation to the environmental 
footprint of our products and services by 2030. This 
means we want to be three times more efficient. We 
call this goal “Factor 3.” One way to achieve it is to tri-
ple the value we create while leaving the footprint at 
the same level. Or we can reduce the environmental 
footprint to one third of today’s level, and achieve 
our “Factor 3” improvement in efficiency by deliver-
ing the same value.

To reach this goal by 2030, we will have to improve 
our efficiency by an average of 5 to 6 percent each 
year. We had therefore set concrete interim targets 
for our focal areas for the five years from 2011 t0 2015 
that we were able to meet and exceed by year-end 
2015 (see chart on the next page).

We are continuing our efforts to further improve our 
performance in these areas in the coming years as we 
move toward our long-term goal of “Factor 3.” To this 
end, we have defined the following new medium-
term targets (again, see chart on the next page). For 
the period up to 2020, we intend to improve the rela-
tionship between the value we create and our envi-
ronmental footprint by 75 percent overall.

In order to achieve our aim of driving sustainability 
along the entire value chain, we engaged in a com-
prehensive process to assess our environmental 
footprint, identify opportunities for improvement, 
and define key action areas for the coming years. 
These include working with our partners to improve 
social standards in our supply chain and helping our 
customers and consumers reduce energy use and 
carbon dioxide emissions with our products and 
expertise.

Our ambition is to become three times more efficient by 2030. We 
call this “Factor 3.” This means tripling the value we create through 
our business operations in relation to the environmental footprint 
of our products and services.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast62

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Our contributions in six focal areas
To successfully implement our strategy, we are con-
centrating on six focal areas that reflect the key chal-
lenges of sustainable development as they relate to our 
operations. In each of these focal areas, we drive prog-
ress along the entire value chain through our prod-
ucts and processes in two dimensions: “more value” 
and “reduced footprint.” Three focal areas therefore 
represent the value we want to deliver to our custom-
ers, shareholders and our company, for example in the 
form of enhanced occupational health and safety, and 
contributions to social progress. The three other focal 
areas describe the ways in which we want to reduce 
our environmental footprint, for instance through 
reduced water and energy use and less waste.

Our approach for sustainable business processes
In order to successfully establish our strategy and 
reach our goals, we rely on our products, our coop-
eration with our partners, and the involvement of 
our employees.

Our products deliver more value for our customers 
and consumers. We achieve this through innovation 
and information, and through products that offer bet-
ter performance with a smaller environmental foot-
print, thus reducing resource use and negative envi-
ronmental impacts.

Our partners are key to driving sustainability along 
our value chains and in all areas of business and daily 
life. We support them with our products and expertise. 
And we work together with selected suppliers so that 
they can supply us with raw materials offering an 
improved environmental footprint. At the other end 
of the chain, we help our customers and consumers 
reduce their own environmental footprint.

Our people make the difference – through their dedi-
cation, skills and knowledge. They make their own 
contributions to sustainable development, both in 
their daily business lives and as members of society. 
They interface with our customers and make innova-
tion possible, develop successful strategies and give 
our company its unique identity.

Our focal areas and targets 

29

cial Progress

o
S

E

n

e

C

r

l

i

g

m

y

a

a

t

n

e

d

P e r formance

Deliver  
more value

factor

at a reduced 
footprint

Materials  a n d
Waste

S

a

f

H

e

t

e

y

a

l

a

t

n

h

d

d
n

Wastewater
Water a

2015 targets

Achieved

2020 targets

+ 10 %

+ 11 %

+ 22 %

more net sales per ton of product

+ 20 %

+ 33 %

+ 40 %

safer per million hours worked

– 15 %

– 18 %

– 30 %

less energy / CO2 emissions per ton of product

– 15 %

– 17 %

– 30 %

less waste per ton of product

– 15 %

– 23 %

– 30 %

less water per ton of product

We concentrate our activities along the value chain on six focal areas.  
They reflect the challenges of sustainable development of relevance to us.
Efficiency is the product of performance relative to footprint.

+ 30 %

+ 38 %

overall efficiency

+ 75 %

 
 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

63

2015 Sustainability Report

Detailed information 
and background 
reading on the sub-
ject of sustainability 
can be found in our 
Sustainability Report 
– available in both 
print and online 
 versions

  www.henkel.com/ 

sustainabilityreport

38 %

more efficient than 
in 2010: We are 
creating more 
value while at the 
same time reducing 
our environmental 
footprint.

Organization
The Management Board bears overall responsibility 
for our sustainability strategy and objectives, and 
their implementation in the corporation. Henkel’s 
Sustainability Council steers our global sustainabil-
ity activities in collaboration with the individual 
business units and functions, and our regional and 
national affiliated companies. 

Our understanding of responsible behavior has been 
specified and communicated to our employees 
worldwide in our Code of Conduct and Code of Cor-
porate Sustainability. These codes apply together 
with our more detailed internal standards governing 
safety, health and environmental protection that 
were derived from them, our Henkel Social Stan-
dards and our Group purchasing standards. Compli-
ance with these rules is regularly monitored 
throughout the Group by internal audits performed 
at our production and administrative sites, and 
increasingly also at our toll manufacturers and 
 logistics centers.

By joining the United Nations Global Compact in July 
2003, we also publicly underscored our commitment 
to respect human rights, fundamental labor stan-
dards and environmental protection, and to work 
against all forms of corruption. 

Stakeholder dialog
Viable solutions for promoting sustainability can 
only be developed in dialog with all relevant social 
groups. These include our employees, shareholders, 
customers, suppliers, civil authorities, politicians, 
associations, governmental and non-governmental 
organizations, academia, and the public at large. We 
view dialog with our stakeholders as an opportunity 
to identify the requirements of our different markets 
at an early stage and to define the directions which 
our activities should take. Our dialog with various 
stakeholder groups enables us to access new ideas 
for our company, which flow continuously into our 
strategy development and reporting.

We use a wide range of communication instruments 
in order to meet the specific information require-
ments of our stakeholders, ranging from our own 
publications and technical articles to events and 
direct dialog. More details and background reading 
on the subject of sustainability can be found in our 
Sustainability Report. In this we document the high 
priority sustainability has in our company, while at 
the same time satisfying the reporting requirements 
laid down in the United Nations Global Compact.

Progress in fiscal 2015
•   We have achieved our targets for 2015 in all five 
areas, and in some cases we were even able to 
exceed them. We have increased our overall effi-
ciency by 38 percent since 2010. By the end of 2015, 
we generated 11 percent more in net sales per met-
ric ton of product compared to the base year of 
2010. We have reduced our energy use per ton of 
product by 18 percent, our use of water by 23 per-
cent, and our waste by 17 percent. And occupa-
tional safety has improved by 33 percent.

•   In the joint program sponsored by our three busi-

ness units “Say yes! to the future,” we combined the 
approaches by which we convey the added value of 
our product innovations to our customers – best 
possible performance combined with responsibil-
ity toward people and the environment. 

•   Since mid-2012, we have trained some 6,200 

employees around the world as Sustainability 
Ambassadors. This program has helped to educate 
around 63,000 schoolchildren in 43 countries.
•   Henkel’s leading role in sustainability has been 
confirmed once again by various national and 
international sustainability ratings and indices. 
Examples of this recognition can be found on 
 page 54. 

Further information, reports, background details 
and the latest news on sustainable development at 
Henkel can be found on the following website:  

  www.henkel.com/sustainability

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast64

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

8.5 %

Group WACC 
before tax in  
fiscal 2015.

Management system and performance 
i ndicators

Cost of capital

Henkel manages the company based on the strategy 
and the financial targets for 2016. 

As defined and described in the section “Strategy and 
financial targets 2016,” our financial targets are as fol-
lows: For 2016 we aim to generate net sales of 20 bil-
lion euros. We recognize the increasing importance of 
the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Africa/Mid-
dle East, Latin America and Asia (excluding Japan) by 
targeting above-average growth in these regions. Here 
we intend to generate net sales of 10 billion euros in 
2016. Furthermore, we aim to increase adjusted 1 earn-
ings per preferred share by an average of 10 percent 
per year through to 2016. The financial targets for 2016 
are our most important  performance indicators.

For efficient management of the Group, we have 
transferred the Henkel Group strategy into strategic 
plans for the three business units, Laundry & Home 
Care, Beauty Care, and Adhesive Technologies, as well 
as for their respective business areas. The financial 
targets are represented together with the businesses 
in both the year and the medium-term plans. A regu-
lar comparison of these plans with current develop-
ments and reporting of expected figures enables 
focused management of the company based on the 
described performance indicators. 

Our management system is supplemented by addi-
tional key financials relevant to the capital market – 
primarily, adjusted return on sales (EBIT). 

Moreover, we report further key performance indica-
tors, such as net working capital as a percentage of 
sales, and the return on capital employed (ROCE).

The cost of capital is calculated as a weighted average 
of the cost of equity and debt capital (WACC). In fis-
cal 2015, we applied a WACC of 8.5 percent before tax 
and 6.0 percent after tax. We regularly review our 
cost of capital in order to reflect changing market 
conditions. For fiscal 2016, we will be applying a 
WACC of 8.25 percent before tax and 5.75 percent 
after tax.

We apply different WACC rates depending on the 
business unit involved. These are based on business 
unit-specific beta factors determined from a peer 
group benchmark. For the reporting year, we ap plied 
a WACC before tax of 8.5 percent (6.0 percent after 
tax) for both the Laundry & Home Care and the 
Beauty Care business units, and of 10.5 percent 
before tax (7.5 percent after tax) for the Adhesive 
Technologies business unit. In 2016 we will be apply-
ing a WACC of 9.0 percent before tax (6.25 percent 
after tax) for the Laundry & Home Care and Beauty 
Care business units. For the Adhesive Technologies 
business unit, we will be applying a WACC of 
10.75 percent before tax (7.5 percent after tax) in 2016.

WACC before tax by business unit 

Laundry & Home Care

Beauty Care

Adhesive Technologies

Henkel Group

WACC after tax by business unit 

Laundry & Home Care

Beauty Care

Adhesive Technologies

Henkel Group

30

2016

9.0 %

9.0 %

10.75 %

8.25 %

31

2016

6.25 %

6.25 %

7.5 %

5.75 %

2015

8.5 %

8.5 %

10.5 %

8.5 %

2015

6.0 %

6.0 %

7.5 %

6.0 %

1  Adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring charges.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

31  Corporate governance
52  Shares and bonds
57   Fundamental principles  

of the Group
65  Economic report

102    Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  

(condensed version according 
to the German Commercial 
Code [HGB])
106   Subsequent events 

106    Risks and opportunities report
114   Forecast

Combined management report

65

Economic report

 Macroeconomic and industry-related 
co nditions

The general economic conditions described here are 
based on data published by IHS Global Insight.

Overview: 
moderate growth while general economic  
conditions remain difficult 
In 2015, the global economy achieved only moderate 
growth. Gross domestic product expanded by 2.5 per-
cent around the world. The mature markets grew by 
approximately 2 percent, while the emerging mar-
kets achieved an increase of around 4 percent. This 
trend reflects economic resilience in Western Europe 
and the USA, and a continuing slowdown of growth 
in the emerging markets. 

Industry and consumption:  
slowdown in industrial production
At around 2 percent, growth in industrial production 
was lower year on year. While the export-dependent 
industries showed moderate increases, growth in 
consumer-related sectors was subdued. Private con-
sumption rose by approximately 2.5 percent, match-
ing the level of the previous year.

Regions: 
slowing growth in the emerging markets
Over the year as a whole, the North American econ-
omy grew by around 2 percent. Western Europe 
showed moderate growth of around 2 percent, while 
the economy in Japan was weaker, with growth of 
around 1 percent. Asia (excluding Japan) recorded 
economic growth of approximately 5.5 percent. This 
trend was characterized over the course of the year 
by slowing growth in China. Growth in the Africa/
Middle East region was 2.5 percent, while economic 
performance in the Eastern Europe and Latin  
America regions was negative.

Direct materials: 
prices moderately below prior-year level
Prices for direct materials (raw materials, packaging, 
and purchased goods and services) declined moder-
ately compared to the previous year, driven by lower 
prices for relevant input materials, particularly crude 
oil and palm kernel oil.

Currencies: 
devaluation of currencies in emerging markets
Currencies in the emerging markets of relevance to 
Henkel trended downward on average for the year, 
driven particularly by the strong devaluation of the 
Russian ruble against the euro. Against the US dollar, 
the euro grew steadily weaker over the course of the 
year before closing at 1.09 US dollars at year-end.

Changes in the exchange rates of the currencies of 
relevance to Henkel are indicated in the following 
table:

Average rates of exchange versus the euro 

Chinese yuan

Mexican peso

Russian ruble

Turkish lira 

US dollar

2014

8.19

17.66

50.87

2.91

1.33

32

2015

6.97

17.61

68.05

3.02

1.11

Source: ECB daily foreign exchange reference rates.

Inflation: 
moderate rise in global price levels 
Global inflation was around 2 percent. Consumer 
prices increased by around 5 percent in the emerging 
markets, with only a slight rise being registered in 
the mature markets. The overall trend differed by 
region and country. In Western Europe – including 
Germany – and in North America, consumer prices 
were virtually flat. Price increases were moderate in 
Africa/Middle East and Asia, in the high single digits 
in Eastern Europe, and double-digit in Latin America.

Unemployment: 
global level unchanged year on year
Global unemployment was on a par with the prior 
year at around 7 percent. The unemployment rate 
in North America improved versus the previous 
year to 5.5 percent, while remaining flat in Western 
Europe at approximately 10 percent. Year on year, 
the unemployment rate in Germany was unchanged 
at approximately 6.5 percent. In Latin America, 
unemployment was above the level of the previous 
year at around 8 percent. The unemployment rate in 
Eastern Europe and Asia (excluding Japan) remained 
virtually unchanged compared to the previous year.

66

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Development by sector:
moderate rise in global consumption
Private consumer spending grew moderately at a rate 
of approximately 2.5 percent. Consumer spending in 
mature markets increased by approximately 2 per-
cent year on year. Consumers in North America 
increased their spending by 3 percent. In Western 
Europe, consumer spending grew by approximately 
2 percent compared to the previous year. At approxi-
mately 2.5 percent, the increase in consumer spend-
ing in the emerging markets was lower than in the 
previous year. 

Industry weaker year on year
Industrial production expanded by around 2 percent 
in 2015, below the rate of the previous year. 

A particularly important customer sector for Henkel, 
the transport industry, saw production expand by 
2 percent. Output in the electronics sector rose by 
approximately 3.5 percent and in the metal industry 
by 1.5 percent. Growth was subdued in consumer-
related sectors, such as the global packaging industry, 
which recorded an increase of approximately 1 percent. 

Growth in production in the construction industry, 
at approximately 3 percent, matched the level of the 
previous year.

Developments in industrial production differed from 
one region to the next. Manufacturing expanded in 
North America by around 2 percent and in Western 
Europe by approximately 1 percent. At approximately 
3.5 percent, growth in industrial production in the 
emerging markets was lower than in the previous 
year. Industrial production increased by 2 percent in 
Africa/Middle East and by approximately 5 percent in 
Asia (excluding Japan), while continuing to decline in 
Latin America. In Eastern Europe, industrial growth 
slowed to approximately 1 percent.

Review of overall business performance

The economic environment in 2015 was challenging. 
Nevertheless, Henkel continued the success of the 
previous year with a solid performance.

Henkel’s business development was impacted by the 
prevailing global macroeconomic conditions as 
described above. The economic environment was 
particularly affected by slowing growth in China, 
political and social unrest in Africa/Middle East, and 
the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The euro 
depreciated against the US dollar. Prices for direct 
materials showed a moderate decline, mainly as the 
result of low crude oil prices. 

Within this environment, Henkel significantly 
increased its sales to 18,089 million euros. Organically 
we achieved a sales increase of 3.0 percent. The solid 
increase in organic sales was particularly driven by 
the strong performance of our businesses in emerging 
markets. Here, Henkel was able to increase its organic 
sales by 5.9 percent. The share of Group sales from 
emerging markets was 43 percent, slightly below the 
prior-year level due to currency effects (2014: 44 per-
cent). We were able to increase organic sales in the 
mature markets overall.

We increased adjusted 1 gross margin by 0.8 percent-
age points to 48.3 percent. The increase was driven 
by selective price increases, savings from cost-reduc-
tion measures, and improvements in production and 
supply chain efficiency. Moderately lower prices for 
direct materials (raw materials, packaging, and pur-
chased goods and services) also had a positive effect.  

As a result of the increase in gross margin and the 
continuous adjustment of our structures to our mar-
kets and customers, we were able to further improve 
our profitability compared to prior year. For the first 
time in a fiscal year, 2015 saw us achieve adjusted 
return on sales of 16.2 percent (2014: 15.8 percent). 

Adjusted earnings per preferred share grew to 
4.88 euros, a substantial increase of 11.4 percent over 
the 2014 figure of 4.38 euros.

We were able to improve net working capital as a 
 percentage of sales by 0.4 percentage points to 
3.8 percent.

We generated free cash flow of 1,690 million euros. 
We closed the year with a net financial position of 
335 million euros (2014: –153 million euros). 

1  Adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring charges.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

67

+3.0 %

organic sales 
growth.

Results of operations

Price and volume effects 

35

Sales and profits
Sales in fiscal 2015 were significantly higher than 
in the previous year, at 18,089 million euros. The 
 development of currencies had a positive effect on 
sales of 4.4 percent. Adjusted for foreign exchange 
effects, sales grew by 5.7 percent. With growth of 
3.0 percent, organic sales, i.e. adjusted for foreign 
exchange and acquisitions/divestments, showed a 
solid rate of increase. This was driven by both price 
and volume.

33

2015

 10.1

4.4

5.7

2.7

3.0

1.7

1.3

34

Sales development 1  

in percent

Change versus previous year

Foreign exchange 

Adjusted for foreign exchange

Acquisitions / divestments

Organic

of which price 

of which volume

1 Calculated on the basis of units of 1,000 euros.

Sales 
in million euros 

2011

15,605

2012

16,510

2013

16,355

2014

16,428

2015

18,089

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

We achieved a solid increase in organic sales in each of 
our business units, further expanding share in our rel-
evant markets.   The Laundry & Home Care business 
unit recorded organic sales growth of  4.9 percent. Sales 
in the Beauty Care business unit grew organically by 
2.1 percent and Adhesive Technologies achieved 
organic sales growth of 2.4 percent. 

in percent

Laundry &  
Home Care

Beauty Care

Adhesive  
Technologies

Henkel Group

Organic  
sales growth

of which 
price

of which 
volume

4.9

2.1

2.4

3.0

2.2

1.5

1.5

1.7

2.7

0.6

0.9

1.3

In a market environment that continues to be highly 
competitive, we were able to increase sales in the West-
ern Europe region by 5.6 percent to 6,045 million euros. 
Compared to the previous year organic sales decreased 
slightly, by –0.3 percent. The positive performance in 
countries such as France and the United Kingdom could 
not entirely compensate for the decline in Switzerland 
and the northern European countries. The share of sales 
from the region decreased to 34 percent.

Due to the significant devaluation of the Russian ruble 
and other currencies in the region, sales in Eastern 
Europe declined year on year to 2,695 million euros. 
Organically, however, we were able to increase sales by 
7.3 percent. This very strong organic sales growth was 
primarily driven by the performance of our businesses 
in Russia and Turkey. The share of sales from the 
region declined to 15 percent.

Despite the political and social unrest in some countries, 
our sales in the Africa/Middle East region increased nom-
inally by 17.3 percent to 1,329 million euros. Organically 
we were able to grow sales by a strong 6.8 percent. All of 
our business units made an important contribution to 
this performance. The share of sales from the region 
remained stable at 7 percent.

Sales in the North America region increased substantially 
by 26.5 percent to 3,648 million euros. Positive foreign 
exchange effects and our acquisitions in 2014 contrib-
uted to the increase. Organically the region posted solid 
sales growth of 2.3 percent. The share of sales from the 
region increased to 20 percent.

Sales in the Latin America region rose by 7.9 percent ver-
sus prior year, to 1,110 million euros, with organic sales 
growth of 8.8 percent. Double-digit organic sales growth 
by our businesses in Mexico made an especially impor-
tant contribution to this performance. The share of sales 
from the region remained unchanged at 6 percent.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast68

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Sales in the Asia-Pacific region increased year on year 
by 17.1 percent to 3,134 million euros. Despite slowing 
growth in China, we were able to increase our sales in 
the region by 2.5 percent organically. The share of 
sales from the Asia-Pacific region rose versus the pre-
vious year from 16 to 17 percent.

Adjusted operating profit (EBIT) 

in million euros

EBIT (as reported)

One-time gains 

One-time charges 

Restructuring charges

2014

2,244

– 28

159

213

2015

2,645

– 15

100

193

36

+/–

17.9 %

43 %

of our sales gener-
ated in emerging 
markets.

Sales in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, 
Africa/Middle East, Latin America and Asia (exclud-
ing Japan) increased substantially year on year, to 
7,797 million euros. We achieved a strong increase in 
organic sales of 5.9 percent, driven by all three busi-
ness units. Thus the emerging markets again made an 
above-average contribution to organic sales growth. 
Due to currency effects, the share of sales from the 
emerging markets declined slightly to 43 percent.

In order to continuously adapt our structures to our 
markets and customers, we spent 193 million euros 
on restructuring (previous year: 213 million euros),  
a large part of which was allocated to the Adhesive 
Technologies business unit. To create a scalable busi-
ness model, we are – among other things – expanding 
our shared services and progressing with the combi-
nation of our supply chain and sourcing activities into 
one integrated global supply chain organization. We 
are also advancing the integration of our acquisitions.

The following explanations relate to the results 
adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring 
charges, in order to provide a more transparent pre-
sentation of operational performance:

Adjusted EBIT

2,588

2,923

12.9 %

We were able to increase adjusted operating profit 
(adjusted EBIT) to 2,923 million euros, a rise of 
12.9 percent on the prior-year figure of 2,588 million 
euros. All three business units contributed to this 
positive development. We improved adjusted return 
on sales (adjusted EBIT margin) for the Group by 
0.4 percentage points to 16.2 percent. 

In our consumer businesses, we benefited from our 
successful innovations together with ongoing mea-
sures to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Lower 
prices for direct materials also had a positive effect. 
The Laundry & Home Care business unit showed a 
very strong improvement in profitability, increasing 
this metric to 17.1 percent (previous year: 16.2 per-
cent). Beauty Care also posted a very strong increase 
in adjusted return on sales to 15.9 percent (previous 
year: 15.3 percent). Adjusted return on sales in the 
Adhesive Technologies business unit at 17.1 percent 
was slightly below the high level of the previous year. 

Further explanations relating to our business perfor-
mance can be found in the description of the busi-
ness units starting on page 90.

37

Key financials by region 1 

in million euros

Sales 2 2015

Sales 2 2014

Western 
Europe

Eastern 
Europe

Africa/ 
 Middle 
East

North 
America

Latin 
America

Asia- 
Pacific

Total 
Regions

Corporate

Henkel 
Group

6,045

5,724

2,695

2,854

1,329

1,133

3,648

2,884

1,110

1,029

3,134

2,676

17,961

16,300

128

128

18,089

16,428

Change from previous year

Adjusted for foreign exchange

Organic

Proportion of Group sales 2015

Proportion of Group sales 2014

5.6 %

4.6 %

– 0.3 %

34 %

35 %

Operating profit (EBIT) 2015 

Operating profit (EBIT) 2014

1,223

1,046

Change from previous year

Adjusted for foreign exchange

Return on sales (EBIT) 2015

Return on sales (EBIT) 2014

16.9 %

15.5 %

20.2 %

18.3 %

1 Calculation on the basis of units of 1,000 euros.
2 By location of company.

– 5.6 %

7.1 %

7.3 %

15 %

17 %

356

378

– 5.7 %

10.9 %

13.2 %

13.2 %

17.3 %

6.8 %

6.8 %

7 %

7 %

26.5 %

6.6 %

2.3 %

20 %

18 %

7.9 %

10.3 %

8.8 %

6 %

6 %

17.1 %

3.6 %

2.5 %

17 %

16 %

10.2 %

5.8 %

3.0 %

99 %

99 %

–

–

–

1 %

1 %

10.1 %

5.7 %

3.0 %

100 %

100 %

141

121

544

420

110

73

434

343

2,809

2,381

– 164

– 137

2,645

2,244

16.8 %

3.5 %

10.6 %

10.7 %

29.5 %

5.7 %

14.9 %

14.6 %

50.5 %

51.1 %

9.9 %

7.1 %

26.6 %

5.9 %

13.9 %

12.8 %

18.0 %

12.1 %

15.6 %

14.6 %

–

–

–

–

17.9 %

12.7 %

14.6 %

13.7 %

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

69

16.2 %

adjusted return on 
sales (EBIT), up 
0.4 percentage 
points.

Comparison between actual business  
performance and guidance 
In November 2015, we updated our guidance for fis-
cal 2015, indicating that we expected to achieve 
organic sales growth of approximately 3 percent, fol-
lowing our original forecast of 3 to 5 percent. In the 
Laundry & Home Care business unit, we anticipated 
organic sales growth of between 4 and 5 percent, and 
organic growth of approximately 2 percent in the 
Beauty Care business unit. We expected that organic 
sales growth in the Adhesive Technologies business 
unit would be between 2 and 3 percent, mainly influ-
enced by slowing growth in China. The update of 
 our sales guidance for the Adhesive Technologies 
business unit resulted in the adjustment of our sales 
guidance for the Henkel Group as a whole. We fur-
thermore expected stable development in the share 
of sales from our emerging markets. We expected 
adjusted return on sales (EBIT) to increase versus 
2014 to approximately 16 percent and an increase 
in adjusted earnings per preferred share of over 
10 percent. 

With organic growth of 3.0 percent we achieved our 
sales growth guidance of approximately 3 percent. 

The business units were also able to generate the 
expected sales growth. At 43 percent, the share of 
sales from emerging markets was slightly below the 
prior-year level and the stable development fore-
casted in our guidance, the decline being mainly 
attributable to negative foreign exchange effects. At 
Group level, we posted a strong increase in adjusted 
return on sales from 15.8 to 16.2 percent, thus achiev-
ing our guidance of approximately 16 percent. We 
increased adjusted earnings per preferred share by 
11.4 percent to 4.88 euros (2014: 4.38 euros) and thus 
realized the anticipated increase of over 10 percent. 

Prices for direct materials (raw materials, packaging, 
and purchased goods and services) decreased moder-
ately compared to the previous year. The decline was 
therefore slightly stronger than anticipated. Our 
restructuring expenses totaled 193 million euros, and 
were thus at the expected level of approximately 
200 million euros. In November 2015, we adjusted 
our guidance for investments in property, plant and 
equipment and intangible assets to approximately 
650 million euros, mainly due to currency effects. 
The actual capital expenditures of 625 million euros 
in 2015 were slightly lower than the expected level.

Guidance versus performance 2015 

38

Organic sales growth

Henkel Group: 3–5 percent

Henkel Group: approximately 3 percent

Henkel Group: 3.0 percent

Guidance for 2015

Updated guidance for 2015 *

Performance in 2015

Laundry & Home Care: 3–5 percent  
Beauty Care: approximately 2 percent 
Adhesive Technologies: 3–5 percent

Laundry & Home Care: 4–5 percent  
Beauty Care: approximately 2 percent 
Adhesive Technologies: 2–3 percent

Laundry & Home Care: 4.9 percent  
Beauty Care: 2.1 percent 
Adhesive Technologies: 2.4 percent 

At prior-year level

At prior-year level

Slightly below prior-year level

Increase to around 16 percent

Increase to around 16 percent

Increase to 16.2 percent

Increase of around 10 percent

Increase of over 10 percent

Increase of 11.4 percent

Percentage of sales from 
emerging markets

Adjusted return on sales 
(EBIT)

Adjusted earnings per 
preferred share

* Updated November 11, 2015.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast70

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

39

Change

 10.1 %

 8.3 %

 12.1 %

10.2 %

13.2 %

19.8 %

–

12.9 %

40

Reconciliation from sales to adjusted operating profit 1

in million euros

Sales

Cost of sales

Gross profit

Marketing, selling and distribution expenses

Research and development expenses

Administrative expenses

Other operating income/charges

Adjusted operating profit (EBIT)

2014

16,428

– 8,630

7,798

– 4,103

– 410

– 733

36

2,588

%

100.0

– 52.5

47.5

– 25.0

– 2.5

– 4.5

 0.3

15.8

2015

18,089

– 9,350

8,739

– 4,521

– 464

– 878

47

2,923

%

100.0

– 51.7

48.3

– 25.0

– 2.6

– 4.8

 0.3

16.2

1 Calculated on the basis of units of 1,000 euros; figures commercially rounded.

Net income 
in million euros 

2011

1,191

2012

1,526

2013

1,625

2014

1,662

2015

1,968

Expense items
The following explanations relate to our operating 
expenses adjusted for one-time charges/gains and 
restructuring charges. The reconciliation statement 
and the allocation of the restructuring charges 
between the various expense items of the consoli-
dated statement of income can be found on page 120.

The cost of sales increased by 8.3 percent to 9,350 mil-
lion euros. Gross profit increased by 12.1 percent to 
8,739 million euros. We increased gross margin by 
0.8 percentage points to 48.3 percent. Selective price 
increases, savings from cost-reduction measures, and 
improvements in production and supply chain effi-
ciency contributed to this increase. Moderately lower 
prices for direct materials also had a positive effect. 

At 4,521 million euros, marketing, selling and distri-
bution expenses were above the prior-year level of 
4,103 million euros, due in part to acquisitions and 
also as a result of foreign exchange effects. At 
25.0 percent, the ratio to sales remained unchanged 
versus fiscal 2014. We spent a total of 464 million 
euros on research and development, raising the 
ratio to sales slightly to 2.6 percent. Administrative 
expenses increased compared to the prior-year 
period to 878 million euros, mainly due to acquisi-
tions and foreign exchange effects. At 4.8 percent, 
the ratio of administrative expenses to sales was 
above the level of the previous year.

Other operating income and charges
At 47 million euros, the balance of adjusted other oper-
ating income and charges increased year on year (2014: 
36 million euros). The absolute increase resulted 
mainly from the disposal of assets held for sale.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

Financial result
The financial result improved from –49 million 
euros to –42 million euros, partly attributable to an 
improvement in the foreign exchange result.

Adjusted earnings per preferred share 
in euros 

41

2011

3.14

2012

3.63

2013

4.07

2014

4.38

2015

4.88

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

71

Net income and earnings per share (EPS)
Income before tax increased by 408 million euros to 
2,603 million euros. Taxes on income amounted to 
635  million euros. The tax rate of 24.4 percent was 
slightly higher than in the previous year (2014:  
24.3 percent). The adjusted tax rate increased year on 
year by 1.0 percentage points to 25.0 percent. Net 
income increased by 18.4 percent from 1,662 million 
euros to 1,968 million euros. After consideration of 
47 million euros attributable to non-controlling 
interests, net income attributable to shareholders of 
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA amounted to 1,921 million 
euros, 18.0 percent higher than the prior-year figure 
(2014: 1,628 million euros). Adjusted net income 
after deducting non-controlling interests was 
2,112 million euros compared to 1,896 million euros 
in fiscal 2014. A condensed version of the annual 
financial statements of the parent company of the 
Henkel Group – Henkel AG & Co. KGaA – can be 
found on pages 102 to 105.

Earnings per preferred share (EPS) rose from 
3.76 euros to 4.44 euros. Earnings per ordinary share 
increased from 3.74 euros to 4.42 euros. Adjusted 
earnings per preferred share rose by 11.4 percent to 
4.88 euros (previous year: 4.38 euros).

Dividends
According to our dividend policy, dividend payouts 
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA shall, depending on the 
company’s asset and profit positions as well as its 
financial requirements, amount to 25 percent to 
35 percent of net income after non-controlling inter-
ests and adjusted for exceptional items. Accordingly, 
we will propose to the Annual General Meeting an 
increased dividend compared to the previous year: 
1.47 euros per preferred share and 1.45 euros per 
ordinary share. The payout ratio would then be 
30.2 percent. 

Return on capital employed (ROCE)
At 18.2 percent, return on capital employed (ROCE) 
decreased year on year. It was negatively impacted by 
the capital effect of acquisitions and by foreign 
exchange effects.

Economic Value Added (EVA®)
Economic Value Added (EVA®) increased to 1,410 mil-
lion euros. 

Net assets and financial position

Acquisitions and divestments 
Effective May 11, 2015, we entered into an agreement 
with Colgate-Palmolive Company for the purchase 
of all the laundry detergent and pre-wash brands 
owned by the company in Australia and New Zea-
land. The associated full consolidation commenced 
on December 1, 2015. This acquisition is part of our 
global strategy to invest in attractive country cate-
gory positions in mature markets.

€1,968 m

net income.

Effective June 1, 2015, we completed the acquisition 
of all shares of Novamelt GmbH, Wehr, Germany, 
expanding our business in pressure-sensitive hot-
melt adhesives in the Adhesive Technologies busi-
ness unit. 

+ 11.4 %

increase in 
adjusted earnings 
per preferred 
share.

Effective July 16, 2015, we concluded the acquisition 
of the hairstyling business and the associated brands 
of Industrias Wet Line S.A. de C.V. in Latin America. 
The acquisition is part of our strategy to further 
strengthen our presence in emerging markets. 

25 – 35 %

future dividend 
payout ratio.

Effective December 14, 2015, we completed the 
acquisition of all shares of Magna-Tech Manufactur-
ing LLC, Ohio, USA, and MT Canada LLC, Ohio, USA, 
expanding our vacuum impregnation business in the 
Adhesive Technologies business unit.

Preferred share dividends 
in euros 

2011

0.80

2012

0.95

2013

1.22

2014

1.31

2015

1.47  1

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

1  Proposal to shareholders for the Annual General  
Meeting on April 11, 2016.

42

Effective January 30, 2015, we concluded the sale of 
our chemical additives business for the processing 
industry in the Adhesive Technologies business unit 
in the USA.

On May 29, 2015, we invested 19 million euros to 
acquire the outstanding non-controlling shares of 
Henkel (Jiangsu) Auto Parts Co. Ltd., Danyang, China, 
thus increasing our ownership interest to 100 percent.

On June 18, 2015, we invested 26 million euros to 
acquire the outstanding non-controlling shares of 
Henkel Chembond Surface Technologies Ltd., Navi 
Mumbai, India, thus increasing our ownership inter-
est to virtually 100 percent. 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast72

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Financial structure 
in million euros

43

Assets 
of which in %

Equity and liabilities 
of which in %

20,961

22,323

22,323

20,961

Non-current assets
thereof: Intangible assets / 
property, plant and equipment

68

 62

Current assets   
thereof: Cash and  
cash equivalents

32

 6

69

64

31

 5

62

10
4
0

28
4

56

Equity

18
6
7

26
2

Non-current liabilities
thereof: Pension obligations
thereof: Borrowings

Current liabilities
thereof: Borrowings

2014

2015

2015

2014

Additional disclosures relating to the acquisitions 
and divestments can be found on pages 126 and 127 
of the notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

Neither the acquisitions and divestments nor other 
measures undertaken resulted in any changes in our 
business and organizational structure. For detailed 
information on our organization and business activi-
ties, please refer to the disclosures on page 57.

Our long-term ratings remain at “A flat” (Standard & 
Poor’s) and “A2” (Moody’s). These are also our target 
ratings. Looking forward, we intend not to jeopardize 
these when assessing possible acquisitions.

€625 m

investments in 
property, plant and 
equipment and 
intangible assets.

Capital expenditures 
Capital expenditures (excluding acquisitions) in 
 fiscal 2015 amounted to 625 million euros. Capital 
expenditures on property, plant and equipment 
for existing operations totaled 514 million euros, 
 following 452 million euros in 2014. We invested 
111 million euros in intangible assets (previous year: 
65 million euros).   

The majority of these capital expenditures was attrib-
utable to the Adhesive Technologies and Laundry 
& Home Care business units. Around two-thirds of 
our total capital expenditures went into expansion 
projects and rationalization measures. The main 
focus was on capacity expansion and innovative 
product lines (Laundry & Home Care and Beauty 
Care). The focus in the Adhesive Technologies busi-
ness unit was on consolidating production sites 
and expanding production capacities in emerging 
markets.

The major projects of 2015 were as follows:
•   Expansion of production capacity for WC rim 

blocks in Kruševac, Serbia (Laundry & Home Care)
•   Expansion of production capacity for liquid prod-

ucts in Perm, Russia, and optimization of the logis-
tics structure in Russia (Laundry & Home Care)
•    Expansion of production capacity for shampoo, 
shower and bath products in Wassertrüdingen, 
Germany (Beauty Care)

•   Expansion of production capacity for cosmetic 
products in Imeni Vorovskogo, Russia (Beauty  
Care)

•   Consolidation of our production footprint 

and expansion of production capacities in China 
(Adhesive Technologies)

•   Building of a factory to manufacture construction 

products in Bileća, Bosnia and Herzegovina 
 (Adhesive Technologies)

•   Global optimization of the supply chain, consoli-

dation and optimization of our IT system architec-
ture for managing business processes 

In regional terms, capital expenditures focused pri-
marily on Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Asia-
Pacific.

The acquisitions resulted in additions to intangible 
assets and property, plant and equipment in the 
amount of 354 million euros. Details of these addi-
tions can be found on pages 133 to 138 of the notes to 
the consolidated financial statements.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

73

Capital expenditures by business unit 1 

44

  Adhesive  
Technologies 

47 %

Corporate 

2 %

Beauty Care 

13 %

 Laundry &  
Home Care 

38 %

Corporate = sales and services not attributable to the individual 
business units.
1 Existing operations.

Capital expenditures 2015 

45

in million euros

Intangible 
assets

Property, plant 
and equipment

Total

Existing   
operations

Acquisitions 

Total 

111

514

625

343

11

354

454

525

979

Current assets increased from 6.8 billion euros 
to 6.9 billion euros, resulting in particular from a 
higher level of trade accounts receivable. Cash and 
cash equivalents declined by 52 million euros in the 
reporting period.

Equity including non-controlling interests increased 
to 13,811 million euros. The movements are shown 
in detail in the consolidated statement of changes in 
equity on page 121. The equity ratio increased com-
pared to the previous year by 6.3 percentage points 
to 61.9 percent. 

Non-current liabilities decreased by 1.5 billion 
euros to 2.2 billion euros, which is mainly due to the 
repayment of the hybrid bond. Our  pension obliga-
tions decreased compared to year-end 2014, mainly 
as a consequence of higher discount rates.

Current liabilities increased by 0.8  billion euros 
to 6.3 billion euros. The rise is mainly attributable to 
refinancing the repayment of our hybrid bond. 

Effective December 31, 2015, our net financial posi-
tion 1 amounted to 335 million euros  (December 31, 
2014: –153 million euros).

Net assets
Compared to year-end 2014, total assets rose by 
1.4 billion euros to 22.3 billion euros. 

Net financial position 

in million euros

Under non-current assets, intangible assets 
increased by 1,092 million euros, primarily as a 
result of foreign exchange effects and acquisitions. 
Assets in property, plant and equipment rose, with 
capital expenditures of 514 million euros being par-
tially offset by depreciation of 340 million euros.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

46

– 1,392

– 85

959

– 153

335

1  Cash and cash equivalents plus readily monetizable financial 
instruments classified as “available for sale” or using the “fair 
value option,” less borrowings, plus positive and less negative fair 
values of hedging transactions.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast 
74

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Net financial position 
in million euros

47

– 374 1 
Payments for 
 acquisitions

– 171 2
Other

– 597 
Dividends  
paid

– 60 
Allocation to 
pension funds

– 153 

At Dec. 31, 2014

1,690 
 Free cash 
flow

1 Including purchase of non-controlling interests with no change of control.
2 Primarily foreign exchange effects.

335 

At Dec. 31, 2015

Financial position
At 2,384 million euros, cash flow from operating 
activities in fiscal 2015 came in above the level of the 
previous year (1,914 million euros). Higher income tax 
payments were offset by, in particular, the increase in 
operating profit. The higher cash flow from operating 
activities is also reflected in net working capital 1 rela-
tive to sales, which improved by 0.4 percentage points 
to 3.8 percent year on year.

The cash outflow in cash flow from investing 
activities (–893 million euros) was lower in 2015 
than in the previous year (–2,231 million euros) due 
to lower investments in subsidiaries and other busi-
ness units. 

The cash flow from financing activities, at 
–1,555 million euros, was below the comparable 
 figure of the prior-year period (447 million euros). 
This was mainly attributable to higher cash inflows 
in the previous year from the partial sale of our 
 securities and time deposits reported under other 
financing transactions.

Cash and cash equivalents  declined compared to 
December 31, 2014 by 52 million euros to 1,176 mil-
lion euros.

€ 1,690  m

free cash flow.

At 1,690 million euros, free cash flow was above the 
level of the previous year (1,333 million euros), mainly 
due to higher cash flow from operating activities.

1  Inventories plus payments on account, receivables from suppliers 
and trade accounts receivable, less trade accounts payable, liabili-
ties to customers, and current sales provisions.

Financing and capital management
Financing of the Group is centrally managed by 
H enkel AG & Co. KGaA. Funds are, as a general rule, 
obtained centrally and distributed  within the Group. 
We pursue a conservative and flexible investment 
and borrowings policy with a balanced investment 
and financing portfolio. The primary goals of our 
financial management are to secure the liquidity and 
creditworthiness of the Group, together with ensur-
ing access at all times to the capital market, and to 
generate a sustainable increase in shareholder value. 
Measures deployed in order to achieve these aims 
include optimization of our capital structure, adop-
tion of an appropriate dividend policy, equity man-
agement, acquisitions, divestments, and debt reduc-
tion. Our capital needs and capital procurement 
activities are coordinated to ensure that require-
ments with respect to earnings, liquidity, security 
and independence are taken into account and prop-
erly balanced. 

In the reporting period, Henkel paid a higher divi-
dend for both ordinary and preferred shares com-
pared to the previous year. Cash flows not required 
for capital expenditures, dividends and interest pay-
ments are used for improving our net financial posi-
tion, for allocations to pension funds, and for financ-
ing acquisitions. We cover our short-term financing 
requirement primarily through commercial paper. 
Our multi-currency commercial paper program is 
additionally secured by a syndicated credit facility.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

75

Our financial management is based on the financial 
ratios defined in our financial strategy (see table of 
key financial ratios). Due to the international orien-
tation of our businesses, a variety of regional statu-
tory and regulatory provisions must be adhered to. 
The current status and amendments to these provi-
sions are centrally monitored and any changes are 
taken into account in our capital management.

Key financial ratios
Due to our positive net financial position, operating 
debt coverage in the reporting period was well above 
the minimum of 50 percent. Our interest coverage 
ratio (EBITDA divided by net interest expense) also 
improved further – supported by higher EBITDA. The 
further improved equity ratio similarly reflects the 
high financial strength of the Group.

Our credit rating is regularly assessed by the rating 
agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. As in the 
previous year, we are rated “A flat”/“A–1” (Standard & 
Poor’s) and “A2”/“P1” (Moody’s). Hence, both Standard 
& Poor’s and Moody’s continue to rate Henkel as 
investment grade, which is the best possible category.

Credit ratings 

48

Standard & Poor’s Moody’s

Long-term

Outlook

Short-term

A flat

Stable

A–1

At December 31, 2015

A2

Stable

P1

Key financial ratios 

Operating debt coverage 
(net income + amortization and depre-
ciation, impairment and write-ups + 
interest element of pension obliga-
tions) / net borrowings and pension 
obligations 

Interest coverage ratio 
(EBITDA / interest result including inter-
est element of pension obligations) 

Equity ratio  
(equity / total assets)

49

2014

2015

274.8 % 1

375.2 %

48.4

75.7

55.6 %

61.9 %

1  Hybrid bond included on 50-percent debt basis.

As of December 31, 2015, our total borrowings 
amounted to 884 million euros, consisting mainly 
of our commercial paper.

Henkel’s financial risk management activities are 
explained in the risks and opportunities report on 
pages 106 to 113. Further detailed information on our 
financial instruments can be found in the financial 
instruments report on pages 155 to 167 of the notes 
to the consolidated financial statements.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast 
76

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

“   The secret’s in  
the mix: In my  
team we all  
learn from  
each other!”

Diversity and  
support

Left: A poster illustrat-
ing Henkel’s global 
campaign  for diver-
sity and an inclusive 
company culture.  
Right: The company 
and many of its 
employees are assist-
ing with the recep-
tion and integration 
of refugees. Here: 
Four employees in 
Düsseldorf prepare 
product donations for 
distribution. 

Employees

At the end of 2015, Henkel employed around 49,450 
people worldwide (annual average: around 49,850). 
The headcount on December 31, 2015 was lower com-
pared to year-end 2014. The expansion of our teams 
in the shared service centers was offset by synergies 
arising from the integration of our acquisitions and 
continuous adjustments in our operating business 
units. Personnel expenses amounted to 3,047 million 
euros. 

In fiscal 2015, we made further progress in success-
fully implementing our human resources strategy 
globally: 
•   We supported the development of our employees 

through a variety of training programs and appren-
ticeships. The extensive program offered by the 
Henkel Global Academy was expanded worldwide 
and supplemented with digital learning platforms.

•   We strengthened our initiatives in the emerging 

markets in particular in order to recruit and effec-
tively develop top talent for Henkel. 

•   We also made significant advances in driving our 
performance-based culture. Within our globally 
standardized system of management assessment, 

we are increasingly focusing on individual inter-
ests and personalized options for career  planning 
and development. 

•   With the continued digitalization of day-to-day 
work through digital networking platforms, we 
have created the essential conditions for efficient 
global collaboration and a lively exchange among 
employees. 

•   We also continued to provide comprehensive sup-
port  for the volunteer activities of our employees 
in 2015 as a key component of our social engage-
ment. In addition to their many volunteer efforts, 
our employees are especially committed to assist-
ing refugees in Germany and Europe. A further 
focus of our social commitment was on support 
for people in areas of crisis or catastrophe. 

Recruiting top talent for Henkel
Among the numerous activities and initiatives we 
engage in to reinforce our image as an attractive 
employer, Henkel effectively utilizes digital options 
for human  resource marketing, both in the search for 
talent and in employee development. Primarily social 
media channels such as Facebook and LinkedIn  make 
it possible to engage in a continuous exchange with 
potential applicants in our target group. LinkedIn 

Employees by region 

50

Employees by organizational unit 

51

Latin America 

7 %

Western Europe  30 %

Functions 

14 %

Adhesive  
Technologies 

54 %

Africa/Middle East 9 %

North America  13 %

Eastern Europe  20 %

Asia-Pacific 

21 %

Beauty Care 

15 %

Laundry &  
Home Care 

17 %

At December 31, 2015

At December 31, 2015

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

77

Employees by activity 

52

Employees by age group 

53

Research and  
development 

6 %

Administration 

14 %

Marketing, selling  
and distribution  28 %

At December 31, 2015

Production  
and engineering  52 %

16–29 years 

18 %

30–39 years 

33 %

50–65 years 

21 %

40–49 years 

28 %

At December 31, 2015

also enables us to approach candidates directly for 
specialized vacancies. The number of fans and fol-
lowers on our social media channels with a focus 
on a career with Henkel has increased by more than 
20 percent compared to 2014. 

Developing employees and providing effective 
training
In 2015 we offered 157 new apprentices in Germany 
the opportunity to join one of our 27 dual-track study 
programs or apprenticeships. Currently, more than 
500 apprentices and students in total are completing 
their professional training at Henkel in Germany.

ties into our Henkel Global Academy. Based on their 
specific needs and development plans, employees 
can choose  general or functionally specific seminars.  
The extensive range of choices is supplemented 
globally by over 500 digital learning options and 
around 500 videos and webinars. 

A particular focus of our human resources strategy is 
the continuous development of our leadership cul-
ture. Starting in 2014 and continuing in 2015, a total 
of 140  top managers have completed our Leadership 
Forum – a week-long seminar in cooperation with 
the Harvard Business School in the USA. 

We firmly believe that, aside from traditional learn-
ing formats such as seminars, the professional and 
personal development of all employees takes place 
primarily in the day-to-day operations of a company. 
Around 90 percent of knowledge is transmitted 
through practical experience and direct interaction 
with supervisors, colleagues and employees. 

We also offer a modular program designed for all 
of our managers. Important components include 
instilling and reinforcing our leadership principles 
as aligned with the employee’s professional situa-
tion. The next generation of managers in the emerg-
ing markets are thoroughly prepared for the special 
challenges of their regions in our EXCEED program.

In order to promote individual  employee develop-
ment in a manner that meets the current market 
needs, we consolidate all of our learning opportuni-

Employees 

(At December 31)

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

Africa/Middle East

North America

Latin America

Asia-Pacific

2011

15,350

8,850

5,300

5,250

3,700

8,800

%

32.5

18.7

11.3

11.1

7.8

18.6

2012

14,600

9,150

5,100

5,200

3,650

8,900

%

31.3

19.7

11.0

11.1

7.8 

19.1

2013

14,400

9,600

4,800

5,150

3,750

9,150

%

30.7

20.5

10.2

11.0

8.0 

19.6

Total

47,250

100.0

46,600

100.0

46,850

100.0

Basis: permanent employees excluding apprentices; figures rounded.

2014

14,900

10,000

4,850

6,200

3,650

10,150

49,750

%

30.0

20.1

9.7

12.5

7.3

20.4

100.0

2015

14,900

9,800

4,700

6,250

3,500

10,300

49,450

54

%

30.2

19.8

9.4

12.7

7.1

20.8

100.0

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast78

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

A performance-based culture put into practice
We again conducted our Development Round Table 
(DRT) in 2015 for some 11,000 managers and excep-
tional non-managerial talent, and we improved the 
internationally standardized process for assessing 
the performance and potential of these employees. 
Employees are now asked to formulate their own 
ideas for career progress so that the next phase can 
be planned in dialog with their managers. Our aim is 
to further align the interests of these employees with 
those of the company. 

Valuing diversity
At Henkel, business success is based on a strong global 
team and diversity among our employees. Diversity 
and an inclusive company culture are key drivers of 
creativity and innovation. We promote and utilize 
diversity within the company, creating an integrated 
environment based on a holistic approach encom-
passing all dimensions – different generations, gen-
ders, cultures and experiences.

To this end, our initiatives in 2015 included a world-
wide campaign at Henkel to foster a deeper under-
standing of “Diversity & Inclusion.” Our goal is to 
further anchor inclusive conduct in our teams and 
sharpen awareness of the contributions of each indi-
vidual. As part of the Diversity Weeks at Henkel, 
numerous virtual and local events, activities and 
 initiatives took place at our sites around the world 
so that differences and diversity could be tangibly 
experienced.

Henkel has been offering highly flexible work mod-
els for years, taking into account the diverse needs of 
our employees. We promote a work environment 
based on trust rather than a culture of simple physi-
cal presence because we believe this is an important 
cornerstone for achieving a balance between career 
and family life, and an advantage in recruiting top 
talent. We can thus achieve greater success by inte-

grating the pursuit of excellent business results with 
the fulfillment of personal needs. Increasing digitali-
zation enables a high degree of flexibility and 
expands the possibilities for mobile work. We expect 
our executives to set an example and support flexible 
work models at Henkel as part of their management 
responsibility.

We also promote international careers and experience 
in intercultural work styles – even at an early stage of 
professional life. Thus we not only systematically sup-
port the professional and personal development of 
our employees, but also inject new perspectives and 
new ways of thinking into their collaboration, 
enhancing the performance and motivation of our 
global teams.

Career development for female managers is an impor-
tant component of the measures we take. Group-wide, 
we have increased our share of women in manage-
ment positions from around 26 percent in 2008 to 
around 33 percent at the end of 2015. 

Acting sustainably and responsibly 
For Henkel, it is a matter of course that, beyond our 
business operations, we accept our responsibility 
toward society around the world. We have organized 
our corporate citizenship activities into three areas: 
We support volunteer work by our employees, main-
tain strategic partnerships for the common good, 
and provide aid in emergencies and in response to 
natural disasters. 

Throughout Europe, helping refugees was a key area 
of focus in 2015. Our commitment concentrated on 
providing humanitarian aid and supporting those of 
our employees and retirees who volunteered their 
assistance in numerous projects.

Overall, we donated more than 8.3 million euros 
around the world in 2015 to sponsor some 3,400 
projects that reached more than 1.5 million people.

Around

33 %

of our managers 
are women.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

79

Educational initiatives are also a key focus of our 
social engagement. Education is an essential founda-
tion on which to build both the personal develop-
ment of each individual and a functioning society. 
We focus primarily on projects and ideas where we 
can use our core competences to really make a posi-
tive difference. Here again, the personal commitment 
of our employees and retirees plays a key role. 

It is not only in the area of corporate citizenship that 
the involvement of our employees makes the differ-
ence. The successful implementation of our sustain-
ability strategy is built on it as well. Therefore, the 
importance of sustainability is a large part of our 
internal communications and specifically integrated 
into our current training and education programs. 
One example is the success of our Sustainability 
Ambassadors program. These ambassadors promote 
the importance of sustainability among colleagues, 
suppliers, customers and students. By the end of 
2015, around 6,200 employees had successfully 
taken part in this program, including the entire Man-
agement Board and all senior management around 
the world, with our ambassadors also reaching out 
to around 63,000 elementary school children in 
43 countries.

Procurement

We use externally sourced materials (raw materials, 
packaging and purchased goods) and services to pro-
duce our finished products. These items all fall under 
the general category of direct materials. Examples 
include washing-active substances (surfactants), 
adhesive components, cardboard boxes and external 
filling services.

Aside from supply and demand, the prices of direct 
materials are mainly determined by the prices of the 
input materials used to manufacture them. Over 
the course of 2015, prices for input materials initially 
rose before declining again in the second half of the 
year. As a result, overall pricing in the fourth quarter 
was lower than in the first quarter. The situation dif-
fered by both region and type of input material. The 
average crude oil price was significantly lower than 
in the previous year. The price for palm kernel oil 
was also below the level of 2014, while prices for cor-
rugated paper and cardboard boxes increased in the 
course of the year. As a result of numerous plant 
shutdowns, prices for ethylene and polyethylene in 
Europe remained particularly high in the first half 
of the year, but normalized again in the second half. 
Overall, prices for direct materials in 2015 were mod-
erately below the level of the previous year.

Direct material expenditures amounted to 7.8 billion 
euros. The increase compared to the previous year is 
primarily attributable to foreign exchange effects and 
acquisitions, which could not be entirely offset by 
savings from cost-reduction measures and improve-
ments in production and supply chain efficiency.

€7.8 bn 

expenditures on 
direct materials.

Our five most important groups of raw materials 
within the direct materials category are raw materi-
als for use in hotmelt adhesives, washing-active sub-
stances (surfactants), raw materials for polyure-
thane-based adhesives, inorganic raw materials, and 
water- and acrylic-based adhesive raw materials. 
These account for around 40 percent of our total 
direct material expenditures. Our five largest suppli-
ers account for around 13 percent of purchasing vol-
ume in direct materials.

Purchases made in the general category of indirect 
materials and services are not directly used in the 
production of our finished products. Examples 
include maintenance materials, and logistics, mar-
keting and IT services. We were able to more than 
compensate for the marginal increases in gross 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast80

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

prices in these areas in 2015 through our global pro-
curement strategy and structural cost reduction mea-
sures. At 5 billion euros, expenditure on indirect 
materials and services for 2015 was above the prior-
year level. The increase compared to the previous 
year is primarily attributable to foreign exchange 
effects and acquisitions.

In order to improve efficiency and secure material 
supplies, we continuously optimize our value chain 
while ensuring that we maintain our level of quality. 
In addition to negotiation of new, competitive con-
tract terms, our ongoing initiative to lower total pro-
curement expenses is a major factor in the success 
of our purchasing strategy. Together with the three 
business units, Purchasing works continuously on 
reducing product complexity, optimizing the raw 
materials mix and further standardizing packaging 
and raw materials. We enter into long-term business 
relationships with selected suppliers to encourage 
the development of innovations, and to optimize 
manufacturing costs and logistics processes. At the 
same time, we ensure the risk of supply shortages is 
minimized. We also agree on individual targets with 
our strategic suppliers to strengthen our negotiating 
position and give us greater flexibility in consolidat-
ing our supplier base. In 2015, we succeeded in reduc-
ing the number of suppliers by another 15 percent.

We were able to increase the efficiency of our pur-
chasing activities by further standardizing, automat-
ing and centralizing our procurement processes. In 
addition to again making greater use of eSourcing 
tools to support our purchasing operations, we have 
also pooled large portions of our purchasing admin-
istration activities – such as order processing, price 
data maintenance, and reporting activities – within 
our shared service centers. As part of our “Sourcing@
Best” initiative, we have consolidated our global stra-
tegic procurement operations into eight regional 

purchasing centers. We have also integrated our pro-
duction, logistics and purchasing activities across all 
business units in one single global supply chain organi-
zation. This organization is based in Amsterdam and 
began operations in November 2014. The first phase 
of the European implementation has been success-
fully completed and a branch office was opened in 
Singapore at the end of 2015.

Given the uncertainties with respect to raw material 
price changes and ensuring supply in the procure-
ment markets, risk management is an important 
part of our purchasing strategy. The emphasis is on 
reducing price and supply risks while maintaining 
consistently high quality. As part of our active price 
management approach, we employ strategies to safe-
guard prices over the longer term. These are imple-
mented both by means of contracts and, where 
appropriate and possible, through financial hedging 
instruments. In order to minimize the risk of sup-
plier default, we stipulate supplier default clauses 
and perform detailed risk assessments of suppliers 
to determine their financial stability. With the aid of 
an external, independent financial services provider, 
we continuously monitor important suppliers whose 
financial situation is seen as critical. If a high risk of 
supplier default is identified, we systematically pre-
pare back-up plans in order to ensure uninterrupted 
supply.

We expect our suppliers and contractual partners to 
conduct themselves in a manner consistent with our 
own corporate ethics and values. The basic require-
ments in this regard are set out in our purchasing 
standards, valid across the Group, and our safety, 
health and environmental standards formulated in 
1997, through which we have long acknowledged 
our responsibility for the entire supply chain. Conse-
quently, in selecting our suppliers and contractual 
partners, we take into account their performance in 

Material expenditures by business unit 

55

Material expenditures by type 

56

Beauty Care 

15 %

Adhesive  
Technologies 

51 %

Purchased goods  
and services 

19 %

Raw materials 

60 %

Laundry &  
Home Care 

34 %

Packaging 

21 %

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

81

terms of sustainable development. We use the cross-
industry Code of Conduct published by the German 
Federal Association of Materials Management, Pur-
chasing and Logistics [BME] as a globally applicable 
supplier code, and the basis for our multi-stage 
Responsible Supply Chain Process. The objective of 
this process is to ensure supplier compliance with 
these standards and to improve the sustainability lev-
els of our supply chain in tandem with our strategic 
suppliers. A global training program ensures that the 
requirements regarding the sustainability profile of 
our suppliers are understood and properly applied by 
our employees in Purchasing.

The evaluation of our suppliers with respect to sus-
tainability is based on a comprehensive assessment 
and audit program which we developed as a common 
standard in 2011 together with five other companies 
in the chemical industry under the initiative 
“Together for Sustainability.” The results of audits 
and assessments are shared among the members of 
the initiative, producing valuable synergies when 
evaluating what are – in many cases – common sup-
pliers. The “Together for Sustainability” initiative 
continued to grow in the past year and now numbers 
18 members. US companies also joined the initiative 
for the first time in the reporting year. Global imple-
mentation of the assessment and audit program was 
further expanded through various events including 
supplier conferences in São Paulo, Brazil, and Shang-
hai, China. The initiative also received recognition 
from Ethical Corporation: In the “Best Supplier 
Engagement” category, “Together for Sustainability” 
was honored with a special commendation. 

170

production sites.

Production

As part of the implementation of our strategy for 
2016, we standardized our production and logistics 
activities across all business units in fiscal 2015, 
combining them with our purchasing activities into 
one global supply chain organization based in the 
Netherlands.

In 2015, Henkel manufactured products of a total 
weight of 7.9 million metric tons at 170 sites in 
55 countries. Our largest production facility is in 
Düsseldorf, Germany. Here we manufacture not 
only laundry detergents and household cleaners but 
also adhesives for consumers and craftsmen, and 
products for our industrial customers.

Cooperation with toll manufacturers is an integral 
component of our production strategy, enabling us 
to optimize our production and logistics structures 
when entering new markets or when volumes are 
still small. We currently purchase around 10 percent 
in additional production tonnage from toll manufac-
turers each year.

Number of production sites 

Laundry & Home Care

Beauty Care

Adhesive Technologies

Total

57

2015

28

7

135

170

2014

28

8

133

169

In the Laundry & Home Care business unit, the 
number of production sites remained unchanged 
versus 2014 at 28. Our plant in Düsseldorf continues 
to be the largest production site for this business 
unit. Here we predominantly manufacture powdered 
and liquid laundry detergents, fabric softeners, liq-
uid cleaning products and dishwasher tabs. In 2015, 
we again implemented numerous measures to sys-
tematically further improve the operational excel-
lence of our plants. Since our production volume 
again increased significantly as a result of higher 
market share and solid organic growth, we continue 
to invest in capacity expansion, with particular focus 
on innovations and emerging markets.

We successfully renewed the external certification of 
Group headquarters and all our plants, confirming 
our compliance with international quality, environ-
mental, safety and energy management standards. 
Continuous improvements in sustainability enabled 
us to make significant progress in our focal areas of 
safety and resource conservation, helped, not least, 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast 
82

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

by the ongoing expansion of our centralized real-
time system that measures total resource use around 
the world and systematically evaluates the findings. 

In the logistics field, we made further adaptations to 
warehousing capacities while also pursuing integra-
tion of the new acquisitions. We also consistently 
worked to optimize the geographical footprint of 
our warehouses in an effort to reduce transportation 
mileage to customers and encourage supply flexibility. 
These adjustments, coupled with the increased use 
of transportation vehicles that comply with the Euro 6 
emission standard, constitute further steps in reduc-
ing carbon dioxide emissions along the entire value 
chain. Further efforts focused on collaborating with 
individual retail partners to optimize the flow of 
goods and increase the availability of products on the 
shelves. This enabled us to again achieve a high level 
of delivery service worldwide that ranks us among 
the very best in our industry. 

Our Beauty Care business unit continued its focus 
on driving a significant increase in agility and on out-
standing customer service in 2015 in order to enable 
a faster and more flexible response to changes in the 
market. We achieved a significant improvement in 
our service level through better integration of our 
planning processes along the entire supply chain 
right up to the interface with our customers. Our 
efforts also focused on complexity control to raise 
efficiency when managing the product diversity that 
Beauty Care offers to meet the diverse needs of its 
global customer base. 

We expanded specific capacities at our Western 
European sites and adjusted them to market needs. 
The biggest single investment was in our site at 
 Wassertrüdingen in Germany, where we installed a 
new high-speed filling system for liquid products in 
mid-2015, which allows us to keep pace with the 
growing demands of our customers. In addition to 
capital expenditures at European sites, we also 
invested extensively in non-European sites to sup-
port organic growth. Production capacity was 
expanded in Asia, America and Eastern Europe, and 
particularly at the plant we acquired in Russia at the 
end of 2013, to enable us to supply local markets with  
even greater speed and efficiency.

In an environment characterized by fierce compe-
tion, we also focused on further improving efficiency 
and enhancing our flexibility. The motivation of our 
employees – especially our TPM/lean teams – to con-
tinuously optimize processes, again enabled us to 
increase both quality and productivity.

We have aligned the global production network in 
our Adhesive Technologies business unit to higher 
demand – especially in emerging markets. We are 
investing in the introduction of modern and the 
optimization of existing production technologies. At 
the same time, we are continuously improving the 
efficiency of our production structures in order to 
generate further cost and quality advantages in prod-
uct manufacturing.

In the year under review, two key projects in the form 
of our multi-technology sites in China and India were 
taken forward with a view to expanding our produc-
tion capacities. The foundation stone was laid for a 
new plant in India in 2015, whereas the capacities of 
the plant we opened in China in 2013 were extended. 
Both sites combine various production technologies 
in a shared infrastructure to leverage economies of 
scale. 

New production technologies – for manufacturing 
adhesives for the automotive industry, for example – 
were rolled out, especially in the emerging markets, 
to enable us to manufacture our products even more 
efficiently, cheaply and sustainably. We develop new 
products to satisfy customer-specific requirements, 
and invest accordingly in modern manufacturing 
facilities. We continue to focus on improving the 
production structures and workflows at our plants. 
Our lean teams once again introduced a range of 
optimization measures at our production sites. 

As an important aspect in our promise of quality, our 
optimization efforts in all three business units aim 
to reduce the environmental footprint of our produc-
tion activities. We focus in particular on cutting 
energy use, thereby contributing to climate protec-
tion, on reducing material input and waste volume, 
and on lowering water usage and wastewater pollu-
tion. New warehousing concepts and the production 
of packaging materials directly on-site where filling 
takes place reduce transport mileage and thus also 
contribute to climate protection.

Overall, our global programs in 2015 resulted in 
68 percent of our sites reducing their energy use, 
75 percent decreasing their water usage, and 59 per-
cent lowering their waste footprint.

Keeping our “Factor 3” goal in mind for the year 2030, 
we set concrete interim targets for our production 
sites which, by the end of 2015, we had managed to 
exceed.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

83

Sustainability targets  
from 2011 through 2015 and current status 

58

Research and development

Expenditures by the Henkel Group for research and 
development (R&D) in the reporting period amounted 
to 478 million euros (adjusted for restructuring 
charges: 464 million euros) compared to 413 million 
euros (adjusted: 410 million euros) in 2014. The 
increase is mainly the result of foreign exchange 
effects and acquisitions. As a percentage of sales, 
we spent 2.6 percent (adjusted: 2.6 percent) on 
research and development (2014: 2.5 percent, 
adjusted: 2.5 percent).

In 2015, personnel expenses accounted for around 
60 percent of total R&D spending. Our research and 
development costs were fully expensed; no product- 
or technology-related development costs were capi-
talized in accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRS).

R&D expenditures 1 
in million euros 

59

2.6 %

R&D expenditures 
in percent of sales.

2011

410

2012

408

2013

415

2014

2015

413

478

0

100

200

300

400

500

1  Including restructuring charges of:  
14 million euros (2011), 2 million euros (2012), 1 million euros 
(2013), 3 million euros (2014), 14 million euros (2015). 

R&D expenditures by business unit 

60

Beauty Care 

15 %

Adhesive  
Technologies 

63 %

Laundry &  
Home Care 

22 %

Environmental indicators 
per ton of production 
volume 

Energy used

Water used

Waste generated

Occupational accidents 2

Target

– 15 %

– 15 %

– 15 %

– 20 %

Status

– 18 %

– 23 %

– 17 % 1

– 33 %

1 Excluding construction and demolition waste: – 29 %.
2 Per million hours worked.
Base year 2010.

Compared to the base year 2010, we managed by the 
end of 2015 to reduce the energy used per ton of prod-
uct by 18 percent, our water usage by 23 percent, and 
our waste footprint by 17 percent. 

We are continuing our efforts to further improve our 
performance in these areas in the coming years as we 
move toward our long-term goal of “Factor 3.” To this 
end, we have defined the following new medium-
term targets: By 2020, we want to reduce the direct 
and indirect carbon dioxide emissions of our pro-
duction sites, the water we use and the waste we gen-
erate by 30 percent per ton of product in each case, 
relative to 2010 as our base year. 

We have also defined further areas of program focus, 
including more concerted efforts to save water in 
regions where it is scarce, to reduce landfill waste, to 
increase the use of renewable energies, and to lower 
carbon dioxide emissions associated with the trans-
portation of our products. 

For further details on our sustainability targets, 
please see pages 61 to 63 and our Sustainability 
Report on our website at:  

  www.henkel.com/sustainabilityreport

Our standards for safety, health and the environ-
ment, and the Henkel Social Standards, apply to all 
our sites worldwide. Using a clearly defined process 
consisting of communication, training and audits, 
we ensure compliance with these standards, espe-
cially at the production level.

We have the environmental management systems at 
our sites externally certified wherever this is recog-
nized by our partners in the respective markets. By 
the end of 2015, around 95 percent of our production 
volume came from sites certified to ISO 14001, the 
internationally recognized standard for environmen-
tal management systems.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast84

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Selected research and development sites 

61

Madison Heights, USA
Bridgewater, USA 
Rocky Hill, USA 

Irvine, USA 
Scottsdale, USA

Toluca, Mexico

Bogotá, Colombia

Düsseldorf, Germany 
Hamburg, Germany
Heidelberg, Germany

Moscow, 
Russia

Dublin,  
Ireland

Barcelona, 
Spain

Dubai, United 
Arab Emirates

Shanghai, China
Seoul, South Korea 
Tokyo, Japan

Pune, India

São Paulo, 
Brazil

Johannesburg,  
South Africa

Sydney, Australia

On an annual average, around 2,800 employees 
worked in research and development (2014: 2,650). 
This corresponds to around 6 percent of the total 
workforce. Our teams are composed of natural scien-
tists – predominantly chemists – as well as material 
scientists, engineers and technicians.

Key R&D figures 

62

R&D expenditures 1 
(in million euros)

R&D expenditures 1 
(in % of sales)

Employees 2 
(annual average)

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

396

406

414

410

464

2.5

2.6

2.6

2.5

2.6

2,650

2,650

2,600

2,650

2,800

1  Adjusted for restructuring charges.
2  Figures rounded.

Our capital expenditures and the capabilities of our 
highly qualified employees form the foundation on 
which the success of our R&D activities is built. More-
over, our Group-wide cooperation models, successful 
project outsourcing as part of our Open Innovation 
strategy, and the relocation of resources in the direc-
tion of emerging markets all demonstrate our ongoing 
focus on innovation and our concerted efforts to con-
tinuously reduce our resource consumption while 
maintaining or improving performance.

Strengthening research and development 
together
The research and development experts in the three 
business units align their project portfolios to the 
specific needs of their individual businesses. They 
work together on fundamental processes, basic inno-
vation, evaluating partners for innovation, and on 
sustainability. The Research and Development Com-
mittee is responsible for Group-wide coordination.

One example of the joint approach is our coordination 
on the topic of “Quantum Leaps in Research and Devel-
opment,” where the primary focus is on processes to 
improve both the number and likelihood of success of 
disruptive innovations. Basic innovations in common 
areas of knowledge are continually exchanged between 
the business units, through both formal and informal 
channels. This is particularly relevant to all surface-
modifying technologies such as surfactants, multi-
functional polymers and silicones. The documenta-
tion of advances in sustainability made within the 
development projects is also standardized across the 
three business units.

Open Innovation
Our innovations come from both internal and external 
sources. Therefore, the concept of Open Innovation 
continues to hold great significance for us. Accord-
ingly, we have intensified our efforts to involve exter-
nal partners such as universities, research institutes 
and suppliers in many of our development projects.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

85

The following examples demonstrate the success 
achieved with our Open Innovation concept:
•   Our innovation partner Evonik was honored by 

the Laundry & Home Care business unit with the 
“Best Innovation Contributor Award 2015” for 
the exclusive development of an innovative repair 
polymer initially rolled out in 2015 under the 
brands Der General and Brillantes. Many consum-
ers have the problem of scratched surfaces that 
lose their shine. The unique semi-permanent lam-
ination technology smooths away scratched sur-
faces and cracks. The patent-pending polymer can 
significantly improve a faded surface shine even 
with the first application. Successive applications 
enhance this innovative effect even more.

•   Our long-time partner BASF was honored with the 
“Best Innovation Contributor Award 2015” by the 
Beauty Care business unit for continuous and suc-
cessful collaboration in the area of micro-emul-
sions for body cleansing products. Micro-emulsifi-
cation enables the use of higher concentrations of 
caring oils in transparent surfactant formulations 
for improved care performance. This micro-oil 
technology was used for the first time in 2014 in 
the oil-infused shampoos of the Bonacure brand in 
the Hair Salon business, before being adapted in 
2015 for shower gels under the body care brands 
Fa in Europe and Dial  in North America.

•   The Japanese technology company  Kaneka, which 
manufactures a broad range of special polymers 
for various industrial applications, was awarded 
the “Supplier Innovation Award” for the second 
consecutive year by the Adhesive Technologies 
business unit. Kaneka’s close cooperation with us 
in Germany, the USA and Asia gives us early access 
to its latest developments in high-performance 
specialty polymers which support our latest solu-
tions in liquid sealants for the automotive, elec-
tronics and industrial markets.  

Research and development worldwide
In addition to its central research laboratories,  
Henkel maintains regional research and development 
sites around the world as hubs for innovative prob-
lem-solving. Worldwide research and development 
activity is managed globally by the business units. 
Research-intensive basic technologies are developed 
at a central location with optimal access to external 
resources. These basic technologies are applied in the 

regional research and development sites to customer 
and market-specific innovations. At the same time, 
the research and development staff in the regional 
sites obtain information about specific problems for 
the next generation of innovations, working in close 
contact with markets and customers. The new basic 
technologies needed for the relevant solutions are 
again developed centrally.

The following examples illustrate the contribution 
made by our regional research and development lab-
oratories:
•    Our acquisition of Spotless’ research laboratory for 
insect control products in Barcelona, Spain, in 
2014 enabled the Laundry & Home Care business 
unit to further expand its technological expertise 
in this field. Products are developed for both global 
and regional use at this site. With ZenSect anti-
mosquito sticks, Henkel researchers were success-
ful in developing an innovative and highly effec-
tive mosquito repellent for the European market 
based on a completely new principle. The active 
substance is derived from natural ingredients and 
the mechanism is found in crop plants. It targets 
the sensory ability of the insect and suppresses its 
urge to sting.

•   The growing importance of the emerging markets 
also impacts the R&D strategy of the Beauty Care 
business unit. In the regional testing and develop-
ment centers in Shanghai, China, in Johannesburg, 
South Africa, and in Bogotá, Colombia, individual 
products are developed that take account of ethnic 
distinctions and specific customer needs. For the 
Asian market, silicone-free transparent anti-dan-
druff shampoos were developed and successfully 
launched under the Syoss brand. Soaps, deodorant 
sprays and shower gels were developed for the 
Arab markets with the special scent of Oud, reflect-
ing the Arab perfume tradition.

•   The Adhesive Technologies business unit provides 
local expertise and solutions through a global net-
work of technology centers. Our center in Pune, 
India, focuses on the requirements of the automo-
tive and manufacturing industry based in that area. 
The local product development team specializes 
in creating highly specific customer solutions – 
in the growing fields of maintenance, repair and 
overhaul or in industrial fabrication and produc-
tion, for example. 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast86

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Contributing to sustainability
Worldwide, growth and quality of life need to be 
decoupled from resource use and emissions. Our con-
tribution here lies in the development of innovative 
products and processes that consume less resources 
while offering the same or better performance. It is 
therefore both our duty and our desire to ensure that 
all new products contribute to sustainable develop-
ment in at least one of our six defined focal areas. 
These are systematically integrated within our inno-
vation process. Early on, our researchers must demon-
strate the specific advantages of their project in regard 
to product performance, added value for our custom-
ers, resource efficiency, and social progress. We thus 
aim to combine product performance and quality with 
social and environmental responsibility. Our focus in 
this respect is on two goals. The first is to continu-
ously improve the sustainability profile of the raw 
materials we use, in collaboration with our suppliers. 
The second is to help our customers and consumers 
reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions 
through our innovations.

Life cycle analyses, profiles of potential raw materi-
als and packaging options, and our many years of 
experience in sustainable development help us to 
identify and evaluate improvement opportunities 
right from the start of the product development 
 process. A key tool in this respect is our “Henkel 
Sustainability#Master®.” This evaluation system cen-
ters around a matrix based on the individual links in 
our value chains and on our six focal areas. It shows 
which areas are most relevant from a sustainability 
perspective, and allows a transparent and quantifi-
able comparison to be made between two products 
or processes. 

Our scientists again made valuable contributions to 
the company’s success through their innovations in 
2015. A selection of particularly outstanding research 
projects is provided in the examples below:
•    Washing at lower temperatures makes a significant 
contribution to climate protection. Working with 
its strategic partner, Novozymes, the Laundry & 
Home Care business unit developed high-perfor-

mance enzymes for a new generation of formulas. 
This was the basis for the successful introduction 
of the Persil ProClean brand in the USA. A high-
performance formula – patent pending and 
designed specifically for US requirements – dis-
plays its powerful washing performance even at 
low temperatures both in the cold wash cycle and 
in high-efficiency washing machines. Consumers 
experience the dual benefits of a superior cleaning 
result combined with lower energy usage. Novo-
zymes was honored with the “Sustainability Award 
2015” in recognition of this innovation.

•   An important aspect of sustainability is recycling, 
which includes both the ability to recycle and the 
use of recycled materials. As the result of a joint 
development project with packaging supplier Ball 
Corporation, Henkel is able to use aerosol cans 
with a 25-percent recycled aluminum content for 
deodorant sprays under the Fa, Souplesse and  
Neutromed brands. The aluminum recycling pro-
cess uses significantly less energy than the expen-
sive production of primary aluminum from baux-
ite. Furthermore, this mixture of aluminum 
produces greater rigidity, which means that signif-
icant material savings of around 10 percent can be 
achieved with these aerosol cans. The two effects 
combined result in a reduction of more than 
20 percent in the CO2 footprint per aluminum can. 
Ball Corporation was presented with the “Sustain-
ability Award 2015” for this contribution to sus-
tainability.

•   The development of the innovative solder paste 
Loctite GC 10 once again highlights the leading 
role of the Adhesive Technologies business unit in 
sustainability. This new, thermally stable technol-
ogy is used in the assembly of electronic compo-
nents. The solder paste’s technical properties allow 
it to be stored and transported at room tempera-
ture. In contrast to conventional solutions, cold 
storage is no longer needed. Loctite GC 10 contrib-
utes to a significant reduction in energy use dur-
ing storage and avoids the need for transportation 
by air freight. It also reduces defects, as Loctite 
GC 10 can be handled more easily and has a longer 
open time in our customers’ production processes. 

 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

87

Fritz Henkel Award for Innovation 2015

  www.vernel.de

  www.schwarzkopf.com

  www.loctite.com.au/mobile-bonding

Fritz Henkel Award for Innovation
Each year we select a number of outstanding devel-
opments for our Fritz Henkel Award for Innovation. 
In 2015, the innovation award went to three interna-
tional, interdisciplinary project teams for the realiza-
tion and successful commercialization of the follow-
ing concepts:
•   A new and innovative active care ingredient has 
enabled successful transfer of the attractive oil 
concept from cosmetics to fabric softeners for the 
Vernel Soft & Oils line. The new formulation, 
developed with our innovation partner BASF, 
makes it possible to combine significantly more 
efficient care ingredients and  premium fragrant 
oils for the first time, providing exceptional fresh-
ness, deep-down laundry care and improved 
 softness. This new generation of fabric softeners, 
which is unique worldwide,  features an inno-
vative aesthetic transparency combined with a 
sophisticated packaging design. The fragrant 
appeal is enhanced by the lingering presence of 
special premium perfumes on the laundry. Use 
of the high-performance active care ingredients 
makes a positive contribution to  sustainability.
•   Years of research into the structure of hair matrix 
keratins has led to the development of patented 
Keratin Color technology that opens up a new 
dimension in coloring performance and care: A 
care complex containing specific keratin compo-
nents in the pre-lotion, coloration cream and con-
ditioner provides triple-action protection before, 
during and after the coloring process. The result is 
maximum coloring performance with 100 percent 
gray coverage and outstanding care that reduces 
hair breakage by up to 80 percent. With the devel-
opment of its Keratin Color technology and the 

Keratin Color brand, the Beauty Care business unit 
continues to further expand the care colorants cate-
gory – which also includes the successful Diadem 
brand — in order to respond to the consumer need 
for care and protection. The parallel marketing in 
Europe and during the market launch of Schwarz-
kopf in the USA has helped to reinforce Henkel’s 
global leadership in innovation.

•   A global team of experts from the Adhesive Tech-

nologies business has developed a novel Total Solu-
tion for assembling mobile phones. The approach 
combines offering structural adhesives for bonding 
the mobile phone frame to the cover glass with pre-
cise and intelligent dispensing equipment. Both 
the structural adhesive and dispensing equipment 
are designed and tailor-made by Adhesive Technol-
ogies to meet the specific needs of our individual 
customers. The Total Solution approach allows our 
customers a single point of contact for all applica-
tion support and accountability, helping to secure 
the long-term business for Henkel. It also provides 
Henkel total control of the application and results. 
In addition, the novel Henkel technology, which is 
already being deployed by several leading manufac-
turers, offers improved sustainability: reduced 
waste in production, increased occupational safety, 
and advanced recyclability of devices. 

We hold more than 8,150 patents to protect our tech-
nologies around the world. Approximately 5,400 pat-
ents are currently pending. And we have registered 
around 1,600 design patents to protect our designs.

Further information on our research and develop-
ment activities can be found on our website 

  www.henkel.com/innovation

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast88

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Marketing and distribution

We put our customers at the center of what we do. 
Hence we align our marketing and distribution activ-
ities in our business units to the requirements of 
each specific audience and target group. To further 
strengthen our top brands and continue the success-
ful commercialization of our innovations, we man-
age our marketing activities and investments using 
clear priorities set according to category and region. 
In distribution, we focus on strategic partnerships 
while aiming for above-average growth with our top 
customers. In response to the growing importance 
of eCommerce, we have intensified our cooperation 
with various online retailers and expanded our 
eCommerce offering for industrial customers.

In the Laundry & Home Care business unit, we 
develop our marketing strategies and product innova-
tions on a global scale, adapt them to regional cus-
tomer needs and market conditions, and implement 
them at the local level. We thus ensure central, effi-
cient management of our brands and an innovation 
process that enables us to recognize consumer trends 
early on and to implement new products quickly 
while at the same time remaining closely attuned to 
local needs. We are steadily increasing the use of 
 digital media communication – particularly social 
media – to develop our media strategies and engage 
our consumers in the most effective way possible. 

To enhance sales, we opened a Global Experience 
Center in Düsseldorf in February 2015, creating a new 
platform for deepening our cooperation with inter-
national customers, developing tailored solutions to 
meet the specific requirements of our partners, and 
identifying opportunities to create value together. 
At various stations, this customer center shows the 
business unit’s expertise and innovative concepts – 
from new product offerings and digitalization to sus-
tainability and shopper marketing. Each station at 
the center is designed to be interactive, allowing visi-
tors to explore the world of laundry and cleaning 
products with all of their senses. We have continued 
to expand our expertise in the areas of shopper intel-
ligence and shopper marketing. This is an essential 
component of our strength in sales and we are con-
tinuing to reinforce it. 

Our efficient processes, effective communication 
with consumers, and our strategic partnerships with 
the trade enable us to successfully manage our global 
brand portfolio and to strengthen it with viable inno-
vations, both now and into the future. 

In the Beauty Care business unit, we develop market-
ing and sales strategies for both our Branded Con-
sumer Goods and our Hair Salon businesses on a 
global scale, and then implement them at the local 
level. Within our Branded Consumer Goods opera-
tion, the Beauty Care Lighthouse, which opened in 
Düsseldorf in 2012, has established itself as a central 
point of contact for our customers worldwide. This is 
an interactive customer center with six stations dedi-
cated to Innovation, Digital Consultation, Point-of-
Sale Marketing, Research and Development, Formula-
tion, and Sustainability. Customers can, for example, 
test innovations themselves, fill store shelves virtu-
ally, or try out innovative point-of-sale consultation 
tools such as digital hair-color testing. In addition to 
traditional advertising and point-of-sale activities, 
digital marketing is a key element of our marketing 
strategy. We are focusing in particular on developing 
direct consumer interaction through social media. 

In the Hair Salon business, we also rely on collabo-
rating in close partnership with our customers. 
As an additional service, our globally established 
 Schwarzkopf Academies offer state-of-the-art special-
ist seminars and ongoing training programs with the 
focus very much on the hair salon as an enterprise. In 
parallel, our Schwarzkopf sales force ensures that our 
partners receive comprehensive advice at the local 
level to continuously enhance the technical skills and 
commercial success of our salon partners.

Closeness to customers and consumers in both the 
Branded Consumer Goods and Hair Salon businesses 
ensures the continued ability of the Beauty Care 
business unit to successfully bring innovation to 
market. 

As the leading solution provider for adhesives, 
 sealants and functional coatings worldwide, the  
Adhesive Technologies business unit covers virtu-
ally the entire spectrum of the global adhesives mar-
ket with its specialized market sectors. 

We develop our marketing strategies at both the 
global and regional level. The measures derived from 
our planning are then implemented locally. Our 
strong, internationally established brands are a cen-
tral element in the range of products and services we 
offer. Within our branding strategy, we consistently 
leverage our five global technology cluster brands in 
the industrial markets and our four brand platforms 
in the consumer business. 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

89

Around

6,500

specialists serving 
our Adhesive  
Technologies  
customers.

With our decades of experience in aligning our 
 activities to sustainable development, we are able 
to position ourselves as a leader in the field and as 
a partner capable of offering our customers future-
capable solutions. And we cooperate closely with our 
customers in trade and industry in the development 
and implementation of viable concepts. 

In order to convey to our customers and consumers 
the added value of our innovations – best possible 
performance combined with responsibility toward 
people and the environment – we use direct product 
communication supported by more detailed informa-
tion provided in new media such as electronic news-
papers and online platforms, as well as events and 
campaigns implemented together with our partners. 

Last year, we combined these approaches in a joint 
program for our three business units: “Say yes! to the 
future” provides sales training for our employees and 
strengthens our cooperation with our trade 
customers.  

We intend to increase our involvement in the 
 development of appropriate measurement and 
assessment methods in order to facilitate effective, 
credible communication of our contributions to sus-
tainability. To this end, we have developed a variety 
of tools, which are integrated within our “Henkel 
Sustainability#Master®.” We have launched various 
projects in collaboration with selected partners to 
improve and standardize measurement and assess-
ment methods.

For further information on the products and brands of 
our three business units, please go to our website at 

  www.henkel.com/brands-and-businesses

We have around 130,000 direct industry and retail 
customers who are generally serviced by our own 
sales teams. Our retail customers, in turn, service the 
needs of private users, craftsmen and smaller indus-
trial customers more efficiently than would be the 
case through direct channels.

With around 6,500 in-house specialists, we foster 
long-term contact with our customers and have 
acquired an in-depth understanding of their various 
areas of application. In light of the significant com-
plexity of many of our solutions and technologies, 
first-rate technical customer service and thorough 
user training are of key importance. Our global pres-
ence enables us to provide technical services to cus-
tomers worldwide as well as in-depth product train-
ing on site. In 2015, we opened a training center for 
flexible packaging in Mumbai – the first facility of its 
kind in India. It follows Düsseldorf and Shanghai as 
Henkel’s third global training facility where we offer 
both theoretical and practical courses in adhesives 
for flexible packaging. 

As part of our digitalization strategy, the expansion 
of our eCommerce platform “Henkel POD” is an 
important focus in our drive to make our ordering 
process even easier for our industrial customers. 
Orders totaling over one billion euros were settled 
through the platform in the reporting period. 

In addition to digital communications, our efforts to 
reach as many consumers and craftsmen as possible 
include the continued use of conventional advertis-
ing and measures to attract our target groups at the 
point of sale.

Based on our close customer relationships and our 
comprehensive technical expertise, we will continue 
to offer tailored solutions and innovative branded  
products that provide sustainable added value for 
our customers in the future. 

The importance of sustainability in our relation-
ships with customers and consumers continues 
to grow in all three business units. Our customers 
expect their suppliers to ensure compliance with 
global environmental, safety, and social standards. 
Our standards and management systems, our many 
years of experience in sustainability reporting, and 
excellent appraisals by external rating agencies all 
help us to convince our audience of our credentials 
in this domain. Moreover, the credible implementa-
tion of our sustainability strategy strengthens both 
our brands and the reputation of our company in the 
marketplace. 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast90

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Laundry & Home Care

Highlights

Sales growth

+ 4.9 %

organic sales growth 

Adjusted 1   
operating profit

Adjusted 1  
return on sales

€879 m

17.1 %

adjusted 1 operating profit (EBIT):  
up 17.4 percent

adjusted 1 return on sales (EBIT):  
up 0.9 percentage points

Persil Power-Mix Caps
With new Persil Power-Mix Caps, 
Persil is setting new standards in 
the  rapidly growing market for 
 pre- portioned detergents. The 
 product uniquely combines the 
exceptional cleaning performance 
of a concentrated gel with the 
 whitening performance of a powder. 
The result is laundry that is well 
 protected against graying.   

Perwoll Care & Repair
Perwoll Care & Repair is the first 
fiber-repair detergent from Perwoll 
able to visibly reduce fuzzing and  
pilling in hard-worn garments by up 
to 80 percent. It thus addresses a 
relevant consumer need. The rich 
formula with Repairzyme® also 
 prevents new fuzzing and pilling 
of the fibers – a new dimension in 
fabric care. 

High-performance cleaners
Cleaners with new formulas that repel 
water and dirt for enhanced perfor-
mance. For example, Bref  Brillante 
Vetri impregnates the glass surface, 
repelling dirt and preventing contam-
inant build-up for shine that lasts five 
times longer. Other uses include the 
lime-repelling effect in bathroom 
cleaners, a grease-stop effect in 
kitchen cleaners, and water and dust 
protection in multi-purpose cleaners. 

  www.persil.nl

  www.perwoll.de

  www.henkel-reiniger.de

Key financials * 

in million euros

Sales

Proportion of Henkel sales

Operating profit (EBIT)

Adjusted operating  
profit (EBIT)

Return on sales (EBIT)

Adjusted return on sales (EBIT)

Return on capital 
employed (ROCE)

63

Sales development * 

2014

2015

+/–

in percent

4,626

5,137

11.0 %

Change versus previous year

28 %

615

28 %

786

–

Foreign exchange

27.8 %

Adjusted for foreign exchange

Acquisitions / divestments

749

879

17.4 %

13.3 %

16.2 %

15.3 %

17.1 %

2.0 pp

0.9 pp

Organic

of which price 

of which volume

23.4 %

21.1 %

– 2.3 pp

Economic Value Added (EVA®)

391

469

20.0 %

pp = percentage points 
*  Calculated on the basis of units of 1,000 euros;  

figures commercially rounded. 

1  Adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring charges.

* Calculated on the basis of units of 1,000 euros.

64

2015

11.0

1.1

9.9

5.0

4.9

2.2

2.7

 
 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

91

Economic environment and market position

eners and insect control products for household 
applications.

Top brands

In 2015, the relevant world market for laundry and 
home care showed moderate growth. Price and pro-
motional competition remained high in almost all 
regions. However, we saw a further increase in inten-
sity, particularly in Western Europe and Germany.

Nevertheless, our growth again significantly out-
paced the relevant global market in 2015. As a result, 
we were able to further expand share in our relevant 
markets and strengthen our leadership position. 
Both the sustained success of our strong brands and 
the successful global introduction of our innovations 
contributed to this solid performance.

Market performance in the mature markets was posi-
tive. In Western Europe, the relevant market for laun-
dry and home care products showed a slight increase 
overall, with growth in Germany and France as the 
main contributors. Driven by positive performance 
in the USA, the North American markets also 
recorded slightly positive growth following the con-
tractions of previous years. In this market environ-
ment, the business unit was able to further expand 
its market share, particularly in Western Europe.

Developments in the emerging markets varied. Mar-
ket growth in our relevant markets in the Africa/ 
Middle East region remained below the figure of the 
previous year as a result of the challenging market 
environment. The market in Eastern Europe recorded 
significantly stronger growth than in previous years, 
mainly reflecting inflation. In Latin America, the rel-
evant market for laundry and home care products 
showed a slight increase. Overall, we were able to 
generate a very strong increase in our market shares 
in emerging markets.

Business activity and strategy

The Laundry & Home Care business unit is globally 
active in the laundry and home care branded con-
sumer goods business. The Laundry Care business 
includes not only heavy-duty and specialty deter-
gents but also fabric softeners, laundry performance 
enhancers, and other fabric care products. The prod-
uct range was successfully expanded with the brands 
of the France-based Spotless Group acquired in 2014, 
and now encompasses additional products such as 
color catcher sheets and fabric dyes. The product 
portfolio of our Home Care business encompasses 
hand and automatic dishwashing products, cleaners 
for bathroom and WC applications, and household, 
glass and specialty cleaners. We also offer air fresh-

Our aim is to continue generating profitable growth 
through continuous expansion of our current 
 business and targeted acquisitions. We pursue 
 continuous gains in market share accompanied by 
improvements to margin. In order to drive sustained 
growth in Laundry & Home Care, we intend to 
 further expand the ratio of sales from emerging 
 markets while also raising the profitability of those 
markets to the higher level of the mature markets. 
We also aim to further strengthen our leading 
 positions in mature markets.

Our strategy of profitable growth is supported partic-
ularly by strong brands and innovations that offer 
added value for consumers. Our efficient marketing 
and distribution processes have again enabled us to 
identify consumer trends at an early stage and bring 
a number of relevant innovations to market. Accord-
ingly, successful product launches again contributed 
substantially to our positive business performance 
in the year under review. Our innovation rate 1 in 2015 
was once again over 45 percent. Prioritizing categories 
and centrally steering our global brand portfolio helps 
us to direct our investments specifically toward 
those segments that offer growth and profitability, 
enabling us to generate above-average growth with 
our most important brands and market segments.

In 2015, we generated 79 percent of our sales with 
our top 10 brand clusters. A brand cluster com-
prises individual global and local brands that share 
a common brand positioning internationally. By 
adopting this approach, we generate synergies in 
our marketing mix.

Acquisitions are part of our global strategy. Our aim 
is to invest in attractive category positions to accel-
erate our growth in profitable segments. In 2015, 
we expanded our business with the purchase of the 
entire range of laundry detergent and pre-wash 
brands previously marketed by Colgate-Palmolive 
Company in Australia and New Zealand, thereby 
strengthening our position in the Asia-Pacific region. 
Integration of the businesses we acquired in 2014 is 
proceeding successfully and according to plan.

1  Percentage share of sales generated with new products launched 
onto the market within the last three years.

Over

45 %

innovation rate 1.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast92

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Sales and profits

Sales Laundry & Home Care 
in million euros 

and supply chain efficiency enabled us to increase 
gross margin. Lower prices for direct materials also 
had a positive effect. 

65

2011

4,304

2012

4,556

2013

4,580

2014

4,626

2015

5,137

Return on capital employed (ROCE) decreased versus 
the prior year to 21.1 percent, attributable primarily 
to acquisitions and foreign exchange. Economic 
Value Added (EVA®) increased by 78 million euros 
to 469 million euros. We were able to improve net 
working capital as a percentage of sales. The figure 
of –6.7 percent was below the already low level of 
the previous year.

0

1,500

3,000

4,500

6,000

Business areas

For the first time, the Laundry & Home Care business 
unit achieved sales in excess of 5 billion euros in a 
fiscal year, while also recording solid organic growth. 
Adjusted return on sales showed a very strong 
increase. The business unit therefore continued its 
path of profitable growth again in 2015. 

+ 4.9 %

organic sales 
growth.

Organically (i.e. adjusted for foreign exchange 
and acquisitions/divestments), sales increased by 
4.9 percent. This was significantly above the perfor-
mance of the relevant markets. Sales performance 
was driven by both price and volume.

In the following, we comment on our organic sales 
performance in the regions.

The emerging markets registered a very strong increase 
in sales and were once again the biggest driver of 
organic growth in Laundry & Home Care. The regions  
Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia (excluding 
Japan) each contributed very strong sales growth. The 
Africa/Middle East region also showed a very strong 
increase in sales. Compared to the previous year, how-
ever, growth slowed due to the difficult market condi-
tions prevailing. 

Performance in the mature markets was positive. The 
North America region achieved a solid increase in 
sales; sales growth in Western Europe was positive. 

Adjusted operating profit (EBIT) rose by 17.4 percent 
from 749 million euros to 879 million euros. Adjusted 
return on sales reached 17.1 percent with a very strong 
increase of 0.9 percentage points compared to the 
previous year. Our innovation initiatives and ongoing 
measures to reduce costs and enhance production 

In the following, we comment on the organic sales 
performance of our two business areas.

Laundry Care
The Laundry Care business area posted a solid sales 
performance, driven by continued expansion of the 
leading positions of our core brand Persil and the 
introduction of successful innovations. 

In the premium detergent category, we introduced a 
high-performance detergent under the Persil brand 
in the USA: New Persil ProClean has a unique and 
powerful formula for outstanding laundry results. 
The Persil ProClean line covers the relevant segments 
with liquid, powder and pre-portioned detergents. 
We introduced new Persil Power-Mix Caps into the 
rapidly growing market for pre-portioned detergents 
in Western and Eastern Europe. These combine 
the product advantages of a concentrated gel with 
the whitening performance of a powder, resulting 
in impressive cleaning power and extra protection 
against graying.

For price-conscious consumers in emerging markets, 
we initiated a new and differentiated positioning 
approach for our heavy-duty detergents under vari-
ous brands in the value-for-money segment. This 
involves delivering maximum yield and performance 
backed up by a new packaging design and a new com-
munication campaign. The concept has been imple-
mented in over 25 countries in Eastern Europe, 
Latin America and Africa/Middle East under brands 
such as Pemos (in Russia), Tomi (in Hungary) and 
1-2-3 (in Mexico).

In the liquid detergent category, we launched prod-
ucts with a unique dispensing system in Western 
Europe under the brands Le Chat, Mir and X-Tra. The 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

93

PowerShot system, which is built into the bottle, pre-
cisely measures the liquid detergent for an optimal 
laundry result, thus preventing accidental overdis-
pensing. This technical innovation is exclusively 
available to Henkel. In the Africa/Middle East region, 
we introduced new Persil Black Abaya. In addition to 
the proven performance of Persil Black, the new liq-
uid detergent contains a UV-absorbing formula that 
protects black garments from fading caused by sun-
light or washing. We also launched a variant with 
lavender fragrance under the Persil brand in the 
region.

The specialty detergents category provided further 
growth momentum with the introduction of the 
innovative liquid detergent Perwoll Care & Repair. 
Perwoll Care & Repair is the first fiber-repair deter-
gent from Perwoll able to visibly reduce fuzzing and 
pilling in hard-worn garments by up to 80 percent. 
The rich formula with Repairzyme® also effectively 
prevents new fuzzing and pilling of the fibers.

In the wash additives category, we launched the new 
Colour Catcher “All at 30°.” For the first time, these 
color catcher sheets also have a concentrated stain 
remover. They provide proven protection against color 
bleeding and produce even cleaner laundry – at just 
30 degrees Celsius.

Home Care
The Home Care business area posted a strong sales 
performance in 2015, driven mainly by the sustained 
success of our WC products. Hand and automatic 
dishwashing products also made an important con-
tribution. 

In WC products, the Bref Power Aktiv brand – in  
Germany, the WC Frisch brand – once again gener-
ated highly dynamic growth. Building on the consid-
erable global success of our Superior Value Rim 
Blocks, we introduced to the international market 
two new variants featuring innovative fragrances: 
Hawaiian Plumeria Lei and Rio Carnival. We also 
strengthened our position in this category with the 
international launch of new Bref Duo-Aktiv. Bref 
Duo-Aktiv now features an improved formula and a 
new duo-chamber design. The new duo-chamber 
technology offers an optimal combination of a liquid 
WC cleaner and rim block fragrance for double the 
hygienic power.

In the hand dishwashing category, we launched the 
new variant Pur Gold Care under the Pur brand in 
Eastern Europe. The innovative formula is especially 
effective against odors. The proven power of Pur to 
dissolve grease effortlessly removes even dried 
food residue without tedious soaking. In the Africa/ 
Middle East region, we launched the new Pril 
100 Lemons Power. 

We introduced new Somat Gold Gel under the Somat 
brand to the growing market for liquid products for 
the automatic dishwasher. The improved formula 
makes Somat Gold Gel the best gel product in the 
market. The unique two-phase formula in the two-
chamber bottle removes tough grease from any dish 
while protecting the automatic dishwasher, particu-
larly the filter, from grease build-up.

We also strengthened our multi-purpose cleaner cat-
egory through innovations that not only remove dirt 
but also repel it. We launched a new Sidolin in the 
glass cleaners category: The improved formula with 
repellent effect impregnates the glass surface and 
successfully prevents contaminant build-up. The 
multi-purpose cleaners under the Bref brand are now 
also enhanced with a special formula that repels dirt. 
The grease-stop effect of Bref Power Fett & Einge-
branntes (Bref Power for grease and baked-on resi-
due) weakens the adhesion of grease stains, making 
them easier and quicker to remove. In our Bref bath-
room cleaners, the lime-repellent effect makes water 
drops bead up, reducing the emergence of new lime 
deposits.

Capital expenditures

In 2015, our capital expenditures for property, plant 
and equipment amounted to 217 million euros fol-
lowing 201 million euros in the previous year. These 
expenditures focused on the expansion of our pro-
duction capacity, on investment in innovations and 
on optimizing our production processes. We also 
made additional investments in the area of plant 
safety and quality systems. Most of our investments 
were made in our emerging markets. The biggest 
 single investment related to the expansion of pro-
duction capacity in Russia and optimization of the 
logistics structure there.

€217 m

investments in 
 property, plant and 
equipment.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast94

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Beauty Care

Highlights

Sales growth

+ 2.1 %

organic sales growth 

Adjusted 1   
operating profit

Adjusted 1  
return on sales

€610 m

15.9 %

adjusted 1 operating profit (EBIT):  
up 12.2 percent

adjusted 1 return on sales (EBIT):  
up 0.6 percentage points

Schwarzkopf Keratin Color
The first caring colorant with triple 
keratin for extremely demanding 
hair. Its advanced formula with 
 keratin cares and protects before, 
during and after coloring. Thanks 
to the innovative mix of pigments, 
it provides nuances that adapt 
 harmoniously to skin tones.

Dial Miracle Oil
The first Dial body wash formulated 
with micro-oil technology for last-
ing, lightweight moisture protection 
– with no filmy residue. Infused 
with precious marula or coconut oil, 
this unique formula’s luxurious 
lather leaves skin feeling clean, 
beautifully soft and smooth.

Taft Ultimate
The first Taft styling range with hold 
level 6 for the strongest Taft hold 
ever. Its unique formula with liquid 
crystal gloss effect and ultimate-
hold polymers provides a luxuri-
ously luminous shine and excep-
tional, previously unmatched Taft 
hold – for 100 percent fixation 
 lasting up to 48 hours. 

  www.schwarzkopf.com

  www.dialsoap.com

  www.taft.de

Key financials * 

in million euros

Sales

Proportion of Henkel sales

Operating profit (EBIT)

Adjusted operating  
profit (EBIT)

Return on sales (EBIT)

Adjusted return on sales (EBIT)

Return on capital 
employed (ROCE)

66

Sales development * 

2014

2015

+/–

in percent

3,547

3,833

22 %

421

21 %

561

8.1 %

–

Change versus previous year

Foreign exchange

33.3 %

Adjusted for foreign exchange

Acquisitions / divestments

544

610

12.2 %

11.9 %

15.3 %

14.6 %

15.9 %

2.7 pp

0.6 pp

Organic

of which price 

of which volume

18.3 %

20.4 %

2.1 pp

Economic Value Added (EVA®)

226

328

45.3 %

pp = percentage points 
*  Calculated on the basis of units of 1,000 euros;  

figures commercially rounded. 

1  Adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring charges.

* Calculated on the basis of units of 1,000 euros.

67

2015

8.1

4.0

4.1

2.0

2.1

1.5

0.6

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

95

Economic environment and market position

In 2015, growth in the world cosmetics markets con-
tinued to slow in relevant key markets. Once again, 
important markets experienced stagnation or decline. 
Despite this difficult and highly competitive market 
environment, the Beauty Care business unit was able 
to secure further market share gains and continued 
to strengthen its leadership position in its relevant 
markets.

Our Branded Consumer Goods business encountered 
particular market weakness in the mature markets of 
Western Europe and North America. In Western 
Europe, the environment was characterized by even 
more intense promotional activity, increased price 
pressure, and lower average prices. Despite this chal-
lenging market environment, we nonetheless suc-
ceeded in outperforming the relevant market overall, 
enabling us to gain market share.

The emerging markets in Africa/Middle East and Asia 
(excluding Japan) continued to grow, but at a slower 
pace. The markets in Latin America showed positive 
performance in the reporting year. The markets in 
Eastern Europe recorded moderate growth under 
constantly challenging market conditions. Thanks 
to the successful international launch of several 
product innovations, we continued to increase share 
overall in the emerging markets.

The hair salon market was marked by continued cus-
tomer restraint and experienced further decline. In 
this generally difficult environment, we exceeded 
our sales level of the previous year and strengthened 
our position as the world number three in the hair 
salon market, with added support from the acquisi-
tions made in 2014. 

Business activity and strategy

The Beauty Care business unit is active in the 
Branded Consumer Goods business area with Hair 
Cosmetics, Body Care, Skin Care and Oral Care, as 
well as in the professional Hair Salon business.

In the Branded Consumer Goods business, we want 
to continue expanding our innovation leadership in 
the mature markets in order to further grow our mar-
ket share. To this end, we pursue a consistent, pro-
active innovation strategy, accompanied by strict 

cost management to allow us to step up our market 
investments and increase profitability. We are driv-
ing business development in our emerging markets 
through expansions to our portfolio, product innova-
tions and acquisitions. In the Hair Salon business, 
we are continuing our strategy of globalization, with 
particular focus on stimulating our emerging markets.

Organic growth is at the center of our growth strat-
egy. We drive this strategy by focusing on our top 
brands, ensuring the rapid international launch of 
innovations with above-average profitability, and by 
selectively pursuing regional expansion. Further key 
success factors include strong support for our top 
brands through focused media and promotional 
activities. We regularly analyze our businesses and 
brands as part of our pro-active portfolio manage-
ment approach.

In our Branded Consumer Goods business, our focus 
is on the international expansion of our core busi-
nesses of Hair Cosmetics, Body Care, Skin Care and 
Oral Care. Our growth strategy is aligned to continu-
ously strengthening our top brands. Based on the 
specific steps we have taken, we were able to further 
strengthen our top 10 brands. In 2015, they grew at a 
faster rate than the overall portfolio, and once again 
accounted for more than 90 percent of sales. In addi-
tion to strengthening our top brands, we focus par-
ticularly on the growth potential available in our key 
accounts. We also continue to expand our Hair Salon 
business through product innovations and efficient 
sales and distribution structures while taking advan-
tage of new regional opportunities.

Through our concerted innovation strategy and 
 consistent strengthening of our top brands, we want 
to continue generating dynamic, profitable growth. 
In 2015, we again set the standard in the market with 
our innovation rate 1 of over 45 percent. And we are 
developing additional growth potential through the 
expansion of strategic partnerships with our 
 customers.

We supplement organic growth with acquisitions. In 
line with our strategy, we have expanded our portfo-
lio in attractive categories. Beauty Care made a num-
ber of relatively small acquisitions in 2015. In July 
2015, Henkel acquired the Mexican hairstyling brand 
Xtreme. The acquisition strengthens our market 
position in Mexico and further expands our emerg-
ing markets business in line with our goals.  

Top brands

Over

45 %

innovation rate 1.

1  Percentage share of sales generated with new products launched 
onto the market within the last three years.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast96

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Sales and profits

Sales Beauty Care 
in million euros 

2011

3,399

2012

3,542

2013

3,510

2014

3,547

2015

3,833

America region experienced solid growth compared 
to the previous year. 

68

Adjusted operating profit increased in the reporting 
period by 12.2 percent versus the prior year, to 610 mil-
lion euros, our highest earnings figure to date. 
Adjusted return on sales rose by 0.6 percentage points 
to 15.9 percent, likewise a new high. Our innovation 
initiatives and ongoing measures to reduce costs and 
enhance production and supply chain efficiency 
enabled us to extensively offset the effects on gross 
margin exerted by negative foreign exchange move-
ments and the sustained promotional intensity. 

+ 2.1%

organic sales 
growth.

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

The Beauty Care business unit achieved solid organic 
sales growth and a very strong increase in adjusted 
return on sales in the reporting period, thus continu-
ing to build on the profitable growth of the previous 
years. Organically (i.e. adjusted for foreign exchange 
and acquisitions/divestments), sales increased by 
2.1 percent. Organic growth was again higher than 
growth in our relevant markets, and was achieved 
through price and volume increases despite crowd-
ing-out competition driven by intense price and pro-
motional pressure. As in previous years, our strong 
innovation program provided the foundation for this 
success.

In the following, we comment on our organic sales 
performance in the regions.

From a regional perspective, business performance 
was very strong in the emerging markets. The emerg-
ing markets of Asia (excluding Japan) in particular 
posted very strong growth as a result of the 
 successful expansion of business in China. Latin 
America experienced double-digit sales growth. 
In the Africa/Middle East region, the business unit 
matched its successes of previous years, recording 
a solid rate of growth. Strong growth was achieved 
in Eastern Europe. 

The mature markets continue to be impacted by 
fierce crowding-out competition and intense price 
and promotional pressure. In this challenging envi-
ronment, sales in the mature markets remained 
slightly below the level of the prior year due to devel-
opments in the Western Europe region and the 
mature markets of the Asia-Pacific region. In a chal-
lenging competitive environment, sales in the North 

At 20.4 percent, return on capital employed (ROCE) 
rose compared to the previous year. Economic Value 
Added (EVA®) increased by 102 million euros to 
328 million euros. We were able to improve net work-
ing capital as a percentage of sales, recording a figure 
of 1.0 percent, which is below the already low level 
achieved in the prior year. 

Business areas

In the following, we comment on the organic sales 
performance of our two business areas. 

Branded Consumer Goods
Our Branded Consumer Goods business posted 
another solid increase in sales in 2015. The Hair 
 Cosmetics business performed especially well, with 
above-average sales growth and another high mark 
in market share. Growth was driven, in particular, by 
successful innovations under our Schwarzkopf and 
Syoss brands.

In the strategically important Hair Colorants busi-
ness, Schwarzkopf generated strong sales momen-
tum with Keratin Color, our first caring colorant with 
triple keratin for extremely demanding hair. Palette 
Perfect Care Color, a caring colorant with no ammo-
nia and a unique multi-layer technology, is targeted 
especially at coloring novices. As an innovation 
leader, Syoss also achieved a milestone and defined 
a new segment in Hair Colorants with its new salon-
inspired Syoss Color Refresher. This innovation 
makes it easy to gently refresh color between perma-
nent colorings.

The Hair Care business benefited from the simulta-
neous introduction of Schwarzkopf Men in Germany, 
Russia and China. The new brand covers the specific 
hair needs of men with a total of five product vari-
ants. Innovative stimulus was also generated by the 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

97

Hair Salon
Although the hair salon market recorded a decline, 
we were able to exceed our sales level of the previous 
year. This positive development was supported by 
solid organic growth in the North America region 
resulting from our acquisition of the US companies 
Sexy Hair, Kenra and Alterna in 2014.

In Hair Care, Schwarzkopf Professional set new stan-
dards in color protection with the new BC Bonacure 
Color Freeze. The color-locking hair therapy for 
reduced fading not only seals the surface of the hair 
but also restores hair to its optimal pH level to 
strengthen its structure and lock color pigments 
deep inside. With BC Bonacure Miracle Oil, we offer 
our hair salon partners a new generation of innova-
tive caring oils to provide an exceptional hair-care 
experience for salon clients. In addition, Schwarzkopf 
Professional set a new trend in colorants in partner 
salons worldwide. The eight new Royal Pearlescence 
shades from Igora with multitonal pearl effects pro-
vide an additional color service for fashion-conscious 
salon clients.

Capital expenditures

Investments in property, plant and equipment 
amounted to 61 million euros compared to 68 mil-
lion euros in the previous year. The investments 
focused on new production facilities at our plants in 
Germany and Slovenia, and expansion of our produc-
tion site in Russia.

€61 m

investments in 
 property, plant 
and equipment.

market launch of Syoss Renew 7. Applying serine 
protein technology, it is the first hair treatment from 
Syoss that repairs seven signs of hair damage. Gliss 
Kur Oil Nutritive, also newly launched, is the first oil 
repair treatment from Gliss Kur with eight precious 
beauty oils and keratin. The business was further 
energized by the innovation Schauma Spiegelglanz 
24 hours with liquefied micro-crystals. 

In Hair Styling, the Taft brand celebrated the 60th 
anniversary of its 1955 launch in Germany. The brand 
also reinforced its leading role with the introduction 
of Taft Ultimate for the strongest Taft hold ever. 
Building on the 2014 launch of Essence Ultîme in the 
Hair Care business, we introduced Styliste Ultîme, 
the first line of styling products created in exclusive 
collaboration with Claudia Schiffer. Mann-o-Mann 
was developed as the first men’s product line for 
groomed hairstyles from the trend-setting brand 
Got2b.

We continued to expand our market position in core 
markets in the Body Care business. The Fa Magic Oil 
line with its innovative, non-greasy micro-oil for-
mula and floral fragrances generated new growth 
momentum. With Fa Fresh & Dry we also introduced 
the first high-performance antiperspirant with non-
stop-fresh technology under the Fa brand. And under 
the men’s brand Right Guard, the innovation Heat 
Control was introduced to provide extra protection 
against odor through its heat protection formula. 
Business performance in North America was also 
boosted by the body wash Dial Miracle Oil. Infused 
with marula or coconut oil, it leaves skin feeling 
clean and soft.

In Skin Care, we added two new lines to the core 
brand Diadermine: With its new variant N°110 Crème 
de Lumière, the innovative N°110 series now features 
a highly effective anti-aging daily skin treatment that 
balances the complexion while visibly reducing 
wrinkles and skin discoloration. The lifting product 
line Diadermine Lift+ Superfiller bolsters skin from 
the inside out, creating a more youthful appearance 
and sharper contours. 

The Oral Care business was especially enhanced by 
two developments: With Theramed Non-Stop White, 
Theramed introduced an innovation that not only 
makes teeth whiter but also protects against new dis-
coloration for up to twelve hours. The formula in 
the new children’s toothpaste Theramed Junior was 
developed precisely for the needs of children to 
ensure healthy teeth.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast98

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Adhesive Technologies

Highlights

Sales growth

+ 2.4 %

organic sales growth 

Adjusted 1   
operating profit

Adjusted 1  
return on sales

€1,534  m

17.1 %

adjusted 1 operating profit (EBIT):  
up 9.4 percent

adjusted 1 return on sales (EBIT):  
down 0.1 percentage points

Loctite GC 10
Henkel is setting new standards 
in the electronics industry: Thanks 
to its unique temperature-stable 
 formulation, the new solder paste 
material Loctite GC 10 eliminates 
the need for refrigerated shipping 
and warehouse storage. This 
 enables customers to simplify  
their processes, reduce energy 
 consumption and cut costs.

Loctite 60sec Universal Glue 
Loctite 60sec Universal Glue is the 
first all-purpose glue from Loctite 
that facilitates all kinds of household 
repairs in only 60 seconds. The non-
drip gel formula forms strong bonds 
faster than other Loctite all-purpose 
glues and is well suited for a wide 
range of applications on various 
materials – no clamping, no waiting. 
In Germany the product is distributed 
under the brand Pattex. 

Total Solution
A novel Total Solution improves 
the overall process chain for 
assembling mobile phones. 
Thanks to tailored structural 
 adhesives, precise dispensing 
equipment and comprehensive 
customer service, Henkel provides 
a single point of contact for the 
application of bonding the mobile 
phone frame and cover glass. 

   www.soldergamechanger.com

  www.loctite-consumer.co.uk

  www.loctite.com.au/mobile-bonding

Key financials *

in million euros

Sales

69

Sales development *

2014

2015

+/–

in percent

8,127

8,992

10.6 %

Change versus previous year

Proportion of Henkel sales

49 %

50 %

–

Foreign exchange

Operating profit (EBIT)

1,345

1,462

 8.7 %

Adjusted for foreign exchange

Adjusted operating  
profit (EBIT)

Return on sales (EBIT)

Adjusted return on sales (EBIT)

Return on capital 
employed (ROCE)

Acquisitions / divestments

1,402

1,534

9.4 %

Organic

16.6 %

17.2 %

16.3 %

– 0.3 pp

17.1 %

– 0.1 pp

of which price 

of which volume

19.8 %

18.4 %

– 1.4 pp

Economic Value Added (EVA®)

597

626

4.8 %

pp = percentage points 
*  Calculated on the basis of units of 1,000 euros;  

figures commercially rounded. 

* Calculated on the basis of units of 1,000 euros.

70

2015

 10.6

 6.5

4.1

1.7

2.4

 1.5

0.9

1  Adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring charges.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

99

Top brands

Economic environment and market position

The economic environment was characterized by 
moderate growth in the relevant markets, with 
expansion in the key industrial sectors lower than 
initially forecasted. Economic activity in the emerg-
ing markets in particular weakened significantly, 
resulting in slower growth in our markets, including 
China.

Despite this difficult market environment, the Adhe-
sive Technologies business unit continued to grow, 
with overall sales increasing in line with the market 
level. 

Business activity and strategy

The Adhesive Technologies business unit is a leading 
solution provider worldwide for adhesives, sealants 
and functional coatings for industrial customers and 
also for consumers, craftsmen and building applica-
tions. Through our comprehensive technology port-
folio and global team of experts, we provide tailor-
made solutions that create sustainable value for our 
customers.

We leverage our technologies, structures and sys-
tems across all business areas and regions. As a 
global market leader, our scale and presence world-
wide facilitate efficient creation and delivery of cus-
tomized solutions anywhere in the world. Based on 
these strong synergies, the acquisition of leading 
technologies that complement our portfolio repre-
sents an attractive option for further profitable busi-
ness expansion. Our recent acquisitions demonstrate 
our ability to consistently integrate newly acquired 
businesses quickly and successfully on the basis of 
our standardized business processes. 

In the Packaging and Consumer Goods Adhesives 
business area, we work with major international 
 customers to develop innovative and sustainable 
solutions for the production of food packaging and 
consumer goods. Our customers benefit from our 
comprehensive applications expertise made avail-
able globally through our technical customer service. 
Strategically cooperating with partners along the 
value chain also makes a significant contribution 
to  creating more value for our customers.

In the Transport and Metal business area, we provide 
the automotive, aircraft and metal processing indus-
tries with outstanding system solutions and special-
ized technical services. Our customers are major 
international manufacturers and their suppliers. 
Through our early involvement in our customers’ 
design and development processes, we are able to 
develop innovative, customized solutions to new 
challenges – for example, in lightweight construc-
tion. Our tailor-made products and services are 
based on our comprehensive technology portfolio 
and global applications expertise.

In the General Industry business area, we offer our 
customers a comprehensive portfolio of products for 
the manufacture and maintenance of durable goods. 
Our customers range from household appliance 
manufacturers through to operators of large-scale 
industrial plant, and service specialists operating in 
all branches of industry. In addition to providing 
direct support for our customers from industry, we 
can also tap into a global network of trained distribu-
tion partners. The joint development of new adhe-
sive solutions and regular systematic training for 
users secure our competitive advantage and contin-
ued growth.

Our Electronics business area offers customers from 
the electronics industry a specialized portfolio of 
innovative high-technology adhesives and materials 
for the manufacture of microchips, electronic assem-
blies and thermal management systems. We com-
bine our expertise with targeted investments in our 
technology portfolio to develop innovative  solutions 
for future product generations. Our global  presence 
enables us to collaborate closely with development 
centers of major electronics firms while providing 
extensive support for their production processes.

Our Adhesives for Consumers, Craftsmen and Build-
ing business area markets an extensive range of 
brand-name products for private, trade and construc-
tion users. We offer innovative, sustainable products 
and specific system solutions based on our strong 
brands, quickly and efficiently translating the latest 
technological developments from our industrial 
business into corresponding products for consum-
ers, craftsmen and the building industry. Our distri-
bution networks are aligned to the different target 
groups.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast100

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Active portfolio management plays a central role in 
continuing our profitable growth. We manage our 
businesses guided by specific business plans to take 
the best possible advantage of market opportunities, 
and we invest our resources with a targeted, differen-
tiated approach. We aim primarily to strengthen 
organic growth and invest especially in attractive 
growth markets. To supplement this, we invest in 
acquisitions of leading technologies.

As part of our acquisition strategy, we strengthened 
our portfolio in 2015 with the purchase of Novamelt 
GmbH based in Wehr, Germany, on June 1, 2015, 
 further expanding our expertise in pressure-sensitive 
hotmelt adhesives. In addition, as of December 14, 
2015, our vacuum impregnation business was 
expanded with our acquisition of Magna-Tech  
Manufacturing LLC, Ohio, USA, and MT Canada LLC, 
Ohio, USA. 

Around

30 %

innovation rate 1.

+ 2.4 %

organic sales 
growth.

Expansion of our innovation and technology leader-
ship is a further key component of our growth strat-
egy. In 2015, the proportion of sales from products 
successfully launched onto the market in the last five 
years was around 30 percent. The consistent imple-
mentation of our innovation strategy will continue, 
using specially developed programs, innovation 
 processes and people initiatives to drive profitable 
growth. We focus our research activities on top inno-
vation programs to align our R&D efforts even more 
closely to markets and applications with the greatest 
potential for growth and value creation. Further-
more, the systematic search for profitable new tech-
nologies and business opportunities, targeted devel-
opment of new business ideas – for example by 
working with innovative start-ups – and close collab-
oration with strategic suppliers all continue to be  
a central focus. Sustainability remains an important 
driver of growth and innovation. Working closely 
with our customers and suppliers is critical to advanc-
ing sustainability along the entire value chain.

We reinforce our global presence through accelerated 
expansion of the strong positions we hold in emerg-
ing markets. We accomplish this through targeted 
investments in capacity expansion in order to pro-
vide our customers with outstanding service at the 
local level. In North America and Western Europe,  
we primarily aim to strengthen our leading market 
positions and further leverage economies of scale.

We also invest in strengthening our top brands. We 
successfully completed the consolidation of our 
brand portfolio into five technology cluster brands in 
the industrial business, and four strong brand plat-
forms in the consumer business. In 2015, we gener-
ated over 80 percent of our sales with our 10 biggest 
brands.

Sales and profits

Sales Adhesive Technologies 
in million euros 

71

2011

7,746

2012

8,256

2013

8,117

2014

8,127

2015

8,992

0

2,500

5,000

7,500

10,000

The Adhesive Technologies business unit recorded 
solid organic sales growth in the reporting period. 
Adjusted return on sales at 17.1 percent was slightly 
below the high level of the previous year. Organically 
(i.e. adjusted for foreign exchange and acquisitions/
divestments), sales increased by 2.4 percent, thus 
growing at the same rate as the market. Growth was 
driven by both price and volume. Our innovative 
product solutions and our leading global positions 
contributed to this solid development.

In the following, we comment on our organic sales 
performance in the regions.

In the emerging markets, we achieved solid sales 
growth overall compared to the previous year, with 
very strong increases in the Latin America region. 
Performance in the Africa/Middle East and Eastern 
Europe regions was strong, despite the difficult 
ongoing political situation and subsequent deterio-
ration in the economic conditions prevailing in  
parts of those regions. Sales in Asia (excluding Japan) 
showed positive performance.

1  Percentage share of sales generated with new products  
launched onto the market within the last five years.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

101

The business area General Industry posted a positive 
sales performance, again mainly due to business 
involving customers in the industrial assembly mar-
kets and the vehicle repair and maintenance sector. 
Under the Bonderite brand we introduced an innova-
tive, phosphate-free product for preparing metals 
such as steel, zinc and aluminum, thereby under-
scoring our role as a leading provider of solutions 
satisfying sustainability criteria.

Sales in the Electronics business area showed solid 
development compared to the previous year. Growth 
was stimulated by our business with consumer elec-
tronics manufacturers and by thermal management 
products for the electronics industry. We introduced 
an important innovation under the Loctite brand: 
a new type of electrically conductive solder paste 
whose properties remain stable at room temperature 
over long periods of time, and which generates sub-
stantial cost and efficiency advantages in transport 
and production for our customers.

Adhesives for Consumers, Craftsmen and Building
Sales in the business area Adhesives for Consumers, 
Craftsmen and Building showed a solid improvement. 
The increase was based in part on our construction 
industry business. We also introduced important 
innovations under our top brands Loctite, Pattex and 
Pritt. Additionally, to increase awareness of our 
 Loctite brand, we successfully placed our first-ever 
TV commercial during the NFL Super Bowl®, the 
 largest television sporting event in the USA.

Capital expenditures

Investments in property, plant and equipment 
increased to 227 million euros compared to 176 mil-
lion euros in the previous year. Following our busi-
ness strategy, the focus remained on expanding our 
production capacity in the emerging markets and 
constructing manufacturing facilities aligned to 
 specific customer requirements. 

€227 m

investments in 
 property, plant and 
equipment.

Our sales performance in the mature markets was 
positive overall. Sales in the Western Europe and 
North America regions showed positive develop-
ment. The mature markets of the Asia-Pacific region 
recorded solid growth. 

Adjusted operating profit increased to 1,534 million 
euros, its highest level ever. Adjusted return on sales 
reached 17.1 percent and was therefore slightly below 
the high figure of the previous year. Ongoing mea-
sures to reduce costs and enhance production and 
supply chain efficiency enabled us to compensate for 
negative transactional currency effects and increase 
gross margin. Lower prices for direct materials also 
had a positive impact. 

Return on capital employed (ROCE) decreased versus 
the prior year to 18.4 percent, partly due to acquisi-
tions. Economic Value Added (EVA®) reached 626 mil-
lion euros, increasing by 29 million euros over the 
prior year. We were able to improve net working cap-
ital as a percentage of sales. The figure of 11.5 percent 
was below the already low level of the previous year.  

Business areas

In the following, we comment on the organic sales 
performance of our business areas.

Industrial Adhesives
Sales in the Packaging and Consumer Goods Adhe-
sives business area showed positive performance 
 versus the previous year. The Flexible Laminates 
business was among the important contributors to 
this growth. With the acquisition of Novamelt GmbH, 
we further expanded our pressure-sensitive hotmelt 
adhesives expertise. Novamelt offers a comprehen-
sive range of specialty hotmelt adhesives used pri-
marily in self-adhesive labels and adhesive tape.

We posted our highest revenue increase in the Trans-
port and Metal business area. Contributors to this 
solid growth included our Automotive Acoustics & 
Structurals business. Generally, our tailored innova-
tions and close cooperation with our customers were 
again key drivers of growth in 2015. With our acquisi-
tion of the Magna-Tech companies, we are now also 
able to provide our vacuum impregnation solutions – 
where we occupy a leading position in Europe – to 
our customers in the North American automotive 
industry. 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast102

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  
(condensed version according 
to the German Commercial 
Code [HGB] )*

The annual financial statements of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA have been prepared in accordance with the 
rules and regulations of the German Commercial 
Code [HGB] and the German Stock Corporation Act 
[AktG]. Deviations from the International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRS) applicable to the Group 
arise particularly with respect to the methods of 
 recognition and measurement of intangible assets, 
financial instruments and provisions.

Operational activities 

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA is operationally active in the 
three business units Laundry & Home Care, Beauty 
Care and Adhesive Technologies, as well as being the 
parent company of the Henkel Group. As such it is 
responsible for defining and pursuing Henkel’s cor-
porate objectives and also for the management, con-
trol and monitoring of Group-wide activities, includ-
ing risk management and the allocation of resources. 
As of year-end 2015, the number of people employed 
at Henkel AG & Co. KGaA was 8,000.

The operating business of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA 
 represents only a portion of the business activity 
of the entire Henkel Group and is managed across 
the Group by the business units, particularly on the 
basis of the performance indicators sales growth 
(organic and in the emerging markets), adjusted 
return on sales (EBIT) and adjusted earnings per 
preferred share. Only the Group approach can pro-
vide complete insight into these key financials (see 
the discussion of the  management system and per-
formance indicators applicable to the Henkel Group 
on page 64). 

The net assets, financial position and results of oper-
ations of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA are influenced both 
by its own operating activity and by the operating 
activity of its subsidiaries on the basis of their divi-
dend distributions. Thus the financial situation of 
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA generally corresponds to that 
of the Group as a whole, which is discussed in the 
section “Review of overall business performance” 
on page 66.

*  The full financial statements of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA with the 
 auditor’s unqualified opinion are filed with the commercial  
register and accessible on the internet at www.henkel.com/reports

Results of operations

Sales and profits

Henkel’s performance in fiscal 2015 was solid. Busi-
ness development at Henkel AG & Co. KGaA was 
characterized by moderate growth in the markets and 
a high level of competitive intensity. Nevertheless, 
Henkel was able to continue the solid improvement 
of the previous year. 

At 3,994 million euros, sales of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA in 2015 were 10.8 percent above the figure of 
the previous year. The sales figure includes revenues 
of 258 million euros from the sale of inventories to 
the global supply chain company. This non-recurring 
effect and the solid sales performance of the Laundry 
& Home Care business unit are the main reasons 
why sales were much higher year on year, although 
we had forecasted the same level of sales in our 
prior-year outlook. For operating profit before alloca-
tion of corporate costs and the regional management 
costs of our operational business units, our guidance 
in the previous year of moderately higher perfor-
mance was confirmed.

The Laundry & Home Care business unit achieved 
sales of 1,076 million euros in 2015, thereby record-
ing a double-digit increase. Even excluding the rev-
enue from the sale of inventories to the global supply 
chain company of 69 million euros, sales still came 
in above the level of the previous year. Both our 
external sales and sales to our affiliated companies 
contributed to this solid performance.

The Beauty Care business unit achieved sales of 
767 million euros in 2015, thus exceeding the prior-
year figure. Excluding the revenue of 75 million euros 
from the sale of inventories to the global supply 
chain company, sales in our domestic business were 
below the level of the previous year. Due to the ongo-
ing shift of export business to the regions, sales to 
affiliated companies did not reach the level of the 
previous year.

The Adhesive Technologies business unit achieved 
sales in 2015 of 1,466 million euros, thereby record-
ing very strong growth. Even excluding the revenue 
of 114 million euros from the sale of inventories to 
the global supply chain company, the business unit 
achieved positive growth. This positive sales perfor-
mance was driven by sales to our affiliated compa-
nies, while external sales remained stable.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

103

Condensed income statement in accordance with HGB 

in million euros

Sales

Cost of sales 

Gross profit

Selling and administrative expenses

Research and development expenses

Other operating income / charges

Operating profit

Financial result

Profit on ordinary activities

Income from the release of transfers to special accounts with reserve element

Income before tax

Taxes on income

Net income 

Profit brought forward

Unappropriated profit

72

2015

3,994

– 2,770

1,224

– 1,121

– 327

345

121

578

 699

8

707

– 91

616

150

766

2014

3,603

– 2,495

1,108

– 1,078

– 293

279

16

546

562

8

570

– 32

538

176

714

Sales in the (non-operating) Corporate segment 
increased from 571 million euros in 2014 to 685 mil-
lion euros in 2015.

The operating profit of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA 
improved by 105 million euros to 121 million euros. 
Significant contributions came from additional 
licensing income and revenues from the sale of 
inventories to the global supply chain company.

Expenditures for research and development in the 
reporting period increased by 34 million euros to 
327 million euros. The ratio to sales was comparable 
to the previous year at 8.2 percent. 

Restructuring charges of 44 million euros, included 
in the expense items mentioned, were slightly higher 
than the level of 2014 (41 million euros). 

Expense items

The cost of sales increased compared to 2014 by 
275 million euros to 2,770 million euros, including 
233 million euros attributable to the sale of invento-
ries to the global supply chain company. Gross mar-
gin declined by 0.1 percentage points to 30.7 percent.

At 842 million euros, marketing, selling and distribu-
tion expenses exceeded the prior-year figure of  
807 million euros. The ratio to sales was 21.1 percent, 
which is slightly below the level of 2014.

Administrative expenses composed primarily of 
 payroll costs and overheads in the administrative units 
increased compared to the previous year by 8 million 
euros to 279 million euros. Their ratio to sales 
declined by 0.5 percentage points to 7.0 percent.

Other operating income and charges

Other operating result increased compared to the 
previous year by 66 million euros.

Other operating income rose year on year by 172 mil-
lion euros to 611 million euros. Additional licensing 
income from affiliated companies contributed 
 significantly to this increase. 

At 266 million euros, other operating charges in 2015 
were above the prior-year figure of 160 million euros. 
This increase is mainly attributable to higher 
 licensing expenses for the use of intellectual property 
pooled at a German subsidiary assigned to the 
 Adhesive Technologies business unit. 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast104

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Financial result

Taxes on income

The financial result improved from 546 million 
euros in 2014 to 578 million euros in 2015.

In 2015, taxes on income amounted to –91 million 
euros following –32 million euros in the previous year.

The increase is mainly attributable to higher divi-
dend income from affiliated companies. This was 
reduced by the fall in share prices, resulting in lower 
income from investments held in the pension fund 
assets, and by the offsetting increase in interest 
expense for pension provisions due to a further 
reduction in the discount rate.

Condensed balance sheet in accordance with HGB 

in million euros

Intangible assets and property, plant and equipment

Financial assets

Non-current assets

Inventories

Receivables and miscellaneous assets 

Marketable securities

Liquid funds

Current assets

Deferred income 

Assets arising from the overfunding of pension obligations

Total assets

Equity

Special accounts with reserve element

Provisions

Liabilities / deferred charges

Total equity and liabilities

Result for the year

Net income amounted to 616 million euros and was 
therefore above the result from 2014 of 538 million 
euros. The increase resulted primarily from the 
improved operating profit in 2015.

73

December 31, 
2014

December 31, 
2015

712

8,136

8,848

240

2,392

288

134

3,054

21

373

12,296

6,092

112

691

5,401

12,296

884

9,171

10,055

14

2,043

4

289

2,350

22

187

12,614

6,144

104

694

5,672

12,614

Net assets and financial position 

The total assets of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA increased 
compared to year-end 2014 by 318 million euros to 
12,614 million euros.

Non-current assets increased in 2015 by 1,207 mil-
lion euros to 10,055 million euros. The increase in 
financial assets is primarily due to our acquisitions 
and various capital measures involving affiliated 
companies. 

Current assets declined in 2015 from 3,054 million 
euros to 2,350 million euros. The change resulted 
primarily from a decline in receivables from affili-
ated companies. The partial sale of some of our secu-
rities reduced our marketable securities total by 
284 million euros in 2015. The decline was partly 
 offset by the increase of 155 million euros in liquid 
funds. 

At 187 million euros, overfunding from offsetting the 
pension fund assets against the pension provisions 
was significantly lower than the prior-year level.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

105

Outlook

The performance of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA in its 
function as an operating holding company is influ-
enced primarily by the development and dividend 
distributions of the companies in which it has 
 shareholdings. Now that our supply chain operations 
have been carved out into a central, globally active 
company, the sales of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA will 
decrease significantly. The positive performance 
reported for the Group also impacts Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA through dividend payments from subsidiaries. 
Assuming a stable financial result, we expect Henkel 
AG & Co. KGaA to generate unappropriated profit for 
2016 at the level of the previous year. This will enable 
our shareholders to participate to a reasonable extent 
in the Group’s net income, with retained earnings 
also available for utilization if necessary.

The forecast for the Henkel Group can be found on 
pages 114 and 115.

Equity increased from 6,092 million euros to 
6,144 million euros. Provisions increased by 3 mil-
lion euros to 694 million euros. The balance of 
 pension provisions and fund assets is reported in 
assets due to overfunding. 

Liabilities and deferred charges rose overall by 
271 million euros compared to 2014, despite repay-
ment of our hybrid bond in November 2015. This is 
mainly attributable to an increase in financial 
 liabilities to affiliated companies.

For an overview of the financing and capital manage-
ment of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA,  please refer to the 
information about the Henkel Group on pages 74 and 75.

Risks and opportunities

The business performance of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA 
is essentially subject to the same risks and opportu-
nities as that of the Henkel Group. With respect to 
the risks of its subsidiaries, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA is 
generally exposed in proportion to its shareholding 
in each case. 

Due to the different discount rates for pension obli-
gations under the German Commercial Code [HGB] 
and IFRS, the conclusion drawn from the risk assess-
ment for the separate financial statements of Henkel 
AG & Co. KGaA differs from that of the Group. We 
assess the potential financial impact of this risk for 
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA as major.

Additional information regarding risks and opportu-
nities and the risk management system can be found 
on pages 106 to 113.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast106

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Subsequent events

Risks and opportunities report

On January 18, 2016, Henkel announced that Chair-
man of the Management Board Kasper Rorsted will 
leave the company at his own request as of April 30, 
2016. He served on the Henkel Management Board 
for 11 years, thereof 8 years as Chairman of the 
Management Board. Effective May 1, 2016, Hans Van 
Bylen has been appointed as his successor. His suc-
cessful career at Henkel started in 1984, and he has 
been a member of the Management Board since 
2005, responsible for the Beauty Care business. His 
early appointment to Chairman of the Management 
Board in spring will enable him to lead the develop-
ment of the new strategy that Henkel will announce 
at the end of this year, and to drive its successful 
 execution.

Risks and opportunities

In the pursuit of our business activities, Henkel is 
exposed to multiple risks inherent in the global mar-
ket economy. We deploy an array of effective monit-
oring and control systems aligned to identifying 
risks at an early stage, evaluating the exposure, and 
introducing effective countermeasures. We have 
incorporated these instruments within a risk 
management system as described below. 

Entrepreneurial activity also involves identifying 
and exploiting opportunities as a means of securing 
and extending the corporation’s competitiveness. 
The reporting aspect of our risk management system, 
however, does not encompass entrepreneurial 
opportunity. Early and regular identification, analy-
sis and exploitation of opportunities is performed at 
the Group level and within the individual business 
units. This is a fundamental component of our strat-
egy. We perform in-depth analysis of the markets and 
our competitors, and study the relevant cost varia-
bles and key success factors. 

Risk management system 

The risk management system at Henkel is integrated 
into the comprehensive planning, controlling, and 
reporting systems used in the subsidiaries, in the 
business units, and at Group level. Our early warning 
system and Internal Audit function are also impor-
tant components of our risk management system. 
Within the corporate governance framework, our 
internal control and compliance management sys-
tems support our risk management capability. The 
risk reporting system encompasses the systematic 
identification, evaluation, documentation and com-
munication of risks. We have defined the principles, 
processes and responsibilities relating to risk man-
agement in a corporate standard that is binding on 
the Henkel Group. With the continuous development 
of our corporate standards and systems, we take into 
account updated findings. 

Within our risk strategy framework, the assumption 
of calculated risk is an intrinsic part of our business. 
However, risks that endanger the existence of the 
company must be avoided. When it is not possible to 
avoid these critical risks, they must be reduced or 
transferred, for example through insurance. Risks are 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

107

controlled and monitored at the level of the sub-
sidiaries, the business units, and the Group. Risk 
management is thus performed with a holistic, inte-
grative approach to the systematic handling of risks. 

We understand risks as potential future develop-
ments or events that could lead to negative devia-
tions from our guidance. Risks with a probability of 
occurrence of over 50 percent are taken into account 
in our guidance and short-term planning. As a rule, 
we estimate risks for the one-year forecast period. 

The annual risk reporting process begins with identi-
fying material risks using checklists based on defined 
operating (for example procurement and production) 
and functional (for example information technology 
and human resources) risk categories. We evaluate 
the risks in a two-stage process according to the prob-
ability of occurrence and potential loss. Included in 
the risk report are risks with a loss potential of at least 
1 million euros or 10 percent of the net external sales 
 of a country, where the probability of occurrence is 
considered greater than zero. 

The first step entails determining gross risk to the 
extent that this is possible. We then calculate the net 
risk, taking countermeasures into account. Initially, 
risks are compiled on a decentralized, per-country 
basis, with the assistance of regional coordinators. 
The locally collated risks are then analyzed by experts 
in the business units and corporate functions. In par-
ticular areas such as Corporate Treasury, risks are 
determined with the support of sensitivity analyses 
including value-at-risk computations. Risk analyses 
are then prepared for the respective executive com-
mittees of the business units and corporate functions, 
and finally assigned to an area-specific risk inventory. 
The risk situation is subsequently reported to our 
Compliance & Risk Committee, the Management 
Board and the various supervising boards. Material 
unforeseen changes are reported immediately to the 
CFO and the Compliance & Risk Committee. Corporate 
Accounting is responsible for coordinating the overall 
process and analyzing the inventoried exposures. 

The risk reporting process is supported by a web-
based database which ensures transparent commu-
nication throughout the entire Group. Our Internal 
Audit function regularly reviews the quality and 
function of our risk management system. Within the 
framework of the 2015 audit of our annual financial 
statements, our external auditor examined the struc-
ture and function of our risk early warning system in 
accordance with Section 317 (4) of the German Com-
mercial Code [HGB] and confirmed its compliance.

The following describes the main features of the 
internal control and risk management system in 
relation to our accounting processes, in accordance 
with Section 315 (2) no. 5 HGB. Corresponding with 
the definition of our risk management system, the 
objective of our accounting processes lies in the 
identification, evaluation and management of all 
risks that jeopardize the regulatory preparation of 
our annual and consolidated financial statements. 
Accordingly, the internal control system’s function 
is to implement relevant principles, procedures and 
controls so as to ensure the financial statement 
 closing process is regulatory compliant. Within the 
 organization of the internal control system, the Man-
agement Board assumes overriding responsibility at 
Group level. The duly coordinated subsystems of the 
internal control system lie within the responsibility 
of the Corporate Accounting, Controlling, Corporate 
Treasury, Compliance and Regional Finance func-
tions. Within these functions, there are a number of 
integrated monitoring and control levels. These are 
assessed by regular and comprehensive effectiveness 
tests performed by our Internal Audit function. Of 
the multifaceted control processes incorporated into 
the accounting process, several are important to 
highlight. 

The basis for all our accounting processes is provided 
by our corporate standard “Accounting,” which con-
tains detailed accounting and reporting instructions 
covering all material circumstances, including clear 
procedures for inventory valuation or how transfer 
prices applicable for intra-group transactions should 
be determined. This corporate standard is binding 
on the entire Group and is regularly updated and 
approved by the CFO. The local Presidents and Heads 
of Finance of all consolidated subsidiaries must con-
firm their compliance with this corporate standard 
on an annual basis.

Further globally binding procedural instructions 
affecting our accounting practice are contained in our 
corporate standards “Treasury” and “Investments.” 
Through appropriate organizational measures in con-
junction with restrictive access to our information 
systems, we ensure segregation of duties in our 
accounting systems between transaction entry on the 
one hand, and checking and approval on the other. 
Documentation relating to the operational accounting 
and closing processes ensures that important tasks – 
such as the reconciliation of receivables and payables 
on the basis of account balance confirmations – are 
clearly assigned. Additionally, binding authorization 
regulations exist governing the approval of contracts, 
credit notes and the like, with strict adherence to the 

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast108

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

principle of dual control as a mandatory requirement. 
This is also stipulated in our Group-wide corporate 
standards.

The significant risks for Henkel and the correspond-
ing controls with respect to the regulatory prepara-
tion of our annual and consolidated financial state-
ments are collated in a central documentation pack. 
This documentation is reviewed and updated annu-
ally by the respective process owners. The established 
systems are regularly reviewed with regard to their 
improvement and optimization potential. We con-
sider these systems to be appropriate and effective. 

The accounting activities for subsidiaries included in 
the consolidated financial statements are performed 
either locally by the subsidiary or through a shared 

 service center, taking the corporate standards into 
account. The individual subsidiaries’ financial state-
ments are transferred to our central consolidation 
system and checked at corporate level for correct-
ness. After all consolidation steps have been com-
pleted, the consolidated financial statements are 
prepared by Corporate Accounting in consultation 
with the specialist departments. Preparation of the 
combined management report is coordinated by 
Investor Relations in cooperation with each business 
unit and corporate function. The Management Board 
then compiles the consolidated financial statements 
and annual financial statements of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA, and the combined management report for the 
Group, and subsequently presents these documents 
to the Supervisory Board for approval.

Probability 

Potential financial impact

74

Major risk categories

Risk category

Operating risks

Procurement market risks

Production risks

Low

Moderate

Macroeconomic and sector-specific risks

High

Functional risks

Financial risks

Credit risk

Liquidity risk

Currency risk

Interest rate risk

Risks from pension obligations

Legal risks

IT risks 

Personnel risks

Risks in connection with our brand image or 
reputation of the company

Environmental and safety risks

Low

Low

High

Moderate

High

Low

Low

Low

Low

Low

Business strategy risks

Moderate

Major

Major

Major

Major

Minor

Major

Minor

Minor

Major

Major

Moderate

Major

Major

Moderate

Classification of risks in  
ascending order

Probability

Low

Moderate

High

Potential financial impact

Minor

Moderate

Major

75

Major risk categories

1 – 9 %

10 – 24 %

≥ 25 %

1 – 49 million euros

50 – 99 million euros

≥ 100 million euros

Risks are presented from a net perspective, where 
their respective mitigation measures are taken into 
account.

Operating risks 

Procurement market risks
Description of risk: We expect prices for direct mate-
rials in our procurement markets to remain more or 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

109

less unchanged overall in 2016 compared to 2015. 
However, due to geopolitical, global economic, and 
climatic uncertainties, we expect prices to fluctuate in 
the course of the year. As a result of this uncertainty 
as it relates to the development of raw material prices 
that cannot always be passed on in full, we see risks 
arising beyond the forecasted stability in relation to 
important raw materials and packaging materials. 

The segments in the industrial goods sector are 
affected to a greater extent by these price risks than 
the individual segments in the consumer goods sec-
tor. Additional price and supply risks exist due to 
possible demand or production-related shortages in 
the procurement markets. In particular, continued 
unrest in the Africa/Middle East region, and the con-
flict between Russia and Ukraine, could lead to rising 
material prices and supply shortages.

Measures: The measures taken include active sup-
plier portfolio management through our globally 
engaged, cross-divisional sourcing capability, together 
with strategies aimed at securing price and volume 
both through contracts and, where appropriate and 
possible, through financial hedging instruments. Fur-
thermore, we work in interdisciplinary teams within 
Research and Development, Supply Chain Manage-
ment and Purchasing on devising alternative formula-
tions and packaging forms so as to be able to respond 
flexibly to unforeseen fluctuations in raw material 
prices. We also avoid becoming dependent on individ-
ual suppliers so as to better secure the constant supply 
of the goods and services that we require. Finally, 
close collaboration with our strategic suppliers plays 
an exceptionally important role in our risk manage-
ment. Further details regarding the assessment of 
supplier financial stability can be found in the section 
on “Procurement” on pages 79 to 81. The basis for our 
risk management approach is a comprehensive pro-
curement information sy stem aimed at ensuring per-
manent transparency with respect to our purchasing 
volumes.

Impact: Low probability rating, possible major 
impact on our earnings guidance.

Production risks
Description of risk: Henkel faces production risks 
in the event of low capacity utilization due to volume 
decreases and unplanned operational interruptions, 
especially at our single-source sites.

Measures: We can offset the negative effects of pos-
sible production outages through flexible production 
control and, where economically viable, insurance 
policies. Such production risks are minimized by 
ensuring high employee qualification, clearly defined 
safety standards, and regular plant and equipment 
maintenance. Capital expenditure decisions on prop-
erty, plant and equipment are made in accordance 
with defined, differentiated responsibility proce-
dures and approval processes. They incor porate all 
relevant specialist functions and are regulated in an 
internal corporate standard. Investments are analyzed 
in advance on the basis of detailed risk aspects. Further 
auditing accompanying projects provides the founda-
tion for project management and risk reduction.

Impact: Moderate probability rating, possible major 
impact on our earnings guidance.

Macroeconomic and sector-specific risks
Description of risk: We remain exposed to macro-
economic risks emanating from the uncertainties of 
the current geopolitical and economic environment. 
We currently see geopolitical risk arising in connec-
tion with the increased number of conflict zones. A 
decline in the macroeconomic environment poses a 
risk to the industrial  sector in particular. A downturn 
in consumer spending is relevant for the consumer 
goods segments. A further significant risk is posed 
by an increasingly competitive environment, as this 
could result in stronger price and promotional pres-
sures in the consumer goods sector. As consolidation 
in the retail sector continues and private labels 
occupy a growing share of the  market, crowding-out 
competition in the consumer goods sector could 
intensify. The risk of product substitution inherent 
in this could, in principle, affect all business units. 

Measures: We focus on continuously strengthening 
our brands (see separate risk description on pages 111 
and 112) and consistently developing further innova-
tions. We consider innovative products to be a signif-
icant success factor for our company, enabling us to 
differentiate ourselves from the competition. Fur-
thermore, we also pursue specific sales and market-
ing initiatives, for example advertising and promo-
tional activities. In addition, we have the capability 
to react quickly to potential sales declines through 
flexible production control.

Impact: High probability rating, possible major 
impact on our sales and earnings guidance.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast110

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Functional risks 

Financial risks
Description of risk: Henkel is exposed to financial 
risk in the form of credit risks, liquidity risks, cur-
rency risks, interest rate risks, and risks arising from 
pension obligations.

For the description of credit risks, liquidity  risks, 
currency risks and interest rate risks, please refer to 
the notes to the consolidated financial statements 
on pages 161 to 167. For the risks arising from our 
pension obligations, please see pages 149 and 150.

Measures: Risk-mitigating measures and the 
management of these risks are also described in the 
notes to the consolidated financial statements on the 
pages mentioned.

Impact: We classify financial risks as follows:
•   Credit risk with a low probability of a major impact 

on our earnings guidance 

•   Liquidity risk with a low probability of a minor 

impact on our earnings guidance

•   Currency risk with a high probability of a major 

impact on our earnings guidance

•   Interest rate risk with a moderate probability of a 

minor impact on our earnings guidance

•   Risks arising from our pension obligations with a 

high probability of a minor impact on our earnings 
guidance, and with a high probability of a major 
impact  on our equity 

Legal and regulatory risks
Description of risk: As a globally active corporation 
we are exposed, in the course of our ordinary business 
activities, to a range of risks relating to litigations 
and other actions, including government agency pro-
ceedings in which we are currently involved or may 
become involved in the future. These risks arise, in 
particular, in the fields of product liability, product 
deficiency, competition and cartel law, infringement 
of proprietary rights, patent law, tax law, environ-
mental protection and soil contamination. We cannot 
rule out the likelihood of negative rulings on current 
 litigations and further litigations being initiated in 
the future. 

Our business is subject to various national rules and 
regulations and – within the European Union (EU) – 
increasingly to harmonized laws applying through-
out the EU. In addition, some of our operations are 
subject to rules and regulations derived from approv-
als, licenses, certificates or permits. Our manufactur-

ing operations are bound by rules and regulations 
with respect to the registration, evaluation, usage, 
storage, transportation and handling of certain sub-
stances and also in relation to emissions, wastewa-
ter, effluent and other waste. The construction and 
operation of production facilities and other plant 
and equipment are governed by framework rules and 
regulations, including those relating to the decon-
tamination of soil. Violation of such regulations may 
lead to legal proceedings or compromise our future 
business activities.

Measures: Our internal standards, guidelines, codes 
of conduct, and training measures are geared to 
ensuring compliance with statutory regulations and, 
for example, the safety of our manufacturing facili-
ties and products. These requirements have also 
been incorporated into our management systems 
and are regularly audited. Ensuring compliance with 
laws and regulations is an integral component of our 
business processes. This includes the early monitor-
ing and evaluation of relevant statutory and regula-
tory requirements and changes. Henkel has estab-
lished a Group-wide compliance organization with 
locally and regionally responsible compliance offi-
cers led by a globally responsible General Counsel & 
Chief Compliance Officer (details can be found in the 
corporate governance report on pages 31 to 40). In 
addition, our corporate legal department maintains 
constant contact with local counsel. Current pro-
ceedings and potential risks are recorded in a sepa-
rate reporting system. For certain legal risks, we have 
concluded insurance policies that are standard for 
the industry and that we consider to be appropriate. 
However, the outcome of proceedings is inherently 
difficult to foresee, especially in cases in which the 
claimant is seeking substantial or unspecified dam-
ages. In view of this, we are unable to predict what 
obligations may arise from such litigations. Conse-
quently, major losses may result from litigations and 
proceedings that are not covered by our insurance 
policies or  provisions. 

Impact: Low probability rating, possible major 
impact on our earnings guidance. 

Information technology risks
Description of risk: Information technology 
has strategic significance for Henkel. Our business 
processes rely to a great extent on internal and exter-
nal IT services, applications, networks, and infra-
structure systems. The failure or disruption of criti-
cal IT services and the manipulation or loss of data 
constitute material risks for Henkel. The failure of 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

111

computer networks or disruption of important IT 
applications can impair critical business processes. 
The loss of confidential data, for example formula-
tions, customer data or price lists, could benefit our 
competition. Henkel’s reputation could also be dam-
aged by such loss.

Measures: The technical and organizational safe-
guards for protecting information at Henkel are 
based on the international standards ISO 27001 and 
27002. Major components include the classification 
of information, business processes, IT applications, 
and IT infrastructure safeguards with respect to con-
fidentiality, availability, integrity, and data protec-
tion requirements, as well as measures for avoiding 
risk. In addition, Henkel has put technical and orga-
nizational measures in place to prevent, discover and 
defeat cyber attacks. As a member of Cyber Security 
Sharing and Analytics (CSSA) e.V., Henkel also main-
tains regular contact with other major corporations 
to enable the early detection of threats and imple-
mentation of effective countermeasures.

Our critical business processes operate through  
redundantly configured systems designed for high 
availability. Our data backup procedures reflect state-
of-the-art technology and practice. We regularly 
review our restore and disaster-recovery processes. 
We develop our systems using proven project man-
agement and  program modification procedures. 

Access to buildings and areas containing IT systems, 
access to computer networks and applications, as 
well as user authorizations for our information sys-
tems, are strictly limited to the minimum level nec-
essary. For critical business processes, the required 
segregation of duties is enforced by technological 
means.

Our networks are protected against unauthorized 
external access where economically viable. Operating 
systems and anti-virus software are  automatically 
updated to their latest version on a continual basis. 

We inform and instruct our employees in the proper 
and secure use of information systems as part of 
their regular duties.

The implementation of our security measures is 
continually reviewed by our Internal Audit function, 
other internal departments, and independent third 
parties.

Impact: Low probability rating, possible major 
impact on our earnings guidance. 

Personnel risks
Description of risk: The motivation and the qualifi-
cation of our employees are key drivers of Henkel’s 
business success. Therefore, it is strategically impor-
tant to recruit highly qualified professionals and 
executives and ensure they stay with the company. In 
selecting and employing talent, we compete globally 
for qualified professionals and executives. In this 
context, we are acutely aware of the effects of demo-
graphic change in many of our markets. The change 
exposes us to the risk of losing valuable employees 
or being unable to recruit relevant qualified profes-
sionals and executives.

Measures: We combat the risk of losing valuable 
employees through specifically devised personnel 
development programs and incentive systems. 
 Supporting this is an established, thorough annual 
review process from which we derive individually 
tailored and  future-viable qualification programs as 
well as performance-related remuneration systems. 
We also provide a health management and consulta-
tion service on a global scale for our employees, 
aligned to their age and circumstances.

We reduce the risk of not being able to recruit quali-
fied professionals and executives by expanding our 
employer branding initiatives and through targeted 
cooperation with colleges and universities in all 
regions where we conduct business. Our attractive-
ness as an employer is reinforced by our focus on pro-
moting talent and specialized development programs. 

Further information relating to our employees can 
be found on pages 76 to 79.

Impact: Low probability rating, possible moderate 
impact on our earnings guidance. 

Risks in connection with brand image or 
 reputation of the company
Description of risk: As a globally active corporation, 
Henkel is exposed to potential damage to its image 
in the event of negative reports in the media – includ-
ing social media – regarding Henkel’s corporate 
brand or individual product brands, particularly in 
the consumer goods sector. These could lead to a 
negative impact on sales.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast112

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Measures: We minimize these risks through the 
measures described under legal and  regulatory risks 
(see page 110). These are designed to ensure that our 
production facilities and products are safe. We also 
pursue a policy of pro-active public relations man-
agement that serves to reinforce our corporate brand 
and individual product brands. These measures are 
supported by a global communication network, and 
international and local crisis management systems 
with regular  training  sessions and crisis response 
planning.

Impact: Low probability rating, possible major 
impact on our sales and earnings guidance.

Environmental and safety risks
Description of risk: Henkel is a global manufactur-
ing corporation and is therefore exposed to risks per-
taining to the environment, safety, health, and social 
standards, manifesting in the form of personal injury, 
physical damage to goods, and reputational damage. 
Soil contamination and the associated remediation 
expense as well as leakage or other technical failures 
could give rise to direct costs for the corporation. 
 Furthermore, indirect costs such as fines, claims for 
compensation or reputational damage may also be 
incurred.

Measures: We minimize these risks through the mea-
sures described under legal and regulatory risks (see 
page 110), and through our auditing, advisory and 
training activities. We update these preventive mea-
sures continuously in order to ensure that our facili-
ties, assets and reputation are properly safeguarded. 
We ensure compliance with high technical standards, 
rules of conduct, and relevant  statutory requirements 
as a further means of preserving our assets, and put our 
corporate values – one of which is sustainability – 
into practice.

Impact: Low probability rating, possible major 
impact on our earnings guidance.

Business strategy risks
Description of risk: Business strategy risks can arise 
from the expectations we set for internal projects, 
acquisitions and strategic alliances failing to materi-
alize. The associated capital expenditures may not 
generate the originally anticipated value added due 
to internal or external influences. Individual projects 
could also be delayed or even halted by unforeseen 
events. 

Measures: We combat these risks through compre-
hensive project management. We limit exposure 
through financial viability assessments in the review, 
decision, and implementation phases. These assess-
ments are performed by specialist departments, sup-
ported by external consultants where appropriate. 
Project transparency and control are supported by our 
management systems. 

Impact: Moderate probability rating, possible mod-
erate impact on our earnings guidance.

Major opportunity categories

Entrepreneurial opportunities are identified and 
evaluated at Group level and in the individual busi-
ness units, and duly incorporated into the strategy 
and planning processes. We understand the opportu-
nities presented in the following as potential future 
developments or events that could lead to a positive 
deviation from our guidance. We also assess the 
probabilities of price-related procurement market 
and financial opportunities.

Procurement market opportunities
Description of opportunities: Countervailing the 
procurement market risks listed on pages 108 and 109, 
opportunities may also arise in which the influencing 
factors described in this section develop in a direc-
tion that is advantageous to Henkel. 

Impact: Low probability rating, possible major 
impact on our earnings guidance.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Combined management report

113

Risks and opportunities in summary

At the time this report was prepared, there were no 
identifiable risks related to future developments that 
could endanger the existence either of Henkel AG & 
Co. KGaA, or a material subsidiary included in the 
consolidation, or the Group, as a going concern. As 
we have no special purpose vehicles, there is no risk 
that might originate from such a source. 

Compared to the previous year, our expectation 
of the likelihood and/or of the possible financial 
impact of individual risk and opportunity categories 
has changed slightly. Overall, however, the risk and 
opportunities situation has not altered to any signifi-
cant degree. 

The system of risk categorization adopted by Henkel 
continues to indicate that the most significant expo-
sure currently relates to the impact of macroecono-
mic and sector uncertainty together with financial 
risks, to which we are responding with the counter-
measures described above. The Management Board 
remains confident that the earning power of the 
Group forms a solid foundation for future business 
development and provides the necessary resources 
to leverage our opportunities.

Macroeconomic and sector-specific opportunities
Description of opportunities: Additional business 
opportunities would arise if the uncertain geopoliti-
cal and macroeconomic situation in some regions, 
or the economic conditions in individual sectors 
develop substantially better than expected. 

Impact: The opportunities described could have a 
major impact on our sales and earnings guidance.

Financial opportunities
Description of opportunities: Countervailing the 
currency and interest risks indicated under financial 
risks, and the risks arising from pension obligations 
as described on page 110, opportunities  may also 
arise in which the influencing factors described in 
this section develop in a direction that is advanta-
geous to Henkel. 

Impact: We classify financial opportunities as follows:
•   Currency opportunities with a low probability of a 

major impact on our earnings guidance

•   Interest rate opportunities with a moderate prob-

ability of a minor impact on our earnings guidance

•   Opportunities arising from our pension obliga-

tions with a low probability of a minor impact on 
our earnings guidance, and with a high probability 
of a major impact on our equity 

Acquisition opportunities
Description of opportunities: Acquisitions are an 
essential component of our strategy. 

Impact: Large acquisitions could have a major 
impact on our earnings guidance. 

Research and development opportunities
Description of opportunities: Opportunities      
arising from our predominantly continuous innova-
tion process are an essential component of our strat-
egy and are already accounted for in our guidance. 
There are additional opportunities in the event of 
product introductions that exceed our expectations 
of market acceptance, and in the development of 
exceptional innovations that have not yet been taken 
into account.

Impact: Innovations arising from future research 
and development could have a major impact on our 
sales and earnings guidance.

31 Corporate governance52 Shares and bonds57  Fundamental principles  of the Group65 Economic report102   Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  (condensed version according to the German Commercial Code [HGB])106  Subsequent events 106   Risks and opportunities report114  Forecast114

Combined management report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Forecast

Macroeconomic development

Our assessment of future world economic develop-
ment is based on data provided by IHS Global Insight.

Overview: moderate gross domestic product  
growth of approximately 3 percent
Global economic growth is expected to remain  
no more than moderate in 2016. IHS expects gross 
domestic product to grow by approximately  
3 percent.

The mature markets should grow by approximately 
2 percent. The North American economy is likely 
to grow by around 3 percent, Japan’s economy is 
expected to expand by approximately 1 percent. For 
Western Europe, IHS anticipates growth of approxi-
mately 2 percent.

The emerging markets will likely achieve robust 
 economic growth of around 4 percent in 2016, but 
developments are expected to vary widely between 
individual regions and countries. Economic output 
should increase by around 5 percent in Asia (exclud-
ing Japan) and by around 3 percent in the Africa/ 
Middle East region. IHS expects Latin America to 
show further decline in 2016. An increase of around 
2 percent is expected in the Eastern Europe region.

Direct materials: approximately at the level of the 
previous year; high volatility
We expect that, overall, prices for direct materials in 
2016 will remain approximately at the level of the 
previous year. In light of prevailing geopolitical and 
global economic uncertainties, we expect the high 
volatility in the procurement markets to continue.

Currencies: continued high volatility
We expect continued high volatility in the currency 
markets. We anticipate a stronger average US dollar 
rate for 2016 compared to 2015. By contrast, major 
currencies in the emerging markets may weaken.

Inflation: moderate rise in global price levels
Global inflation of approximately 3 percent is pre-
dicted in 2016. While IHS expects a high degree of 
price stability for the mature markets, with a rise of 
approximately 1 percent, the inflation rate in the 
emerging regions is likely to average approximately 
6 percent.

It is likely that the recent geopolitical and  economic 
developments and the sharp decline in oil prices 
will have negative effects on economic activity and 
exchange rates in individual countries and regions.

Sector development

Consumption and the retail sector: growth of 
around 3 percent
IHS anticipates that global private consumption will 
increase by around 3 percent in 2016. In the mature 
markets, consumers are likely to spend approximately 
2.5 percent more than in the previous year. The 
emerging markets should again demonstrate a 
somewhat higher propensity to spend, with a rise 
of approximately 3.5 percent in 2016.

Industry: growth of around 3 percent
Industrial production should expand globally by 
around 3 percent year on year, matching the world 
economy as a whole.

IHS expects the transport industry to expand produc-
tion by around 3 percent. The metal industry is esti-
mated to grow by around 2 percent. Production in 
the electronics sector will likely grow by approximately 
4 percent. Growth in the consumer-related sectors, 
such as the global packaging industry, is expected to be 
in the low single-digit range, as in the previous year. 

IHS expects global construction to expand by around 
3 percent.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

31  Corporate governance
52  Shares and bonds
57   Fundamental principles  

of the Group
65  Economic report

102    Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  

(condensed version according 
to the German Commercial 
Code [HGB])
106   Subsequent events 

106    Risks and opportunities report
114   Forecast

Combined management report

115

Outlook for the Henkel Group in 2016 

We expect the Henkel Group to generate organic 
sales growth of 2 to 4  percent in fiscal 2016. Our 
expectation is that each business unit will generate 
organic sales growth within this range. 

We furthermore expect a slight increase in the share 
of sales from our emerging markets.

The starting point for our expected organic sales 
growth is our strong competitive position. We have 
consolidated and further developed this in recent 
years through our innovative strength, strong brands 
and leading market positions, as well as the quality 
of our portfolio. 

In recent years we have introduced a number of mea-
sures that have had a positive effect on our cost struc-
ture. Also in this year, we intend to continue adapting 
our structures to constantly changing market condi-
tions and to maintain our strict cost discipline. 
Through optimization and standardization of pro-
cesses and continued expansion of our shared ser-
vices, we can pool activities and thus further improve 
our efficiency while simultaneously enhancing the 
quality of our customer service. Moreover, the opti-
mization of our production and logistics networks 
will contribute to improving our cost structures. 

These factors, together with the expected increase in 
sales, will have a positive effect on our earnings per-
formance. For adjusted return on sales (EBIT), we 
anticipate an increase versus prior year to approxi-
mately 16.5 percent. The adjusted return on sales of 
the individual business units is expected to be at or 
above the level of the previous year. We expect an 
increase in adjusted earnings per preferred share of 
between 8 and 11 percent.

Furthermore, we have the following expectations 
for 2016:
•   Prices for raw materials, packaging, and purchased 
goods and services approximately at the level of 
the previous year

•   Restructuring charges of 150 to 200 million euros
•   Investments in property, plant and equipment and 
intangible assets of between 650 and 700 million 
euros 

Dividends
In accordance with our dividend policy and depend-
ing on the company’s asset and profit positions as 
well as its financial requirements, we expect a divi-
dend payout by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA in the range of 
25 percent to 35 percent of net income after non-con-
trolling interests, and adjusted for exceptional items. 

Capital expenditures
We are planning to increase our investments in prop-
erty, plant and equipment and intangible assets to 
between 650 and 700 million euros in fiscal 2016. We 
intend to allocate our budget to expanding our busi-
nesses in the emerging markets and the mature mar-
kets in approximately equal proportions. 

Considerable investments are planned in the Laun-
dry & Home Care and Beauty Care business units for 
expanding production in Europe and Africa/Middle 
East. In the Adhesive Technologies business unit, 
the focus will be on further expanding our produc-
tion capacity in the emerging markets of Asia and 
Eastern Europe. In addition, investments in IT infra-
structure will contribute substantially to optimizing 
our processes.

116

Consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Consolidated financial statements

 118  Consolidated statement of  

133   Notes to the consolidated financial 

financial position

statements –  Notes to the consolidated 
statement of financial position

120  Consolidated statement of income

121   Consolidated statement of  
comprehensive income

121   Consolidated statement of  

changes in equity

122  Consolidated statement of cash flows

123   Notes to the consolidated financial 

statements –  Group segment report by 
business unit

124   Notes to the consolidated financial 

statements – Key financials by region

125   Notes to the consolidated financial 
statements – Accounting principles  
and methods applied in preparation  
of the consolidated financial  
statements

133   Intangible assets
137   Property, plant and equipment
139   Other financial assets
139   Other assets
140   Deferred taxes
140   Inventories
140    Trade accounts receivable
141    Cash and cash equivalents
141    Assets and liabilities held for sale
141   Issued capital
142   Capital reserve
142   Retained earnings
143   Other components of equity
143   Non-controlling interests
143   Pension obligations
151    Income tax provisions and other provisions
153   Borrowings
154   Other financial liabilities
154   Other liabilities
154    Trade accounts payable
155   Financial instruments report

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Consolidated financial statements

117

168   Notes to the consolidated financial 

180   Independent Auditor’s Report 

statements – Notes to the consolidated 
statement of income

168    Sales and principles of income recognition
168   Cost of sales
168   Marketing, selling and distribution expenses
168   Research and development expenses
168   Administrative expenses
169   Other operating income
169   Other operating charges
169   Financial result
170   Taxes on income
172   Non-controlling interests

182   Recommendation for the approval  of 
the annual financial statements and 
the appropriation of the profit of 
 Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

183   Responsibility statement by the  

Personally Liable Partner

184   Corporate management bodies of 

 Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

173   Notes to the consolidated financial 
statements –  Other disclosures
173   Reconciliation of adjusted net income
173   Payroll cost and employee structure
173   Share-based payment plans
174    Group segment report 
176   Earnings per share
177   Consolidated statement of cash flows
177   Contingent liabilities
177   Other unrecognized financial commitments
178    Voting rights / Related party disclosures 
178   Exercise of exemption options
179    Remuneration of the  

corporate management bodies

179    Declaration of compliance with the German 

Corporate Governance Code [DCGK]
179   Subsidiaries and other investments
179    Auditor’s fees and services

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118

Consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Consolidated statement of financial position

Assets 

in million euros

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Other financial assets

Income tax refund claims

Other assets

Deferred tax assets

Non-current assets

Inventories

Trade accounts receivable

Other financial assets 

Income tax refund claims

Other assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets held for sale

Current assets 

Total assets 

Note

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

3

4

8

9

2014

10,590

2,461

114

7

140

838

14,150

1,671

2,747

676

174

284

1,228

31

6,811

%

50.5

11.8

0.5

–

0.7

4.0

67.5

8.0

13.1

3.2

0.8

1.4

5.9

0.1

32.5

2015

11,682

2,661

63

7

177

816

15,406

1,721

2,944

540

196

330

1,176

10

6,917

76

%

52.3

11.9

0.3

–

0.8

3.7

69.0

7.7

13.2

2.4

0.9

1.5

5.3

–

31.0

20,961

100.0

22,323

100.0

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Consolidated financial statements

119

Equity and liabilities 

in million euros

Issued capital

Capital reserve

Treasury shares

Retained earnings 

Other components of equity

Equity attributable to shareholders of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Non-controlling interests

Equity

Pension obligations 

Income tax provisions

Other provisions

Borrowings

Other financial liabilities 

Other liabilities 

Deferred tax liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Income tax provisions

Other provisions

Borrowings

Trade accounts payable

Other financial liabilities 

Other liabilities 

Income tax liabilities

Liabilities held for sale

Current liabilities

Note

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

16

17

18

19

5

16

16

17

20

18

19

9

2014

438

652

– 91

11,396

– 887

11,508

136

11,644

1,262

84

380

1,354

1

13

628

3,722

251

1,513

390

3,046

117

268

10

–

5,595

%

2.1

3.1

– 0.4

54.4

– 4.3

54.9

0.7

55.6

6.0

0.4

1.8

6.5

–

0.1

3.0

17.8

1.2

7.2

1.9

14.4

0.6

1.3

–

–

26.6

2015

438

652

– 91

12,984

– 322

13,661

150

13,811

988

89

396

4

1

16

670

2,164

263

1,564

880

3,176

109

351

5

–

6,348

77

%

2.0

2.9

– 0.4

58.1

– 1.4

61.2

0.7

61.9

4.4

0.4

1.8

–

–

0.1

3.0

9.7

1.2

7.0

3.9

14.2

0.5

1.6

–

–

28.4

Total equity and liabilities 

20,961

100.0

22,323

100.0

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures120

Consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Consolidated statement of income

in million euros

Sales

Cost of sales 1

Gross profit

Marketing, selling and distribution expenses 1

Research and development expenses 1

Administrative expenses 1

Other operating income

Other operating charges

Operating profit (EBIT)

Interest income 

Interest expense 

Other financial result 

Investment result

Financial result

Income before tax

Taxes on income 

Tax rate in % 

Net income 

Attributable to non-controlling interests

Attributable to shareholders of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Earnings per ordinary share – basic and diluted 

Earnings per preferred share – basic and diluted 

 in euros

 in euros

Additional voluntary information

in million euros

EBIT (as reported)

One-time gains 

One-time charges

Restructuring charges 1

Adjusted EBIT

Adjusted return on sales 

Adjusted tax rate 

Adjusted net income – Attributable to shareholders of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Adjusted earnings per ordinary share  

Adjusted earnings per preferred share  

Note

2014 

%

2015

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

16,428

– 8,712

7,716

– 4,151

– 413

– 852

109

– 165

2,244

39

– 48

– 46

6

– 49

2,195

– 533

24.3

1,662

34

1,628

3.74

3.76

100.0

18,089

– 53.0

– 9,368

47.0

8,721

– 25.3

– 4,608

– 2.5

– 5.2

0.7

– 1.0

13.7

0.2

– 0.2

– 0.3

–

– 0.3

13.4

– 3.3

– 478

– 1,012

127

– 105

2,645

28

– 45

– 24

– 1

– 42

2,603

– 635

24.4

10.1

1,968

0.2

9.9

47

1,921

4.42

4.44

%

100.0

– 51.8

48.2

– 25.5

– 2.6

– 5.6

0.7

– 0.6

14.6

0.2

– 0.2

– 0.2

–

– 0.2

14.4

– 3.5

10.9

0.3

10.6

Note

2014

2015

78

+/–

10.1 %

7.5 %

13.0 %

11.0 %

15.7 %

18.8 %

16.5 %

– 36.4 %

17.9 %

– 28.2 %

– 6.3 %

– 47.8 %

– 

– 14.3 %

18.6 %

19.1 %

18.4 %

38.2 %

18.0 %

18.2 %

18.1 %

79

+/–

2,244

2,645

17.9 %

– 28

159

213

– 15 2

100 3

193

2,588

2,923

15.8

24.0

16.2

25.0

32

1,896

2,112

4.36

4.38

4.86

4.88

–

–

–

12.9 %

0.4 pp

1.0 pp

11.4 %

11.5 %

11.4 %

in %

in %

 in euros

 in euros

1  Restructuring charges 2015: 193 million euros (2014: 213 million euros), of which: cost of sales 18 million euros (2014: 82 million euros);  marketing, selling 
and distribution expenses 87 million euros (2014: 48 million euros); research and development expenses 14 million euros (2014: 3 million euros);  administrative 
expenses 74 million euros (2014: 80 million euros).
2  Gains from performance-related purchase price components.
3  Includes 60 million euros related to optimization of our IT system architecture for managing business processes (2014: 39 million euros), 18 million euros for 

 provisions related to legal disputes (2014: 109 million euros), 14 million euros for remediation obligations (2014: 0 million euros), and 8 million euros for inciden-
tal acquisition costs (2014: 10 million euros).

 
 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Consolidated financial statements

121

80

2015

1,968

593

– 17

–

265

841

2,809

58

2,751

81

Total

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income

See Notes 15 and 21 for further explanatory information

in million euros

Net income

Components to be reclassified to income:

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Gains/losses from derivative financial instruments (hedge reserve per IAS 39)

Gains/losses from financial instruments in the available-for-sale category (Available-for-sale reserve)

Components not to be reclassified to income:

Remeasurements from defined benefit plans

Other comprehensive income (net of taxes) 

Total comprehensive income for the period 

 Attributable to non-controlling interests

 Attributable to shareholders of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA 

Consolidated statement of changes in equity

See Notes 10 to 14 for further explanatory information

2014 

1,662

627

15

1

– 266

377

2,039

48

1,991

Issued  
capital

Other components 
of equity

Ordinary 
shares 

Preferred 
shares 

Capital 
reserve 

Treasury 
shares 

Retained 
earnings 

Currency 
trans-
lation 

Available- 
for-sale 
reserve 

Hedge 
reserve 
per  
IAS 39 

Non-con-
trolling 
interests 

Share-
holders 
of Henkel  
AG & Co. 
KGaA

260

178

652

– 91

10,561

– 1,336

– 182

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,628

– 266

1,362

– 525

–

– 2

–

– 

613

613

–

–

–

– 

–

15

15

–

–

–

– 

260

178

652

– 91

11,396

– 723

– 167

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,921

265

2,186

– 564

–

– 34

–

– 

582

–

– 17

582

– 17

–

–

–

– 

–

–

–

– 

260

178

652

– 91

12,984

– 141

– 184

2

–

1

1

–

–

–

–

3

–

–

0

–

–

–

–

3

10,044

114

10,158

1,628

363

1,991

– 525

– 

– 2

–

34

14

48

– 23

– 

– 2

– 1

1,662

377

2,039

– 548

– 

– 4

– 1

11,508

136

11,644

1,921

830

2,751

– 564

– 

– 34

–

47

11

58

– 33

– 

– 11

–

1,968

841

2,809

– 597

– 

– 45

–

13,661

150

13,811

in million euros

At January 1, 2014

Net income

Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive income 
for the period 

Dividends

Sale of treasury shares

Changes in ownership interest 
with no change in control

Other changes in equity

At December 31, 2014 /  
January 1, 2015

Net income

Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive income 
for the period

Dividends

Sale of treasury shares

Changes in ownership interest 
with no change in control

Other changes in equity

At December 31, 2015

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
122

Consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Consolidated statement of cash flows

See Note 37 for further explanatory information

in million euros

Operating profit (EBIT)

Income taxes paid

Amortization/depreciation/impairment/write-ups of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment 1

Net gains/losses on disposal of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment, and from divestments

Change in inventories

Change in trade accounts receivable

Change in other assets

Change in trade accounts payable

Change in other liabilities and provisions

Cash flow from operating activities

Purchase of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment, including payments on account

Acquisition of subsidiaries and other business units

Purchase of associated companies and joint ventures held at equity

Proceeds on disposal of subsidiaries and other business units

Proceeds on disposal of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment

Cash flow from investing activities

Dividends paid to shareholders of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Dividends paid to non-controlling shareholders

Interest received

Interest paid

Dividends and interest paid and received

Repayment of bonds

Other changes in borrowings

Allocation to pension funds

Other changes in pension obligations

Purchase of non-controlling interests with no change of control

Other financing transactions 2

Cash flow from financing activities

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents

Change in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at January 1

Cash and cash equivalents at December 31 

1  Of which: Impairment in fiscal 2015: 16 million euros (fiscal 2014: 35 million euros).
2  Other financing transactions in fiscal 2015 include payments of – 472 million euros for the purchase of short-term  

securities and time deposits as well as provision of financial collateral (fiscal 2014: – 941 million euros). 

3  Cash and cash equivalents at January 1, 2014 include cash and cash equivalents of 10 million euros which are  

reported in the statement of financial position as held for sale and result in the amount shown of 1,051 million euros.

Additional voluntary information 
Reconciliation to free cash flow

in million euros

Cash flow from operating activities

Purchase of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment, including payments on account

Proceeds on disposal of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment

Net interest paid

Other changes in pension obligations

Free cash flow 

82

2015

2,645

– 715

460

– 26

– 25

– 140

– 79

77

187

2,384

– 625

– 322

– 6

25

35

– 893

– 564

– 33

130

– 155

– 622

2014

2,244

– 567

416

– 1

– 103

– 184

3

55

51

1,914

– 531

– 1,719

–

6

13

– 2,231

– 525

– 23

202

– 203

– 549

– 1,030

– 1,300

275

– 87 

– 62

– 12

 1,912

447

130

37

167

1,061 3

1,228

275

– 60 

– 79

– 52

 283

– 1,555

– 64

12

– 52

1,228

1,176

83

2015

2,384

– 625

35

– 25

– 79

1,690

2014

1,914

– 531

13

– 1

– 62

1,333

 
 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

123

Group segment report by business unit 1

Laundry & 
Home Care

Beauty  
Care

Industrial 
Adhesives

Total  
Adhesive 
Techno-
logies 

Operating 
business 
units total

Corporate

Adhesives 
for Con-
sumers, 
 Craftsmen 
and 
 Building

84

Henkel 
Group

5,137

3,833

1,869

7,123

8,992

17,961

128

18,089

28 %

21 %

10 %

40 %

50 %

99 %

1 %

100 %

4,626

3,547

1,858

6,269

8,127

16,300

128

16,428

11.0 %

9.9 %

4.9 %

786

615

27.8 %

15.3 %

13.3 %

879

749

17.4 %

17.1 %

16.2 %

8.1 %

4.1 %

2.1 %

561

421

33.3 %

14.6 %

11.9 %

610

544

12.2 %

15.9 %

15.3 %

3,726

2,631

2,743

2,296

41.6 %

21.1 %

23.4 %

 19.5 %

20.4 %

18.3 %

126

14

–

122

26

5

450

1,201

5,928

2,005

3,923

4,507

1,708

2,799

73

–

–

61

1

–

142

370

4,041

1,484

2,557

3,390

1,294

2,096

0.6 %

2.3 %

2.3 %

283

280

1.4 %

15.2 %

15.0 %

278

293

– 5.1 %

14.9 %

15.7 %

898

865

3.8 %

31.6 %

32.3 %

43

–

–

41

1

–

83

82

1,441

585

856

1,375

562

813

10.6 %

10.2 %

0.1 %

 10.1 %

13.6 %

4.7 %

2.4 %

4.1 %

2.4 %

5.8 %

3.0 %

1,179

1,066

1,462

1,345

2,809

2,381

10.6 %

16.5 %

17.0 %

8.7 %

16.3 %

16.6 %

18.0 %

15.6 %

14.6 %

–

–

– 164

– 137

–

–

–

5.7 %

3.0 %

2,645

2,244

17.9 %

14.6 %

13.7 %

1,256

1,109

1,534

1,402

3,023

2,694

– 100

– 106

2,923

2,588

13.3 %

17.6 %

17.7 %

9.4 %

17.1 %

17.2 %

12.2 %

16.8 %

16.5 %

7,068

5,941

7,967

6,806

14,436

11,733

 19.0 %

16.7 %

17.9 %

 17.1 %

18.4 %

19.8 %

23.0 %

19.5 %

20.3 %

207

2

6

180

6

2

294

553

8,535

1,982

6,553

7,166

1,696

5,469

250

2

6

221

7

2

377

635

9,976

2,566

7,410

8,541

2,258

6,283

449

16

6

404

34

7

969

2,206

19,945

6,055

13,890

16,438

5,260

11,178

–

–

–

75

57

–

–

–

11

–

–

12

1

–

10

8

456

381

75

414

357

57

12.9 %

16.2 %

15.8 %

14,511

11,790

 23.1 %

18.2 %

19.0 %

460

16

6

416

35

7

979

2,214

20,401

6,435

13,965

16,852

5,617

11,235

in million euros

Sales 2015

Proportion of Henkel sales

Sales 2014

Change from previous year

Adjusted for foreign exchange

Organic

EBIT 2015

EBIT 2014

Change from previous year

Return on sales (EBIT) 2015

Return on sales (EBIT) 2014

Adjusted EBIT 2015

Adjusted EBIT 2014

Change from previous year

Adjusted return on sales (EBIT) 2015

Adjusted return on sales (EBIT) 2014

Capital employed 2015 2

Capital employed 2014 2

Change from previous year

Return on capital employed (ROCE) 2015

Return on capital employed (ROCE) 2014

Amortization/depreciation/impairment/write-ups of 
intangible assets and property, plant, equipment 2015

of which impairment losses 2015

of which write-ups 2015

Amortization/depreciation/impairment/write-ups of 
 intangible assets and property, plant, equipment 2014

of which impairment losses 2014

of which write-ups 2014

Capital expenditures (excl. financial assets) 2015

Capital expenditures (excl. financial assets) 2014

Operating assets 2015 3

Operating liabilities 2015

Net operating assets 2015 3

Operating assets 2014 3

Operating liabilities 2014

Net operating assets 2014 3

1  Calculated on the basis of units of 1,000 euros.
2  Including goodwill at cost prior to any accumulated impairment in accordance with IFRS 3.79 (b).
3  Including goodwill at net book value.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures 
124

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Key financials by region 1

in million euros

Sales 2 2015

Sales 2 2014

Western 
Europe

Eastern 
Europe

Africa/ 
Middle 
East

North 
America 

Latin 
America

Asia- 
Pacific

Total 
Regions

Corporate

Henkel 
Group

6,045

5,724

2,695

2,854

1,329

1,133

3,648

2,884

1,110

1,029

3,134

2,676

17,961

16,300

128

128

18,089

16,428

85

Change from previous year

Adjusted for foreign exchange

Organic

Proportion of Group sales 2015

Proportion of Group sales 2014

5.6 %

4.6 %

– 0.3 %

34 %

35 %

Operating profit (EBIT) 2015

Operating profit (EBIT) 2014

1,223

1,046

Change from previous year

Adjusted for foreign exchange

Return on sales (EBIT) 2015

Return on sales (EBIT) 2014

16.9 %

15.5 %

20.2 %

18.3 %

1 Calculation on the basis of units of 1,000 euros.
2 By location of company.

– 5.6 %

7.1 %

7.3 %

15 %

17 %

356

378

– 5.7 %

10.9 %

13.2 %

13.2 %

17.3 %

6.8 %

6.8 %

7 %

7 %

26.5 %

6.6 %

2.3 %

20 %

18 %

7.9 %

10.3 %

8.8 %

6 %

6 %

17.1 %

3.6 %

2.5 %

17 %

16 %

10.2 %

5.8 %

3.0 %

99 %

99 %

–

–

–

1 %

1 %

10.1 %

5.7 %

3.0 %

100 %

100 %

141

121

544

420

110

73

434

343

2,809

2,381

– 164

– 137

2,645

2,244

16.8 %

3.5 %

10.6 %

10.7 %

29.5 %

5.7 %

14.9 %

14.6 %

50.5 %

51.1 %

9.9 %

7.1 %

26.6 %

5.9 %

13.9 %

12.8 %

18.0 %

12.1 %

15.6 %

14.6 %

–

–

–

–

17.9 %

12.7 %

14.6 %

13.7 %

In 2015, the affiliated companies domiciled in Germany, 
including Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, generated sales of 2,345 mil-
lion euros (previous year: 2,280 million euros). Sales realized 
by the affiliated companies domiciled in the USA amounted 
to 3,422 million euros in 2015 (previous year: 2,672 million 
euros). In  fiscal 2014 and 2015, no individual customer 
accounted for more than 10 percent of total sales.

Of the total non-current assets disclosed for the Henkel  Group 
at December 31, 2015 (excluding financial instruments and 
deferred tax assets) amounting to 14,539 million euros (previ-
ous year: 13,203 million euros), 1,842 million euros (previous 
year: 1,479 million euros) was attributable to the affiliated 
companies domiciled in Germany, including Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA. The non-current assets (excluding financial instru-
ments and deferred tax  assets) recognized in respect of the 
affiliated companies domiciled in the USA amounted to 
7,308 million euros at December 31, 2015  (previous year: 
6,404 million euros).

 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

125

Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the  
consolidated financial statements

General information

Scope of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA, Düsseldorf, as of December 31, 2015 have been prepared 
in accordance with International Financial Reporting Stan-
dards (IFRS) and the relevant interpretations of the Interna-
tional Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC), 
as adopted per Regulation number 1606/2002 of the European 
Parliament and the Council, on the application of international 
accounting standards in the European Union, and in compli-
ance with Section 315a of the German Commercial Code [HGB].

In addition to Henkel AG & Co. KGaA as the ultimate parent 
company, the consolidated financial statements at December 31, 
2015 include nine German and 192 non-German companies in 
which Henkel AG & Co. KGaA has a dominating influence over 
financial and operating policy, based on the concept of con-
trol. The Group has a dominating influence on a company 
when it is exposed, or has rights, to variable returns from its 
involvement with the company and has the ability to affect 
those returns through its power over the company.

The individual financial statements of the companies included 
in the consolidation are drawn up on the same accounting date, 
December 31, 2015, as that of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA.

The following table shows the changes to the scope of consoli-
dation in fiscal 2015:

Members of the KPMG organization or other independent firms 
of auditors instructed accordingly have audited the financial 
statements of the material companies included in the consoli-
dation. The Management Board of Henkel Management AG – 
which is the Personally Liable Partner of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA 
– compiled the consolidated financial statements on Janu-
ary 29, 2016 and approved them for forwarding to the Super-
visory Board and for publication.  

The consolidated financial statements are based on the prin-
ciple of historical cost with the exception that certain financial 
instruments are accounted for at their fair values, and pension 
obligations are measured using the projected unit credit method. 
The functional currency of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and the 
reporting currency of the Group is the euro. Unless otherwise 
indicated, all amounts are shown in million euros.  In  order to 
improve the clarity and informative value of the consolidated 
financial statements,  certain items are combined in the consoli-
dated statement of financial position, the  consolidated state-
ment of income and the consolidated statement of compre-
hensive income,  and then shown separately in the notes. 

Scope of consolidation 

At January 1, 2015

Additions

Mergers

Disposals

At December 31, 2015

86

206

13

– 15

– 2 

202

Further details can be found in the section “Acquisitions and 
divestments” on the two pages overleaf.

Subsidiaries which are of secondary importance to the Group 
and to the presentation of a true and fair view of our net 
assets, financial position and results of operations due to their 
inactivity or low level of activity are generally not included in 
the consolidated financial statements. The total assets of these 
companies represent less than 1 percent of the Group’s total 
assets; their total sales and income (net of taxes) are also less 
than 1 percent of the Group totals. 

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures126

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Acquisitions and divestments

Acquisitions
Effective May 11, 2015, we entered into an agreement with 
 Colgate-Palmolive Company for the purchase of all its laundry 
detergent and pre-wash brands in Australia and New Zealand. 
This acquisition is part of our global strategy to invest in 
attractive country category positions in mature markets. 
We paid the purchase price of 194 million euros in cash on 
August 31, 2015. Provisional goodwill was recognized in an 
amount of 132 million euros. Control of the acquired deter-
gent business as defined in IFRS 10 “Consolidated Financial 
Statements” and the associated full consolidation commenced 
on December 1, 2015. If the acquired company had been 
included from January 1, 2015, sales for the Henkel Group for 
the reporting period Janu ary 1 to December 31, 2015 would be 
higher by 98 million euros and income (net of taxes) would be 
lower by 6 million euros, taking incidental acquisition costs 
into account. The actual contributions of the company were 
4 million euros to sales and 0 million euros to income (net of 
taxes). Because the acquisition took place over the course of 
the year, the allocation of the purchase price to the acquired 
assets and liabilities in accordance with IFRS 3 “Business 
Combinations” is provisional. The purpose of the purchase 
price allocation, which has not yet been completed, is to allo-
cate the acquisition costs to the fair values of the assets and 
liabilities. It also takes into account the fair values of previ-
ously unrecognized intangible assets of acquired activities, 
such as customer relationships, technologies and brands.

Effective June 1, 2015, we completed the acquisition of all  
shares of Novamelt GmbH, Wehr, Germany, expanding our 
business in pressure-sensitive hotmelt adhesives in the 
 Adhesive Technologies business unit. The purchase price of 
48 million euros was paid in cash. Goodwill was capitalized 
in an amount of 29 million euros.

Effective July 16, 2015, we concluded the acquisition of the 
hairstyling business and the associated brands of Industrias 
Wet Line S.A. de C.V. in Latin America. The purchase price was 
55 million euros, financed with cash. Goodwill was recognized 
in an amount of 35 million euros. The acquisition is part of our 
strategy to further strengthen our presence in emerging markets.

Effective December 14, 2015, we completed the acquisition of 
all shares of Magna-Tech Manufacturing LLC, Ohio, USA, and 
MT Canada LLC, Ohio, USA, expanding our vacuum impregna-
tion business in the Adhesive Technologies business unit. The 
purchase price including debt was 32 million euros, financed 
with cash. Provisional goodwill was recognized in an amount 
of 20 million euros.

On May 29, 2015, we invested 19 million euros to acquire the 
outstanding non-controlling shares of Henkel (Jiangsu) Auto 
Parts Co. Ltd., Danyang, China, thus increasing our ownership 
interest to 100 percent. The difference between the propor-
tional net assets held previously and the purchase price was  
recognized in retained earnings.

On June 18, 2015, we invested 26 million euros to acquire the 
outstanding non-controlling shares of Henkel Chembond 
 Surface Technologies Ltd., Navi Mumbai, India, thus increasing 
our ownership interest to virtually 100 percent. The difference 
between the proportional net assets held previously and the 
purchase price was recognized in retained earnings.

The carrying amounts of the acquired assets and liabilities are 
determined by the contracts and our opening balances on each 
respective acquisition date. The recognition and measurement 
principles adopted by the Henkel Group were applied. If the 
purchase of all shares of Novamelt GmbH, Magna-Tech Manu-
facturing LLC, MT Canada LLC and the acquisition of the hair-
styling business of Industrias Wet Line S.A. de C.V. had been 
included from January 1, 2015, sales for the Henkel Group for 
the reporting period January 1 to December 31, 2015 would be 
higher by 99 million euros and income (net of taxes) by 4 mil-
lion euros, taking incidental acquisition costs into account. 
The actual contributions of the companies were 41 million 
euros to sales and 3 million euros to income (net of taxes). Cap-
italized goodwill of around 23 million euros is tax-deductible.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

127

87

2015

194

27

221

89

132

143

51

92

88

Detergent business 
in Australia,  
New Zealand effective 
December 1, 2015

Others

Fair value

Fair value

Total

132

81

–

3

216

5

–

–

–

5

221

221

–

–

–

–

221

92

38

11

–

141

6

10

–

2

18

159

143

10

2

4

6

159

224

119

11

3

357

11

10

–

2

23

380

364

10

2

4

6

380

Reconciliation of the purchase price to provisional goodwill 

in million euros

Colgate-Palmolive Company’s detergent business in Australia, New Zealand effective December 1, 2015

Purchase price

Adjustment based on purchase agreement

Adjusted purchase price

Fair value of the acquired assets and liabilities

Provisional goodwill

Others

Purchase price 

Fair value of the acquired assets and liabilities

Provisional goodwill

Acquisitions 

in million euros

Provisional goodwill 

Other intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Other non-current assets

Non-current assets

Inventories

Trade accounts receivable

Other current assets 

Liquid funds

Current assets

Total assets

Net assets 

Non-current liabilities 

Other current provisions / liabilities

Trade accounts payable

Current liabilities 

Total equity and liabilities

Divestments
Effective January 30, 2015, we concluded the sale of our chemi-
cal additives business for the processing industry in the Adhe-
sive Technologies business unit in the USA. These assets were 
included in assets held for sale as of December 31, 2014. The 
sale price was 29 million euros.

The net assets, financial position and results of operations of 
the company were not materially impacted by divestments in 
fiscal 2015.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures128

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Consolidation methods

The financial statements of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and of the 
subsidiaries included in the consolidated financial statements 
were prepared on the basis of uniformly valid principles of rec-
ognition and measurement, applying the standardized year-
end date adopted  by the Group. Such entities are included in 
the consolidated  financial statements as of the date on which 
the Group acquired control.

All receivables and liabilities, sales, income and expenses, as 
well as intra-group profits on transfers of non-current assets 
or inventories, are eliminated on consolidation. 

The purchase method is used for capital consolidation. With 
business combinations, therefore, all hidden reserves and hid-
den charges in the entity acquired are revalued at the time of 
acquisition, and all identifiable intangible assets are sepa-
rately disclosed if they are clearly separable or if their recogni-
tion arises from a contractual or other legal right. Any differ-
ence arising between the acquisition cost and the (share of) 
net assets after purchase price allocation is recognized as 
goodwill. The goodwill of subsidiaries is measured in the 
functional currency of the  subsidiary. 

Entities acquired are included in the consolidation for the first 
time as subsidiaries by offsetting the carrying amount of the 
respective parent company’s investment in them against their 
 assets and liabilities. Contingent consideration is recognized 
at fair value as of the date of first-time consolidation. Subse-
quent changes in value do not result in an adjustment to the 
valuation at the time of acquisition. (Incidental) costs related 
to the acquisition of subsidiaries are not included in the pur-
chase price. Instead, they are recognized through profit or loss 
in other  operating charges in the period in which they occur. 

In the recognition of acquisitions of less than 100 percent, 
non-controlling interests are measured at the fair value of the 
share of net assets that they represent. 

In subsequent years, the carrying amount of the  Henkel AG & 
Co. KGaA investment is eliminated against the current (share 
of) equity in the subsidiary entities concerned.

Changes in the shareholdings of subsidiary companies result-
ing in a decrease or an increase in the participating interests of 
the Group without loss of control are recognized within equity 
as  changes in ownership without loss of control.

As soon as the control of a subsidiary is relinquished, all the 
assets and liabilities and the non-controlling interests, and 
also the accumulated currency translation gains or losses, 
 are derecognized. In the event that Henkel continues to own 
non-controlling interests in the non-consolidated entity, these 
are measured at fair value. The result of deconsolidation is 
recognized under other operating income or charges.

Companies recognized by the equity method

Associated companies and joint ventures are recognized by 
the equity method.

An associated company is a company over which the Group 
can exercise material influence on the financial and operating 
policies without controlling it. Material influence is generally 
assumed when the Group holds 20 percent or more of the vot-
ing rights. Where a Group company conducts transactions 
with an associated company or a joint venture, the resulting 
profits or losses are eliminated in accordance with the share 
of the Group in that company. 

The Group consolidates Dekel Investment Holdings Ltd. and 
Vitriflex, Inc. using the equity method. The carrying amount 
of the shareholdings recognized at equity as of December 31, 
2015 was 12 million euros (previous year: 5 million euros).

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

129

Currency translation

The annual financial statements of the consolidated compa-
nies, including the hidden reserves and hidden charges of 
Group companies recognized by the purchase method, good-
will arising on consolidation, and the consolidated statement 
of cash flows, are translated into euros using the functional 
currency method outlined in  International Accounting Stan-
dard (IAS) 21 “The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange 
Rates.” The functional currency is the currency in which a for-
eign company predominantly generates funds and makes 
 payments. As the functional currency for all the companies 
included in the consolidation is generally the local currency 
of the company concerned, assets and liabilities are translated 

at closing rates, while income and expenses are translated at 
the average rates for the year as an approximation of the actual 
rates at the date of the transaction. Equity items are  recognized 
at historical exchange rates. The differences arising from using 
average rather than closing rates are taken to equity and shown 
as other components of equity or non-controlling interests, 
and remain neutral in respect of net income until the shares 
are divested.

In the subsidiaries’ annual financial statements, transactions 
in foreign currencies are converted at the rates prevailing at 
the time of the transaction. Financial assets and liabilities in 
foreign currencies are measured at closing rates through profit 
or loss. For the main currencies in the Group, the following 
exchange rates have been  used based on 1 euro:

Currencies 

Chinese yuan

Mexican peso

Polish zloty

Russian ruble

Turkish lira

US dollar

ISO code

Average exchange rate

Exchange rate on December 31

CNY

MXN

PLN

RUB

TRY

USD

2014

8.19

17.66

4.18

50.87

2.91

1.33

2015

6.97

17.61

4.18

68.05

3.02

1.11

2014

7.54

17.87

4.27

72.34

2.83

1.21

89

2015

7.06

18.91

4.26

80.67

3.18

1.09

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures130

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Recognition and measurement methods

Summary of selected measurement methods 

Financial statement figures

Measurement method

90

Assets

Goodwill

Other intangible assets

with indefinite useful lives

with definite useful lives

Property, plant and equipment

Financial assets (categories per IAS 39)

“Loans and receivables”

“Available for sale”

“Held for trading”

“Fair value option”

Other assets

Inventories

Assets held for sale

Lower of carrying amount and recoverable amount (“impairment only” method)

Lower of carrying amount and recoverable amount (“impairment only” method)

(Amortized) cost less any impairment losses

(Depreciated) cost less any impairment losses

(Amortized) cost using the effective interest method

Fair value with gains or losses recognized directly in equity 1

Fair value through profit or loss

Fair value through profit or loss

(Amortized) cost

Lower of cost and fair value less costs to sell

Lower of cost and fair value less costs to sell

1 Apart from permanent impairment losses and effects arising from measurement in a foreign currency.

Liabilities

Provisions for pensions and similar obligations

Present value of future obligations (projected unit credit method)

Other provisions

Settlement amount 

Financial liabilities (categories per IAS 39)

“Measured at amortized cost”

(Amortized) cost using the effective interest method

“Held for trading”

Other liabilities

Fair value through profit or loss

Settlement amount

The methods of recognition and measurement, which are 
basically unchanged from the previous year, are described in 
detail in the notes relating to the individual items of the state-
ment of financial position  on these pages. Also provided as 
part of the report on our financial instruments (Note 21 on 
pages 155 to 167) are the disclosures relevant to International 
Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 7 showing the breakdown 
of our financial instruments by category, our methods for fair 
value measurement, and the derivative financial instruments 
that  we use.

Changes in the methods of recognition and measurement 
 arising from revised and new standards are applied retrospec-
tively, provided that the effect is material and there are no 
alternative regulations that supersede the standard concerned. 
The  consolidated statement of income from the previous year 
and the opening balance of the consolidated statement of 
financial position for this comparative period are adjusted 
as if the new methods of recognition and measurement had 
always been applied.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

131

Accounting estimates, assumptions  
and discretionary judgments

New international accounting regulations according 
to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) 

Preparation of the consolidated financial statements is based 
on a number of accounting estimates and assumptions. These 
have an impact on the reported amounts of assets, liabilities 
and contingent liabilities at the reporting date and the disclo-
sure of income and expenses for the reporting period. The 
actual amounts may differ from these estimates.

The accounting estimates and their underlying assumptions 
are based on past experience and are continually reviewed. 
Changes in accounting estimates are recognized in the period 
in which the change takes place where such change exclusively 
affects that period. A change is recognized in the period in 
which it occurs and in later periods where such change affects 
both the reporting period and subsequent periods. The judg-
ments of the Management Board regarding the application of 
those IFRSs which have a significant impact on the consoli-
dated financial statements are presented in particular in the 
explanatory notes on taxes on income (Note 30 on pages 170 
to 172), intangible assets (Note 1 on pages 133 to 136), pension 
obligations (Note 15 on pages 143 to 151), income tax provisions 
and other provisions (Note 16 on pages 151 and 152), financial 
instruments (Note 21 on pages 155 to 167) and share-based 
payment plans (Note 34 on pages 173 and 174).

Material discretionary judgments are made in respect of 
the demarcation of the cash-generating units as explained 
in Note 1 on pages 133 to 136 and the segment reporting as 
explained in Note 35 on pages 174 and 175.

Accounting methods applied for the first  
time in the year under review 

91

Mandatory for  
fiscal years beginning  
on or after

General standard “Improvements to IFRS 2011–2013”

January 1, 2015

As part of the IFRS annual improvement project, amendments 
were made to four standards. Adjustments to the wording of 
individual IFRSs are intended to clarify existing regulations. 
The following standards are affected: IFRS 1, IFRS 3, IFRS 13 
and IAS 40.

The first-time application of the amended standards had no 
material impact on the presentation of our consolidated 
financial statements.

Accounting regulations not applied in advance of their 
effective date
The following standards and amendments to existing standards 
of possible relevance to Henkel, which have been adopted into 
EU law (endorsement mechanism) but are not yet mandatory, 
have not been applied early:

Accounting regulations not applied in advance of their 
effective date 

92

Mandatory for fiscal years  
beginning on or after

IFRS 11 (Amendment) “Acquisition of 
an Interest in a Joint Operation”

IAS 1 (Amendment) “Notes”

IAS 16 and IAS 38 (Amendment) “Clar-
ification of Acceptable Methods of 
Depreciation and Amortisation” 

IAS 19 (Amendment) “Defined Benefit 
Plans: Employee Contributions”

General standard “Improvements to 
IFRS 2010 – 2012” 

General standard “Improvements to 
IFRS 2012 – 2014” 

January 1, 2016

January 1, 2016

January 1, 2016

February 1, 2015

February 1, 2015

January 1, 2016

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures132

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

•   As part of the annual improvement project “Improvements 
to IFRS 2012 – 2014,” amendments were made to four stan-
dards. Adjustments to the wording of individual IFRSs/IASs 
are intended to clarify existing regulations. The following 
standards are affected: IFRS 5, IFRS 7, IAS 19 and IAS 34. The 
amendments are applicable for the first time for fiscal years 
beginning on or after January 1, 2016. 

These new standards and amendments to existing standards 
will be applied by Henkel starting in fiscal 2016. Unless other-
wise indicated, we expect the future application of the afore-
mentioned regulations not to have a significant impact on the 
presentation of the financial statements.

Accounting regulations not yet adopted into EU law
In fiscal 2015, the IASB issued the following standards and 
amendments to existing standards of relevance to Henkel, 
which still have to be adopted into EU law (endorsement 
mechanism) before they become applicable:

Accounting regulations not yet adopted into EU law 

93

IFRS 9 “Financial Instruments”

IFRS 15 “Revenue from Contracts with 
Customers” 

IFRS 10 and IAS 28 (Amendment) 
“Sale or Contribution of Assets 
between an Investor and its Associate 
or Joint Venture” 

IFRS 10, IFRS 12 and IAS 28 (Amend-
ment) “Investment Entities: Applying 
the Consolidation Exception”

Mandatory for fiscal years  
beginning on or after

January 1, 2018

January 1, 2018

Outstanding

January 1, 2016

These standards and amendments to existing standards will 
be applied by Henkel starting in fiscal 2016 or later. We are 
 currently examining what impact IFRS 15 “Revenue from Con-
tracts with Customers” will have on the consolidated financial 
statements. A conclusive assessment of its effects is not pos-
sible at present.

•   IFRS 11 governs the procedure for recognizing joint ventures 
and joint operations in both the statement of financial posi-
tion and in profit or loss. Joint ventures must be recognized 
using the equity method, whereas the treatment of joint 
operations is comparable to proportionate consolidation, 
pursuant to IFRS 11. With its amendment of IFRS 11, the 
International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has regu-
lated the accounting procedure for acquisitions of interests 
in joint operations in which the activity constitutes a busi-
ness, as defined in IFRS 3 Business Combinations. In the case 
of such operations, the acquirer is required to apply the 
principles of business combinations accounting in IFRS 3. The 
disclosure requirements specified in IFRS 3 also apply in 
such instances. The amendments are applicable for the first 
time for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2016. 
•   The amendments relating to IAS 1 affect various reporting 
issues. The standard now clarifies that disclosures in the 
notes are only necessary if their content is not immaterial, 
which is explicitly the case if an IFRS specifies a list of 
 minimum disclosures. Explanations on the procedure for 
aggregating and disaggregating items on the statements of 
financial position and comprehensive income have also 
been included. The standard further requires contributions 
to other comprehensive income by companies that are rec-
ognized using the equity method to be reported in the state-
ment of comprehensive income. The amendments are 
applicable for the first time for fiscal years beginning on 
or after January 1, 2016.

•   In its amendments of IAS 16 and IAS 38, the IASB has pro-

vided further guidance for determining acceptable methods 
of depreciation and amortization. The amendments are 
applicable for the first time for fiscal years beginning on 
or after January 1, 2016.

•   The amendments to IAS 19 clarify the requirements govern-
ing the allocation of contributions by employees or third 
parties to periods of service if the contributions are linked 
to the period of service. In addition, it permits a practical 
expedient if the amount of the contributions is indepen-
dent of the number of years of service.  The amendments 
are applicable for the first time for fiscal years beginning 
on or after  February 1, 2015.

•   As part of the annual improvement project “Improvements 
to IFRS 2010 – 2012,” amendments were made to seven stan-
dards. Adjustments to the wording of individual IFRSs are 
intended to clarify existing regulations. Amendments affect-
ing disclosures in the notes have also been implemented. 
The following standards are affected: IFRS 2, IFRS 3, IFRS 8, 
IFRS 13, IAS 16, IAS 24 and IAS 38. The amendments are 
applicable for the first time for fiscal years beginning on 
or after February 1, 2015. The amendments relating to IFRS 2 
and IFRS 3 are applicable to transactions executed on or after 
July 1, 2014.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

133

118   Consolidated statement of 

financial position

120   Consolidated statement of 

income

121    Consolidated statement    
of changes in equity
122   Consolidated statement  

of cash flows

121   Consolidated statement of  
comprehensive income

123    Group segment  report  
by business unit

124   Key financials by region
125   Accounting principles and 

133   Notes to the consolidated  

statement of financial position

methods applied in preparation 
of the consolidated financial 
statements

168   Notes to the consolidated  
statement of income

173   Other disclosures

Notes to the consolidated statement of financial position

The measurement and recognition policies for financial statement items are described in the relevant note.

Non-current assets

The following unchanged, standardized useful lives  are 
applied:

All non-current assets with definite useful lives are depreci-
ated or amortized exclusively using the straight-line method 
on the basis of estimated useful lives. The useful life estimates 
are reviewed annually. If facts or circumstances indicate the 
need for impairment, the recoverable amount is determined. 
It is measured as the higher of the fair value less costs to sell 
(net realizable value) and the value in use. Impairment losses 
are recognized if the recoverable amounts of the assets are 
lower than their carrying amounts, and are charged to the 
 relevant functions.

Useful life

in years

Intangible assets with definite useful lives

Residential buildings

Office buildings

Research and factory buildings, workshops,  
stores and staff buildings

Plant facilities

Machinery

Office equipment

Vehicles

Factory and research equipment

94

3 to 20

50

40

25 to 33

10 to 25

7 to 10

10

5 to 20

2 to 5

95

1   Intangible assets

Cost

in million euros

At January 1, 2014

Acquisitions

Divestments

Additions

Disposals

Reclassifications to assets held for sale

Reclassifications

Translation differences

At December 31, 2014 / January 1, 2015

Acquisitions

Divestments

Additions

Disposals

Reclassifications to assets held for sale

Reclassifications

Translation differences

At December 31, 2015

Trademarks and other rights

Assets  
with  indefinite 
useful lives

Assets  
with  definite  
useful lives

Internally  
generated  
intangible assets 
with definite  
useful lives

Intangible assets 
in development

Goodwill

Total

1,195

434

–

–

–

–

33

158

1,820

101

– 1 

–

–

–

–

159

2,079

1,449

74

–

8

– 5

– 16

– 31

27

1,506

18

–

12

– 9

– 

– 

71

1,598

215

2

–

5

– 5

–

– 4

7

220

–

–

35

– 

–

 11

4

270

–

–

–

52

–

–

11

1

64

–

–

64

–

–

– 11

–

117

6,367

1,141

– 

–

– 1

– 4

2

580

8,085

224

– 1

–

– 

– 

–

553

8,861

9,226

1,651

– 

65

– 11

– 20

11

773

11,695

343

– 2

111

– 9

– 

–

787

12,925

 
 
134

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Accumulated amortization / impairment

96

in million euros

At January 1, 2014

Divestments

Write-ups

Scheduled amortization

Impairment losses

Disposals

Reclassifications to assets held for sale

Reclassifications

Translation differences

At December 31, 2014 / January 1, 2015

Divestments

Write-ups

Scheduled amortization

Impairment losses

Disposals

Reclassifications to assets held for sale

Reclassifications

Translation differences

At December 31, 2015

Net book values

in million euros

At December 31, 2015

At December 31, 2014

Trademarks and other rights

Assets  
with indefinite 
useful lives

Assets  
with definite  
useful lives

Internally  
generated  
intangible assets 
with definite  
useful lives

Intangible assets 
in development

Goodwill

Total

16

–

– 

–

–

–

–

–

–

16

–

– 5 

–

–

–

–

1

–

12

872

–

–

79

–

– 6

– 10

– 2

– 12

921

–

–

91

–

– 7

– 

– 1

35

135

–

–

20

 1

– 6

–

2

5

157

–

–

19

 –

–

–

–

5

1,039

181

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

14

–

– 3 

–

–

–

– 

–

–

11

–

–   

–

–

–

– 

–

–

1,037

–

– 3

99

 1

– 12

– 10

– 

– 7

1,105

–

– 5

110

–

–7 

– 

– 

40

11

1,243

97

Trademarks and other rights

Assets  
with indefinite 
useful lives

Assets  
with definite 
 useful lives

Internally  
generated  
intangible assets 
with definite 
 useful lives

Intangible assets 
in development

Goodwill

Total

2,067

1,804

559

585

89

63

117

64

8,850

8,074

11,682

10,590

Goodwill represents the future economic benefit of assets that 
are acquired through business combinations and not individu-
ally identifiable and separately recognized, as well as expected 
synergies, and is recognized at cost. Trademarks and other 
rights acquired for valuable consideration are stated at pur-
chase cost, while internally generated software is stated at 
development cost.

Additions to internally generated intangible assets mostly 
reflect investments in consolidating and optimizing our  
IT system architecture for managing business processes.

The change in goodwill resulting from acquisitions and 
divestments  made in the fiscal year is presented in the  
section “Acquisitions and divestments” on pages 126 and 127.

Goodwill as well as trademarks and other rights with indefi-
nite useful lives are subjected to an impairment test at least 
once a year and also when indicators of impairment are pres-
ent (“impairment only” approach).

Amortization and impairment of trademarks and other rights 
are recognized as selling expenses. Amortization and impair-
ment of other intangible assets are allocated to the relevant 
functions in the consolidated statement of income.

 
 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

135

In the course of our  annual impairment test, we reviewed the 
carrying amounts of goodwill. The following table shows the 
cash-generating units together with the associated goodwill  

at book value at the reporting date. The description of the 
cash-generating units can be found in the notes to the consoli-
dated financial statements, Note 35 on page 174 and in the 
combined management report on pages 90 to 101.

Book values – Goodwill

Cash-generating units 
in million euros

Laundry Care

Home Care

Total Laundry & Home Care

Branded Consumer Goods

Hair Salon Business

Total Beauty Care

Packaging and Consumer Goods  
Adhesives 

Transport and Metal

General Industry

Electronics

Adhesives for Consumers, Craftsmen 
and Building 

Total Adhesive Technologies

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015

Goodwill

Terminal  
growth rate

Weighted average 
cost of capital

Goodwill

Terminal  
growth rate

Weighted average 
cost of capital

98

1,070

1,186

2,256

1,149

284

1,433

1,886

414

363

1,349

373

4,385

1.00 %

1.00 %

1.00 %

1.00 %

1.50 %

1.50 %

1.00 %

1.50 %

1.00 %

6.00 %

6.00 %

6.00 %

6.00 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

1,286

1,267

2,553

1,294

305

1,599

2,005

462

385

1,473

373

4,698

1.00 %

1.00 %

1.00 %

1.00 %

1.50 %

1.50 %

1.00 %

1.50 %

1.00 %

6.25 %

6.25 %

6.25 %

6.25 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

We assess goodwill impairment according to the fair-value-
less-costs-to-sell approach on the basis of future estimated 
cash flows which are obtained from the business budgets 
approved by the appropriate corporate management bodies. 
The determination of fair value (before deduction of costs to 
sell) is allocated to valuation level 3 of the fair value hierarchy 
(see Note 21 on pages 155 to 167). The assumptions upon which 
the essential planning parameters are based reflect experience 
gained in the past, aligned to current information provided by 
external sources. Budgets are prepared on the basis of a finan-
cial planning horizon of three years. For the period after that, 
a growth rate in a range between 1 and 2 percent in the cash 
flows is assumed for the purpose of impairment testing. The 
euro to US dollar exchange rate applied is 1.07. Taking into 
account specific tax effects, the cash flows of the various cash-
generating units are discounted at different rates reflecting the 
weighted average cost of capital (WACC) in each business unit: 
 6.25 percent after tax for both Laundry & Home Care and Beauty 
Care, and 7.50 percent after tax for Adhesive Technologies.

In the Laundry & Home Care business unit, we have assumed 
an increase in sales during the three-year detailed  forecasting 
horizon of 3 to 4 percent per year, with a slight increase in 
market share. Sales growth in the Beauty Care business unit 
over the three-year forecasting horizon is budgeted at between 
1.5 and 3 percent per annum. Here, too, we expect a slight 
increase in market share. Sales in the Adhesive Technologies 
business unit are expected to grow by between 3 and 4 percent 
per annum on average over the detailed three-year forecasting 
horizon, thus exceeding the market average. 

In all the business units, we assume that a future increase 
in the cost of raw materials can be extensively offset by cost 
reduction measures in purchasing and by passing the increase 
on to our customers, as well as through the implementation 
of efficiency improvement measures. Given our continued 
pro-active management of the portfolio, we anticipate achiev-
ing at least stable gross margins in all our business units.

The impairment tests revealed sufficient impairment buffers 
so that, as in the previous year, no impairment of goodwill was 
required.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures 
136

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Trademarks and other rights with indefinite useful lives are 
presented in the following table.

Book values – Trademarks and other rights  

Cash-generating units 
(summarized)
in million euros

Laundry Care

Home Care

Total Laundry & Home Care

Branded Consumer Goods

Hair Salon Business

Total Beauty Care

Packaging and Consumer  
Goods Adhesives

Transport and Metal 

General Industry

Electronics

Adhesives for Consumers, Craftsmen 
and Building 

Total Adhesive Technologies

December 31, 2014

Terminal  
growth rate

Trademarks  
and other rights 
with indefinite 
useful lives

Weighted  
average cost  
of capital

Trademarks  
and other rights 
with indefinite 
useful lives

December 31, 2015

Terminal  
growth rate

99

Weighted  
average cost  
of capital

652

342

994

502

109

611

46

10

0

79

64

199

1.00 – 2.00 %

6.40 – 12.30 %

1.00 – 2.00 %

6.50 – 11.20 %

0.20 – 2.00 %

6.50 – 10.20 %

0.20 – 2.00 %

6.40 – 9.00 %

1.50 %

1.50 %

1.00 %

1.50 %

1.00 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

779

372

1,151

572

121

693

51

14

0

90

68

223

1.00 – 1.80 %

1.00 – 1.80 %

6.25 – 12.30 %

6.25 – 11.50 %

0.20 – 1.80 %

0.20 – 1.80 %

6.25 – 9.50 %

6.25 – 9.80 %

1.50 %

1.50 %

1.00 %

1.50 %

1.00 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

7.50 %

We assess impairment of trademarks and other rights with 
 indefinite useful lives according to fair-value-less-costs-to-sell 
approach at the level of the cash-generating unit, which con-
sists of either global business units (Adhesive Technologies) or 
regionally strategic business units. We base the approach on 
future estimated cash flows which are obtained from business 
budgets. The determination of fair value (before deduction of 
costs to sell) is allocated to valuation level 3 of the fair value 
hierarchy (see Note 21 on pages 155 to 167). The assumptions 
upon which the essential planning parameters are based 
reflect experience gained in the past, aligned to current infor-
mation provided by external sources. Budgets are prepared on 
the basis of a financial planning horizon of three years. For the 
period after that, a growth rate in a range between 0.2 and 1.8 
percent in the cash flows is assumed for the purpose of impair-
ment testing. The euro to US dollar exchange rate applied is 
1.07.  Taking into account specific tax effects, the cash flows of 
the various cash- generating units are discounted at different 
rates, with a range between 6.25 and 12.30 percent applied as 
the applicable weighted average cost of capital (WACC) to each 
cash-generating unit. 

The impairment tests revealed sufficient impairment buffers 
so that – as in the previous year – no impairment of trade-
marks and other rights with indefinite useful lives was 
required.

The trademarks and other rights with indefinite useful lives 
with a net  book value of 2,067 million euros (previous year: 
1,804 million euros) are established in their markets and will 
continue to be intensively promoted. Moreover, there are no 
other statutory, regulatory or competition-related factors that 
limit our usage of our brand names.

Our annual impairment tests on trademarks and other rights 
with indefinite useful lives required impairment losses of 
0 million euros (previous year: 0 million euros). In fiscal 2015, 
impairments of 5 million euros were reversed for trademarks 
in the Industrial Adhesives reportable segment.

The company also intends to continue using the brands dis-
closed as having definite useful lives. No impairment losses 
were registered with respect to trademarks and other rights 
with definite useful lives in 2015.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

137

2   Property, plant and equipment

Cost 

in million euros

At January 1, 2014

Acquisitions

Divestments

Additions

Disposals

Reclassifications to assets held for sale 

Reclassifications

Translation differences

Land, land  
rights and 
 buildings

2,000

20

– 11

22

– 7

– 28

56

36

2,777

19

– 37

104

– 74

– 47

105

25

At December 31, 2014 / January 1, 2015

2,088

2,872

Plant and  
machinery 

Factory  
and office 
equipment

Assets in  
the course of 
construction

914

4

– 1

61

– 55

– 4

35

19

973

2

– 

77

– 75

3

65

2

251

3

–

265

– 1

1

– 207

– 2

310

–

–

256

– 

–

– 282

18

302

3

– 

45

– 16

– 

62

46

6

– 

136

– 94

 1

153

51

2,228

3,125

1,047

Land,  
land rights and 
buildings

Plant and  
machinery 

Factory  
and office 
 equipment

Assets in  
the course of 
construction

961

– 11 

– 

55

17

– 5

– 24

1

14

1,008

–  

– 

62

2

– 10

1

– 1

19

1,992

– 37 

– 2

154

17

– 70

– 41 

–

29

2,042

– 

– 1

182

12

– 86

– 1

– 3

36

1,081

2,181

695

– 1 

– 1

80

–

– 53

– 3

– 1

17

733

– 

– 

96

2

– 73

2

3

19

782

– 1

–

– 1

–

–

–

1

–

–

– 1

–

– 

–

–

–

–

–

– 2

– 3

100

Total

5,942

46

– 49

452

– 137

– 78

– 11

 78

6,243

11

– 

514

– 185

 4

– 2

117

6,702

101

Total

3,647

– 49 

– 4

289

34

– 128

– 67

–

60

3,782

– 

– 1

340

16

– 169

2

– 1

72

4,041

Acquisitions

Divestments

Additions

Disposals

Reclassifications to assets held for sale 

Reclassifications

Translation differences

At December 31, 2015

Accumulated depreciation / impairment 

in million euros

At January 1, 2014

Divestments

Write-ups

Scheduled depreciation

Impairment losses

Disposals

Reclassifications to assets held for sale 

Reclassifications

Translation differences

At December 31, 2014 / January 1, 2015

Divestments

Write-ups

Scheduled depreciation

Impairment losses

Disposals

Reclassifications to assets held for sale 

Reclassifications

Translation differences

At December 31, 2015

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures 
 
138

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Net book values 

in million euros

At December 31, 2015

At December 31, 2014

Land,  
land rights 
 and buildings

1,147

1,080

Plant and  
machinery 

Factory  
and office 
 equipment

Assets in  
the course of 
construction

944

830

265

240

305

311

102

Total

2,661

2,461

Additions are stated at purchase or manufacturing cost. The 
latter includes direct costs and appropriate proportions of 
 necessary overheads. Interest charges on borrowings are not 
included, as Henkel does not currently hold any qualifying 
assets in accordance with International Accounting Standard 
(IAS) 23 “Borrowing Costs.” Cost figures are shown net of invest-
ment grants and allowances. Incidental acquisition costs 
incurred in order to make the asset ready for the intended use 
are capitalized. An overview of the primary investment projects 
undertaken during the fiscal year can be found on page 72 in 
the combined management report.

At December 31, 2015, property, plant and equipment with a 
carrying amount of 0 million euros had been pledged as 
 collateral for existing liabilities. The periods over which the 
assets are depreciated are based on their estimated useful lives 
as set out on page 133. Scheduled depreciation and impairment 
losses recognized are allocated to the relevant functions in 
 the consolidated statement of income. 

Of the impairment losses amounting to 16 million euros, pro-
duction optimization measures attributable to the Laundry & 
Home Care business unit accounted for 12 million euros. In 
the Adhesive Technologies business unit, impairment losses 
of 2 million euros were recognized as a result of production 
optimization measures.  

 
 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

139

3   Other financial assets

Analysis 

103

in million euros

Non-current

Current

Total

Non-current

Current

Total

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015

Receivables from associated companies

Financial receivables from third parties

Derivative financial instruments

Investments accounted for using the equity 
method

Other investments 

Receivable from Henkel Trust e.V.

Securities and time deposits

Financial collateral provided

Sundry financial assets  

Total  

–

14

51

5

21

–

–

–

23

114

1

20

37

–

–

226

301

19

72

676

1

34

88

5

21

226

301

19

95

790

–

15

–

12

21

–

–

–

15

63

1

24

72

–

–

349

5

10

79

540

1

39

72

12

21

349

5

10

94

603

With the exception of investments, derivatives, securities  
and time deposits, other financial assets are measured at 
amortized cost.

The receivable from Henkel Trust e.V. relates to pension pay-
ments made by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA to retirees, for which 
reimbursement can be claimed from  Henkel Trust e.V.

Included under securities and time deposits are monies depos-
ited as part of our short-term financial management arrange-
ments. The monies involved are primarily time deposits.

Sundry non-current financial assets include, among others, 
receivables from employees. The sundry current financial 
assets include the following:
•   Receivables from sureties and guarantee deposits amount-
ing to 32 million euros (previous year: 29 million euros)
•   Receivables from suppliers amounting to 14 million euros 

 (previous year: 13 million euros)

•   Receivables from employees amounting to 15 million euros 

(previous year: 14 million euros)

4   Other assets

Analysis 

in million euros

Tax receivables

Payments on account

Overfunding of pension obligations 

Reimbursement rights related to employee 
 benefits 

Accruals

Sundry other assets

Total 

December 31, 2014

Non-current

Current

–

1

25

97

16

1

140

156

14

–

8

69

37

284

Total

156

15

25

105

85

38

424

Non-current

–

–

58

100

18

1

177

December 31, 2015

Current

202

28

–

11

72

17

330

104

Total

202

28

58

111

90

18

507

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures140

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

5   Deferred taxes

Deferred taxes are recognized for temporary differences between 
the valuation of an asset or a liability in the financial statements 
and its tax base, for tax losses carried forward, and for unused tax 
credits. This also applies to temporary differences in valuation 
arising through acquisitions, with the exception of goodwill.

Deferred tax liabilities on taxable temporary differences related 
to shares in subsidiaries are recognized to the extent that a 
reversal of this difference is expected in the foreseeable future.

Changes in the deferred taxes in the statement of financial 
 position result in deferred tax expenses or income unless the 
underlying item is directly recognized in other comprehensive 
income. For items recognized directly in other comprehensive 
income, the associated deferred taxes are also recognized in 
other comprehensive income.

The valuation, recognition and breakdown of deferred taxes  
in respect of the various items in the statement of financial 
position are disclosed under Note 30 (“Taxes on income”) on 
pages 170 to 172.

6   Inventories

In accordance with IAS 2, reported under inventories are those 
assets that are intended to be sold in the ordinary course of 
business (finished products and merchandise), those in the 
process of production for such sale (work in progress) and 
those to be utilized or consumed in the course of manufacture 
or the rendering of services (raw materials and supplies). Pay-
ments on account made for the purpose of purchasing inven-
tories are likewise disclosed under the inventories heading.

Inventories are measured at the lower of cost and net realiz-
able value. 

Inventories are measured using either the “first in, first  
out” (FIFO) or the average cost method. Manufacturing  
cost includes not only the direct costs but also appropriate 
 portions of necessary overheads (for example goods inward 
department, raw material storage, filling, costs incurred 
through to the finished goods warehouse), production-
related administrative expenses, the costs of the pensions 
of people who are employed in the  production process, and 
production- related amortization /depreciation. The overhead 
add-ons are calculated on the basis of average capacity 
 utilization. Not included, however, are interest expenses  
incurred during the manufacturing period. 

The net realizable value is determined as an estimated  selling 
price less costs yet to be incurred through to completion, and 
necessary selling and distribution costs. Write-downs to the 
net realizable value are made if, at year-end, the carrying 
amounts of the inventories are above their realizable fair val-
ues. The resultant valuation allowance amounted to 120 mil-
lion euros (previous year: 129 million euros). The carrying 
amount of inventories recognized at fair value less costs to 
sell amounted to 410 million euros. The carrying amount of 
inventories pledged as security for liabilities amounted to 
2 million euros.

Analysis of inventories 

in million euros

Raw materials and supplies

Work in progress

Finished products and merchandise

Payments on account for merchandise

Total

105

December 
31, 2014

December 
31, 2015

491

67

1,110

3

1,671

483

69

1,157

12

1,721

7   Trade accounts receivable

Trade accounts receivable amounted to 2,944 million euros  
(previous year: 2,747 million euros). They are all due within 
one year. Valuation allowances have been recognized in 
respect of specific risks as appropriate. Overall, we recognized 
total valuation allowances of 21 million euros (previous year: 
20 million euros).

Trade accounts receivable 

in million euros

Trade accounts receivable, gross

less: cumulative valuation allowances on  trade 
accounts receivable

Trade accounts receivable, net

106

December 
31, 2014

December 
31, 2015

2,855

3,056

108

2,747

112

2,944

Development of valuation allowances  on trade 
accounts receivable 

107

in million euros

Valuation allowances at January 1

Additions

Derecognition of receivables

Currency translation effects

Valuation allowances at December 31

2014

2015

98

14

– 6

2

108

108

15

– 12

1

112

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

141

8   Cash and cash equivalents

Assets and liabilities held for sale 

Recognized under cash and cash equivalents are liquid funds, 
sight deposits and other financial assets with an original term 
of not more than three months. In accordance with IAS 7, also 
recognized under cash equivalents are shares in money mar-
ket funds which, due to their first-class credit rating and 
investment in extremely short-term money market securities, 
undergo only minor value fluctuations and can be readily con-
verted within one day into known amounts of cash. Utilized 
bank overdrafts are recognized in the statement of financial 
position as liabilities to banks.

The volume of cash and cash equivalents decreased compared 
to the previous year from 1,228 million euros to 1,176 million 
euros. Of this figure, 950 million euros (previous year: 716 mil-
lion euros) relates to cash and 226 million euros (previous 
year: 512 million euros) to cash equivalents. The change is 
shown in the consolidated statement of cash flows. 

9     Assets and liabilities  held for sale

Assets held for sale are assets that can be sold in their current 
 condition and whose sale is very probable. Disposal must be 
expected within one year from the time of reclassification as 
held for sale. Such assets may be individual assets, groups of 
assets (disposal groups) or business operations (discontinued 
operations). Assets held for sale are no longer subject to  
scheduled depreciation and amortization and are instead rec-
ognized at the lower of carrying amount  and fair value less 
costs to sell (level 3), which is determined by the current price 
negotiations with potential buyers.

Compared to December 31, 2014, assets held for sale declined 
by 21 million euros to 10 million euros.  The reduction is attrib-
utable to the sale in the USA of our chemical additives busi-
ness for the processing industry in the Adhesive Technologies 
business unit and the sale of an administration building in 
Spain. These sales resulted in a gain of around 20 million 
euros. There were no liabilities held for sale (December 31, 
2014: 0 million euros).

in million euros

Intangible assets and property, plant and equipment

Inventories and trade accounts receivable

Cash and cash equivalents

Other assets

Provisions

Borrowings

Other liabilities

Net assets

10   Issued capital

Issued capital 

in million euros

Ordinary bearer shares

Preferred bearer shares

Capital stock

108

December 
31, 2015

6

3

–

1

–

–

–

10

109

December 
31, 2014

December 
31, 2015

260

178

438

260

178

438

Comprising: 
259,795,875 ordinary shares, 178,162,875 non-voting preferred shares.

All shares are fully paid in. The ordinary and preferred shares 
are bearer shares of no par value, each of which represents a 
nominal proportion of the capital stock amounting to 1 euro. 
The liquidation proceeds are the same for all shares. The num-
ber of ordinary shares issued remained unchanged year on 
year. The number of preferred shares in circulation increased 
slightly, to 174,482,323 as at December 31, 2015.

By resolution of the Annual General Meeting of April 13, 2015, 
the Authorized Capital 2010 created by resolution of the Annual 
General Meeting of April 19, 2010, according to which the Per-
sonally Liable Partner was authorized – with the approval of 
the Shareholders’ Committee and of the Supervisory Board of 
 Henkel AG & Co. KGaA – to increase the capital of the corpora-
tion in one or more  installments at any time until April 18, 2015, 
by as much as 25.6 million euros (25.6 million shares) in total 
by issuing new non-voting preferred shares to be paid up in 
cash, was repealed and simultaneously replaced by the new 
Authorized Capital 2015  (Art. 6 (5) of the Articles of Associa-
tion). Under Authorized Capital 2015, the Personally Liable 
Partner is authorized – with the approval of the Shareholders’ 
Committee and of the Supervisory Board – to increase the cap-
ital of the corporation at any time until April 12, 2020, by up to 
a nominal amount of 43,795,875 euros in total by issuing up to 

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures 
142

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

43,795,875 new non-voting preferred shares for cash or in-kind 
consideration. The authorization may be utilized to the full 
extent allowed or once or several times in  installments. The 
proportion of capital stock represented by shares issued 
against consideration in kind on the basis of this authoriza-
tion must not exceed a total of 10 percent of the capital stock 
existing at the time the authorization takes effect.  

The Personally Liable Partner is authorized, with the approval 
of the Supervisory Board and of the Shareholders’ Committee, 
to set aside the pre-emptive rights of shareholders in the case 
of a capital increase against payment in kind, particu larly for the 
purpose of business combinations or the (direct or indirect) 
acquisition of entities, operations, parts of businesses, equity 
interests or other assets, including claims against the corpora-
tion or companies dependent upon it within the meaning of 
Section 17 of the German Stock Corporation Act [AktG].

If capital is increased against payment in cash, all sharehold-
ers are essentially assigned pre-emptive rights. However, these 
may be set aside where necessary, subject to the approval of 
the Supervisory Board and of the Shareholders’ Committee, in 
order to dispose of fractional amounts or to grant to holders of 
bonds with warrants or conversion rights issued by the corpora-
tion, or one of the companies dependent upon it, pre-emptive 
rights corresponding to those that would accrue to such bond-
holders following the exercise of their warrant or conversion 
rights or on fulfillment of their conversion obligations, or if 
the issue price of the new shares is not significantly below the 
quoted market price at the time of issue price fixing. 

Furthermore, the Personally Liable Partner  was authorized by 
resolution of the Annual General Meeting of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA on April 13, 2015 (with simultaneous repeal of the corre-
sponding authorization through April 18, 2015 of the Annual 
General Meeting of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA of April 19, 2010) to 
acquire, by April 12, 2020, ordinary or preferred shares of the 
corporation representing a nominal proportion of the capital 
stock of not more than 10 percent. This authorization can be 
exercised for any legal purpose. To the exclusion of the pre-
emptive rights of existing shareholders, treasury shares may, 
in particular, be transferred to third parties for the purpose of 
acquiring companies or equity interests in companies. Trea-
sury shares may also be sold to third parties against payment 
in cash, provided that the selling price is not significantly 
below the quoted market price at the time of share disposal. 
The  shares may likewise be used to satisfy warrants or conver-
sion rights granted by the corporation. The Personally Liable 
Partner has also been authorized – with the approval of the 

Shareholders’ Committee and of the Supervisory Board – to 
cancel treasury shares without the need for further resolution 
by the Annual General Meeting. 

The proportion of capital stock represented by treasury shares 
issued or sold on the basis of these authorizations must not 
exceed a total of 10 percent. Also to be taken into account in 
this restriction are shares used to service bonds with warrants 
or conversion rights or a conversion obligation, issued by the 
corporation or companies dependent upon it, where these 
bonds were or are issued with the pre-emptive rights of exist-
ing shareholders excluded.

Treasury shares held by the corporation at December 31, 2015 
amounted to 3,680,552 preferred shares (December 31, 2014: 
3,680,564). This represents 0.84 percent of the capital stock 
and a proportional nominal value of 3.7 million euros. The 
number of treasury shares de clined in 2015 by 12 shares due to 
the exercise of subscription rights. This represents 0.0 percent 
of the capital stock and a proportional nominal value of 0 mil-
lion euros. The gain on the sale was 0 million euros.

See also the explanatory notes on pages 33 and 34 of the com-
bined management report.

11   Capital reserve

The capital reserve comprises the amounts received in previ-
ous years in excess of the nominal value of preferred shares 
and convertible warrant bonds issued by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA.

12   Retained earnings

Recognized in retained earnings are the following:
•   Amounts allocated in the financial statements of Henkel AG 

& Co. KGaA in previous years

•   Amounts allocated from consolidated net income less those 

amounts attributable to non-controlling interests

•   Buy-back of treasury shares by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA at cost 

and the proceeds from their disposal

•   Actuarial gains and losses recognized in equity
•   The acquisition or disposal of ownership interests in 

 subsidiaries with no change in control

For details on the acquisition of ownership interests in subsid-
iaries with no change in control in fiscal 2015, please see the 
section “Acquisitions and divestments” on pages 126 and 127.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

143

13   Other components of equity

Reported under this heading are differences reported in equity 
arising from the currency translation of annual financial state-
ments of foreign subsidiaries and also the effects arising from 
the valuation in total comprehensive income of financial assets 
in the “Available for sale” category and of derivative financial 
instruments for which hedge accounting is used. The latter are 
derivatives used in connection with cash flow hedges or 
hedges of a net investment in a foreign entity. Due in particu-
lar to the appreciation of the US dollar versus the euro, the 
negative difference attributable to shareholders of Henkel AG 
& Co. KGaA arising from currency translation declined com-
pared to the figure at December 31, 2014, by 582 million euros 
to –141 million euros.

14   Non-controlling interests

Recognized under non-controlling interests are equity shares 
held by third parties measured on the basis of the proportion 
of net assets.

15   Pension obligations

Description of the pension plans
Employees in companies included in the consolidated finan-
cial statements have entitlements under company pension 
plans which are either defined contribution or defined benefit 
plans. These take different forms depending on the legal, 
financial and tax regime of each country. The level of benefits 
provided is based, as a rule, on the length of service and on the 
income of the person entitled. Details on pension benefits for 
members of the Management Board are provided in the 
 remuneration report on pages 41 to 51.

In defined benefit plans, the liability for pensions and other 
post-employment benefits is calculated at the present value 
of the future obligations (projected unit credit method). This 
actuarial method of calculation takes future trends in wages, 
 salaries and retirement benefits into account. 

The majority of the  recipients of pension benefits are located 
in Germany and the USA. The pension obligations are primar-
ily financed via various external trust assets that are legally 
independent of Henkel. 

which was newly formed in 2004. AV 2004 is an employer-
financed pension plan that reflects the personal income devel-
opment of employees during their career at  Henkel and thus 
provides a performance-related pension. Henkel guarantees a 
minimum return on the company’s contributions. The benefit 
essentially consists of an annuity payable upon attainment of 
the retirement age plus a lump-sum payment if the annuity 
threshold is exceeded in the employee’s service period. In 
addition to age and disability pensions, the plan benefits 
include surviving spouse and surviving child benefits. 

Employees who started at Henkel after April 1, 2011, partici-
pate in the pension plan “Altersversorgung 2011 (AV 2011).” 
AV 2011 is an employer-financed, fund-linked retirement plan 
funded by contributions based on the income development of 
the employee. Henkel ensures its employees that a lump-sum 
amount is available upon retirement which is at least equiva-
lent to the level of principal contributions made by Henkel. 
Henkel makes the pension contribution to an investment fund 
established for the purpose of the company pension plan. 
Upon attaining retirement age, the employee can choose 
between an annuity through transfer of the superannuation 
lump-sum to a pension fund, or a one-time payment. 

To provide protection under civil law of the pension entitle-
ments of future and current pensioners of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA against insolvency, we have transferred the proceeds of 
the bond issued in 2005 and certain other assets to Henkel 
Trust e.V. The trustee invests the cash with which it has been 
entrusted in the capital market in accordance with investment 
policies laid down in the trust agreement. In addition, we also 
subsidize medical benefits for retired employees resident 
mainly in the USA. Under these programs, retirees are reim-
bursed for a certain percentage of their medical expenses.  
We build provisions during the employees’ service period 
and pay the promised benefits when they are claimed.

The defined contribution plans are structured in such a way 
that the corporation pays contributions to public or private sec-
tor institutions on the basis of statutory or contractual terms or 
on a  voluntary basis and has no further obligations regarding 
the payment of benefits to employees. The contributions for 
defined contribution plans, excluding multi-employer plans, 
for the reporting period amounted to 82 million euros (previ-
ous year: 95 million euros). In 2015, we paid 46 million euros 
to public sector institutions (previous year: 47 million euros) 
and 36 million euros to private sector institutions (previous 
year: 48 million euros).

Active employees of Henkel in Germany participate in a defined 
contribution system, “Altersversorgung 2004  (AV 2004),” 

No extraordinary events occurred in the reporting period.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures144

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Multi-employer plans
Henkel provides defined pension benefits that are financed by 
more than one employer. The ensuing multi-employer plans 
are treated as defined contribution plans because, due to the 
limited share of the contribution volume in the plans, the 
information available for each of the financing companies is 
insufficient for defined benefit accounting. In the Henkel 
Group, benefits from multi-employer plans are provided for 
employees primarily in the USA and Japan. Withdrawal from 
our multi- employer plans at the present time would incur a 
one-time expense of around 30 million euros (previous year: 
around 25 million euros). Payments into multi-employer plans 
in fiscal 2015 amounted to 2 million euros (previous year: 
2 million euros). We expect contributions of around 2 million 
euros in fiscal 2016.

Actuarial assumptions 

in percent

Discount rate

Income trend

Expected increases in costs for medical benefits

in years

Life expectancy at age 65 as of the valuation date for a person  currently 

65 years old

40 years old

1  Weighted average.

Assumptions
Group-wide, the obligations from our pension plans are 
 valued by an independent external actuary at the end of the 
fiscal year. The calculations at the end of the fiscal year are 
based on the actuarial assumptions below. These are given as 
the weighted average. The mortality rates used are based on 
published statistics and experience relating to each country. In 
Germany, the assumptions are based on the “Heubeck 2005G” 
mortality table. In the USA, the assumptions are based on the 
modified “RP 2014” mortality table. Further amendments to 
demographic assumptions in the USA resulted in an actuarial 
gain of 36 million euros. The valuation of pension obligations 
in Germany was based essentially on the assumption of a 2 per-
cent increase in retirement benefits (previous year: 2 percent).

The discount rate is based on yields in the market for high- 
ranking corporate bonds on the respective date. The currency 
and term of the underlying bonds are aligned with the cur-
rency and expected maturities of the post-employment pen-
sion obligation.

Germany

USA

Other countries 1

2014

1.70

3.25

–

2015

2.20

3.25

–

2014

4.10

3.40

7.30

2015

4.30

2.85

7.10

2014

2.60

2.60

3.30

110

2015

2.85

2.50

3.80

20.9

24.1

21.0

24.2

22.0

23.0

22.0

23.0

23.1

25.4

24.0

26.0

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

145

Present value of pension obligations at December 31, 2014 

in million euros

At January 1, 2014

Changes in the Group

Translation differences

Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+)

of which: from changes in demographic assumptions 

of which: from changes in financial assumptions

of which: from experience adjustments

Current service cost

Employee contributions to pension funds

Gains (–)/losses (+) arising from the termination and curtailment of plans

Interest expense

Retirement benefits paid out of plan assets / out of reimbursement rights

Employer’s payments for pension obligations

Past service cost (+) / income (–)

At December 31, 2014

of which: unfunded obligations

of which: funded obligations

of which: obligations covered by reimbursement rights

Fair value of plan assets at December 31, 2014 

in million euros

At January 1, 2014

Changes in the Group

Translation differences

Employer contributions to pension funds

Employee contributions

Retirement benefits paid out of plan assets

Interest income on plan assets

Remeasurements in equity

At December 31, 2014

Germany

2,674

–

–

585

10

562

 13

45

10

– 1 

78

– 126

– 11

–

3,254

103

3,151

–

Germany

2,415

–

–

28

10

– 126

76

243

2,646

USA  Other countries

962

–

136

89

 9

 82

– 2

16

–

–

46

– 51

– 24

–

1,174

296

824

54

933

40

29

125

– 9

 156

– 22

21

1

– 1 

30

– 33

– 8

–

1,137

109

1,028

–

USA Other countries

648

–

95

38

–

– 51

32

53

815

689

37

26

21

1

– 33

22

104

867

Fair value of reimbursement rights at December 31, 2014 

in million euros

At January 1, 2014

Changes in the Group

Translation differences

Employer contributions 

Employee contributions

Retirement benefits paid out of reimbursement rights

Interest income on plan assets

Remeasurements in equity

At December 31, 2014

Germany

USA Other countries

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

96

–

13

–

–

– 10

5

1

105

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

111

Total

4,569

40

165

799

 10

 800

– 11 

82

11

– 2

154

– 210

– 43

–

5,565

508

5,003

54

112

Total

3,752

37

121

87

11

– 210

130

400

4,328

113

Total

96

–

13

–

–

– 10

5

1

105

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures146

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Net liability from pension obligations at December 31, 2014 

in million euros

At January 1, 2014

Recognized through profit or loss

Current service cost

Gains (–)/losses (+) arising from the termination and curtailment of plans

Interest expense (excluding reimbursement rights)

Recognized in equity in other comprehensive income

Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+)

Interest income on plan assets

Change in the effect of the asset ceiling

Other items recognized in equity

Employer’s payments

Changes in the Group

Translation differences

Change in past service cost

Change in effect of overfunding for pensions including reimbursement rights

Recognized provision for pension obligations at December 31, 2014

Present value of pension obligations at December 31, 2015 

in million euros

At January 1, 2015

Changes in the Group

Translation differences

Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+)

of which: from changes in demographic assumptions

of which: from changes in financial assumptions

of which: from experience adjustments

Current service cost

Employee contributions to pension funds

Gains (–)/losses (+) arising from the termination and curtailment of plans

Interest expense

Retirement benefits paid out of plan assets / out of reimbursement rights

Employer’s payments for pension obligations

Past service cost (+) / income (–)

At December 31, 2015

of which: unfunded obligations

of which: funded obligations

of which: obligations covered by reimbursement rights

– 29

– 130

Germany

259

45

–  1

2

585

– 243

–

– 39

–

–

–

–

608

USA Other countries

314

16

–

8

89

– 53

– 

– 62

–

41

– 

14

367

247

21

–  1

8

125

– 104

–

3

3

–

14 

287

Germany

3,254

USA Other countries

1,174

1,137

5

0

– 251

–

– 246

– 5

46

11

– 2 

54

– 144

– 8

1

2,966

87

2,879

–

–

124

– 68

– 36

– 27

– 5

18

–

– 5

50

– 69

– 26

–

1,198

298

789

111

–

34

– 89

2

– 74

– 17

26

1

– 2 

28

– 35

– 9

–

1,091

94

997

–

114

Total

820

82

– 2

18

799

– 400

– 

3

44

–

28

1,262

115

Total

5,565

5

158

– 408

– 34

– 347

– 27 

90

12

– 9

132

– 248

– 43

1

5,255

479

4,665

111

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

147

Fair value of plan assets at December 31, 2015 

in million euros

At January 1, 2015

Changes in the Group

Translation differences

Employer contributions to pension funds

Employee contributions

Retirement benefits paid out of plan assets

Interest income on plan assets

Remeasurements in equity

At December 31, 2015

Fair value of reimbursement rights at December 31, 2015 

in million euros

At January 1, 2015

Changes in the Group

Translation differences

Employer contributions

Employee contributions 

Retirement benefits paid out of reimbursement rights

Interest income on plan assets

Remeasurements in equity

At December 31, 2015

Net liability from pension obligations at December 31, 2015 

in million euros

At January 1, 2015

Recognized through profit or loss

Current service cost

Gains (–)/losses (+) arising from the termination and curtailment of plans

Interest expense (excluding reimbursement rights)

Recognized in equity in other comprehensive income

Actuarial gains (–)/losses (+)

Interest income on plan assets

Change in the effect of the asset ceiling

Other items recognized in equity

Employer’s payments

Changes in the Group

Translation differences

Change in past service cost

Change in effect of overfunding for pensions including reimbursement rights

Recognized provision for pension obligations at December 31, 2015

Germany

2,646

3

–

25

11

– 144

49

– 13

2,577

USA Other countries

815

–

93

–

–

– 69

34

– 39

834

867

–

29

35

1

– 35

22

2

921

Germany

USA Other countries

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Germany

608

46

–  2

5

– 251

13

–

– 33

2

–

1

–

389

105

–

10

3

–

– 7

5

– 5

111

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

USA Other countries

367

18

– 5

16

– 68

39

–

– 26

–

31

– 

15

387

287

26

–  2

6

– 89

– 2

6

– 43

–

5

–

18 

212

116

Total

4,328

3

122

60

12

– 248

105

– 50

4,332

117

Total

105

–

10

3

–

– 7

5

– 5

111

118

Total

1,262

90

– 9

27

– 408

50

6

– 102

2

36

1

33

988

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures148

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

The total present value (defined benefit obligation – DBO) 
is comprised of:
•  1,826 million euros for active employees, 
•   811 million euros for former employees with  

vested  benefits, and 

•  2,618 million euros for retirees. 

The average weighted duration of pension obligations is 
14 years for Germany, 9 years for the USA and 20 years for 
other countries.

In determining net liability, we take into account amounts 
that are not recognized due to asset ceiling restrictions. If the 
fair value of the plan asset item exceeds the obligations arising 
from the pension benefits, an asset is recognized only if the 
reporting entity can also derive economic benefit from these 
assets, for example in the form of return flows or a future 
reduction in contributions (“Asset Ceiling” per IAS 19.58 ff.). 
In the reporting period, we recorded an amount of 6 million 
euros as an asset ceiling (previous year: 0 million euros).

Within our consolidated statement of income, current service 
costs are allocated on the basis of cost of sales to the respec-

tive function. Only the net of interest expense for the present 
value of obligations and interest income from plan assets is 
reported in the interest result. All gains/losses from the termi-
nation and curtailment of plans have been recognized in other 
operating income/charges. The employer’s contributions in 
respect of state pension provisions are included as “Social 
security contributions and staff welfare costs” under Note 33, 
page 173. In 2015, payments into the plan assets amounted to 
60 million euros (previous year: 87 million euros).

The reimbursement rights covering a portion of the pension 
obligations in the USA are assets that do not fulfill the defini-
tion of plan assets as stated in IAS 19.

The reimbursement rights indicated are available to the  
Group in order to cover the expenditures required to fulfill 
the respective pension obligations. Reimbursement rights and 
the associated pension obligations must, according to IAS 19, 
be shown unnetted in the statement of financial position.

Payments into pension funds in fiscal 2016 are expected to 
total 78 million euros.

Analysis of plan assets 

in million euros

Shares

Europe

USA

Others

Bonds and hedging  instruments

Government bonds

Corporate bonds

Derivatives

Alternative investments

Cash

Liabilities 1

Other assets

Total

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015

Quotation  
on  active 
 markets

No quotation  
on active  
markets

Total

Quotation  
on  active  
markets

No quotation  
on active 
 markets

1,130

456

205

469

2,891

1,006

1,885

–

–

–

–

–

4,021

–

–

–

–

– 2

–

–

– 2

171

123

– 226

241

307

1,130

1,274

456

205

469

2,889

1,006

1,885

– 2

171

123

– 226 

241

4,328

555

223

496

2,891

994

1,897

–

–

–

–

–

4,165

–

–

–

–

11

–

–

11

214

78

– 349

213

167

119

Total

1,274

555

223

496

2,902

994

1,897

11

214

78

– 349 

213

4,332

1  Liability to Henkel AG & Co. KGaA from the assumption of pension payments for Henkel Trust e.V.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

149

Plan assets by country 2015 

120

Classification of bonds by rating 2015 

121

USA 

19 %

Germany 

60 %

Non-investment grade  4 %

Investment grade 

96 %

Other countries  21 %

The objective of the investment strategy for the global plan 
assets is the long-term security of pension payments. This is 
ensured by comprehensive risk management that takes into 
account the asset and liability portfolios of the defined benefit 
pension plans. Henkel pursues a liability-driven investment 
(LDI) approach in order to achieve the investment objective. 
This approach takes into account the structure of the pension 
obligations and manages the cover ratio of the pension plans. 
In order to improve the funding ratio, Henkel invests plan 
assets in a diversified portfolio for which the expected long-
term yield is above the interest costs of the pension obligations.

In order to cover the risks arising from trends in wages, sala-
ries and life expectancies, and to close the potential deficit 
between plan assets and pension obligations over the long 
term, additional investments are made in a return-enhancing 
portfolio as an add-on instrument that contains assets such as 
equities, private equity and real estate. The target portfolio 
structure of the plan assets is essentially determined in asset-
liability studies. These studies are conducted regularly with 
the help of external advisors who assist Henkel in the invest-
ment of plan assets. They examine the actual portfolio struc-
ture, taking into account current capital market conditions, 
investment principles and the obligation structure, and can 
suggest adjustments be made to the portfolio. 

The expected long-term yield for individual plan assets is 
derived from the target portfolio structure and the expected 
long-term yields for the individual asset classes. 

Major plan assets are administered by external fund managers 
in Germany and the USA. These countries pursue the above 
investment strategies and are monitored centrally. At Decem-
ber 31, 2015, other assets making up the plan assets included 
the present value of a non-current receivable of 60 million 

euros (previous year: 69 million euros) relating to claims per-
taining to a hereditary building lease assigned by Henkel AG & 
Co. KGaA to Henkel Trust e.V. Also shown here is a claim of 
123 million euros against BASF Personal Care & Nutrition 
GmbH (formerly Cognis GmbH) for indemnification of pen-
sion obligations (previous year: 140 million euros). This claim 
represents the nominal value, which is equivalent to the mar-
ket price. In the reporting year, as in the previous year, we held 
no direct investments and no treasury shares in respect of  
plan assets in the portfolio.

Risks associated with pension obligations

Our internal pension risk management monitors the risks of 
all pension plans Group-wide in compliance with local legal 
regulations. As part of the monitoring process, guidelines on 
the control and management of risks are adopted and continu-
ously developed; these guidelines mainly govern external 
funding, portfolio structure and actuarial assumptions. The 
objective of the financing strategy within the Group is to 
ensure that plan assets cover 90 to 100 percent of the present 
value of the funded pension obligations. The contributions 
and investment strategies are intended to ensure nearly com-
plete coverage of the plans for the duration of the pension 
obligations.

Henkel’s pension obligations are exposed to various market 
risks. These risks are counteracted by the degree of external 
funding and the structure of pension benefits. The risks relate 
primarily to changes in market interest rates, inflation, and life 
expectancy, as well as general market fluctuations. Pension 
obligations based on contractual provisions in Germany gen-
erally entail lifelong benefits payable in the event of death or 
disability or when the employee reaches retirement age.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures150

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

In order to reduce the risks arising from the payment of lifelong 
benefits as well as inflation, pension benefits have been gradu-
ally converted since 2004 to what are known as modular ben-
efits with a pension option in which the benefit is initially 
divided into an annuity and lump-sum benefit portion. Newly 
hired employees since 2011 receive a commitment based pri-
marily on the lump-sum benefit. Generally, lump-sum benefits 
may also be paid out as an annuity through a pension fund. All 
benefits in Germany are financed through a provident fund 
(Vorsorgefonds) established for the purpose of the occupational 
pension plan. Benefits for new employees since 2011 as well as a 
portion of the entitlements vested since 2004 are linked to the 
performance of this provident fund, resulting in a reduction in 
overall risk to the Group. The described adjustments reduce the 
financial risk from pension commitments within the pension 
structure. By linking the benefit to the capital investment, the 
net risk is also largely eliminated. An increase in the long-term 
inflation assumption would mainly affect the expected increase 
in pensions and the expected increase in pension-eligible 
 salaries.

The pension obligations in the USA are based primarily on 
three retirement plans that are all closed to new employees. 
New employees receive pension benefits based on a defined 
contribution plan. The pension benefits generally have 
a lump-sum option which is usually exercised. When a pen-
sion becomes payable, the amount of the annuity granted is 
determined on the basis of current market interest rates. As a 
result, the impact of a change to the interest rate used in the 
calculation is low compared to pension commitments entail-
ing lifelong benefits. Additionally, in the USA, pensions paid 
once are not adjusted by amount, thus there are no direct risks 
during the pension payment period arising from pending 
annuity adjustments. Inflation risks therefore result mainly 
from the salary adjustments awarded.

In addition to the pension obligation risks already presented, 
there are specific risks associated with multi-employer plans. 
In the Henkel Group, these essentially relate to the USA. The 
contributions to these plans are raised mainly through an allo-
cation process based on the pension-eligible income of active 

employees. Restructuring contributions may also be made in 
order to close gaps in coverage. The risks of such plans arise 
largely from higher future contributions to close coverage gaps 
or through discontinuation by other companies obligated to 
make contributions.

The impact of changes to assumptions in medical benefits for 
employees and retirees in the USA is shown in the sensitivities 
analysis.

The analysis of our Group-wide pension obligations revealed 
no extraordinary risks.

Cash flows and sensitivities
In the next five financial years, the following payments from 
 pension plans are expected:

Future payments for pension benefits 

in million euros

Germany

USA

Other  
countries

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

146

135

132

134

135

119

104

103

103

101

34

30

32

33

35

122

Total

299

269

267

270

271

The future level of the funded status and thus of the pension 
obligations depends on the development of the discount rate, 
among other factors. Companies based in Germany and the 
USA account for 79 percent of our pension  obligations. The 
medical costs for employees of our subsidiaries in the USA 
which are incurred after retirement are also recognized in 
the pension obligations for defined benefit plans. A rate of 
increase of 7.1 percent (previous year: 7.3 percent) was assumed 
for the medical costs. We expect this  rate of increase to fall 
gradually to 4.5 percent by 2037 (previous year: 4.5 percent by 
2028). The effects of a change in material actuarial assumptions 
for the present value of pension obligations are as follows:

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

151

Sensitivities – Present value of pension obligations at December 31, 2015 

in million euros

Present value of obligations

in the event of

Increase in the discount rate by 0.5 pp

Reduction of the discount rate by 0.5 pp

Rise in future income increases by 0.5 pp

Reduction of future income increases by 0.5 pp

Rise in retirement benefits increases by 0.5 pp

Reduction of retirement benefits increases by 0.5 pp

Rise in medical costs by 0.5 pp

Reduction of medical costs by 0.5 pp

pp = percentage points

Germany

2,966

2,763

3,185

2,968

2,966

3,120

2,825

2,967

2,967

USA

1,198

1,158

1,260

1,212

1,200

1,206

1,206

1,209

1,203

Other countries

1,091

999

1,212

1,122

1,076

1,151

1,066

1,099

1,098

123

Total

5,255

4,920

5,657

5,302

5,242

5,477

5,097

5,275

5,268

The extension of life expectancy in Germany by one year 
would increase the present value of pension obligations by 
4 percent. This would have a more limited effect in the USA 
because a significant share of the pension plans is based on 
lump-sum benefits.

It should be noted with respect to the sensitivities presented 
that, due to mathematical effects, the percentage change is not 
and does not need to be linear. Thus the percentage increases 
and decreases do not vary with the same absolute amount. 
Each sensitivity is independently calculated and is not subject 
to scenario analysis.

16    Income tax provisions and other provisions

Development in 2015 

in million euros

Income tax provisions

of which: non-current

of which: current

Restructuring provisions

of which: non-current

of which: current

Sundry provisions

of which: non-current

of which: current

Total

of which: non-current

of which: current

Initial balance  
January  
1, 2015

Other changes

Utilized

Released

Added

335

84

251

240

95

145

1,653

285

1,368

2,228

464

1,764

– 28

– 5

– 23

– 2

– 26

24

– 11

– 48

37

– 41

– 79

38

– 154

– 3

– 151

– 110

– 12

– 98

– 1,099

– 22

– 1,077

– 1,363

– 37

– 1,326

– 84

0

– 84

– 27

– 8

– 19

–    140

– 3

– 137

– 251

– 11

– 240

283

13

270

124

23

101

1,332

112

1,220

1,739

148

1,591

124

End balance 
December  
31, 2015

352

89

263

225

72

153

1,735

324

1,411

2,312

485

1,827

Provisions are recognized for obligations toward third parties 
where the outflow of resources is probable and the expected 
obligation can be reliably estimated. Provisions are measured 
to the best estimate of the expenditures required in order to 
meet the current obligation as of the reporting date. Price 

increases expected to take place prior to the time of perfor-
mance are included in the calculation. Provisions in which the 
interest effect is material are discounted to the reporting date 
at a pre-tax interest rate. For obligations in Germany, we have 
applied interest rates of between 0.2 and 2.6 percent. 

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures152

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Risks arising from legal disputes and proceedings
Provisions have been made for individual risks arising from 
civil disputes in the amount of probable claims plus associ-
ated procedural costs. The total amount in euros is in the low 
double-digit millions. In accordance with IAS 37.92, further 
disclosures with respect to the proceedings and their related 
risks to Henkel have not been made in order to refrain from 
interference with their outcome.

On December 18, 2014, in an action relating to infringements 
between 2003 and 2006, the French antitrust authorities 
imposed fines amounting to around 951 million euros in total 
against various international companies in the cosmetic and 
detergent industries. Henkel received a fine of 109 million 
euros, which was paid provisionally on May 15, 2015. A deci-
sion on the appeal filed by Henkel with regard to the amount 
of the fine is still pending.

In addition to other retail companies and manufacturers, 
 Henkel was involved in an antitrust proceeding involving con-
sumer goods (cosmetics and detergents) in Belgium relating 
to violations in the period from 2004 to the beginning of 2007. 
The action was related to a possible collusion between various 
Belgian retail companies to raise consumer prices (including 
prices for products in Henkel’s portfolio) with the involvement 
of Henkel. A final agreement was reached with the Belgian 
antitrust authorities. Henkel made a payment of around 6 mil-
lion euros in this regard on July 15, 2015.

Henkel and its Group companies are also defendants in or 
 parties to other judicial, arbitrational, and official proceed-
ings. The course and outcomes of legal disputes are inherently 
uncertain and unpredictable. Based on the knowledge cur-
rently available, no negative future impact, material or other-
wise, on the net assets, financial position and results of 
 operations of the corporation is expected.

The income tax provisions comprise accrued tax liabilities and 
amounts set aside for the outcome of external tax audits.

Other provisions include identifiable obligations toward third 
parties. They are measured at total cost. 

Other changes in provisions include changes in the scope of 
consolidation, movements in exchange rates, compounding 
effects, and adjustments to reflect changes in maturity as time 
passes.

Provisions are recognized in respect of restructuring measures, 
provided that work has begun on the implementation of a 
detailed, formal plan or such a plan has already been commu-
nicated. Additions to the restructuring provisions are related 
to the continued expansion of our shared services and to the 
further optimization of production and process structures in 
all business units.

The provisions for obligations arising from our sales activities 
cover expected burdens in the form of subsequent reductions 
in already generated revenues, and risks arising from pending 
transactions.

Provisions for payroll obligations essentially cover expendi-
tures likely to be incurred by the Group for variable, perfor-
mance-related remuneration components.

Provisions for obligations in the production and engineering 
 sphere relate primarily to provisions for warranties.

Analysis of sundry provisions by function 

125

in million euros

Sales

of which: non-current

of which: current

Payroll

of which: non-current

of which: current

Production and engineering

of which: non-current

of which: current

Various sundry obligations

of which: non-current

of which: current

Total

of which: non-current

of which: current

December  
31, 2014

December  
31, 2015

688

10

678

517

169

348

38

21

17

410

85

325

1,653

285

1,368

817

14

803

638

228

410

37

20

17

243

62

181

1,735

324

1,411

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

153

17   Borrowings

Borrowings 

in million euros

Bonds

Commercial paper 1

Liabilities to banks 2

Other borrowings

Total

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015

Non-current

Current

1,342

–

9

3

1,354

7

288

95

–

390

Total

1,349

288

104

3

1,744

Non-current

Current

–

–

–

4

4

–

811

69

–

880

1  From the euro and US dollar commercial paper program (total volume 2 billion US dollars and 1 billion euros).
2  Obligations with floating rates of interest or interest rates pegged for less than one year.

Bonds 

Issuer

Type Nominal 
value

Carrying amounts 
excluding accrued 
interest

Market values 
excluding accrued 
 interest 1

Market values 
including accrued 
interest 1

Interest rate 2

126

Total

–

811

69

4

884

127

Interest 
fixing

in million euros

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Interest rate swap  
(3-month Euribor +1.80 %) 4

Interest rate swap  
(1-month Euribor +0.955 %) 4

Total bonds

Total interest rate swaps

Hybrid bond

1,300

Receiver swap

650

Receiver swap

650

2,300

2,300

2014

1,342

20

25

1,342

45

2015

–

–

–

–

–

2014

1,343

20

25

1,343

45

2015

–

–

–

–

–

2014

1,350

23

28

1,350

51

2015

2014

2015

–

–

–

to 2015 3

3 months

1 month

5.3750

1.8812

0.9597

–

–

–

–

–

1 Market value of the bonds derived from the stock market price at December 31.
2 Interest rate on December 31.
3  Fixed-rate interest of bond coupon: 5.375 percent, converted using interest rate swaps into a floating interest rate; no further interest fixings 

(previous year: January 26, 2015) (fair value hedge).

4 Not including the valuation allowance in the amount of 0 million euros to provide for counterparty credit risk (previous year: 2 million euros).

As a result of our call declared on October 16, 2015, the hybrid 
bond reported in non-current borrowings was repaid in full on 
November 25, 2015. The repayment was made at the nominal 
value of 1.3 billion euros plus accrued interest.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures154

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

18   Other financial liabilities

Analysis 

128

in million euros

Non-current

Current

Total

Non-current

Current

Total

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015

Liabilities to non-consolidated affiliated 
 companies and associated companies

Liabilities to customers

Derivative financial instruments

Sundry financial liabilities

Total 

–

–

–

1

1

9

35

43

30

117

9

35

43

31

118

–

–

–

1

1

8

42

44

15

109

8

42

44

16

110

Of the liabilities to non-consolidated  affiliated companies 
and associated companies, 7 million euros are attributable to 
 non-consolidated affiliated companies, and 1 million euros 
to associated companies. Sundry financial liabilities include 
 payments owed to the Pensionssicherungsverein mutual 
insurance association amounting to 6 million euros (previous 
year: 4 million euros).

19   Other liabilities

Analysis 

in million euros

Other tax liabilities

Liabilities to employees 

Liabilities relating to employee deductions 

Liabilities in respect of social security

Sundry other liabilities

Total 

December 31, 2014

December 31, 2015

Non-current

–

–

–

1

12

13

Current

108

25

61

22

52

268

Total

108

25

61

23

64

281

Non-current

–

–

–

1

15

16

Current

174

28

70

22

57

351

129

Total

174

28

70

23

72

367

The sundry other liabilities primarily comprise various accru-
als and deferrals amounting to 14 million euros (previous year: 
16 million euros) and payments on account received in the 
amount of 3 million euros (previous year: 4 million euros).

20   Trade accounts payable

Trade accounts payable increased from 3,046 million euros to 
3,176 million euros. In addition to purchase invoices, they also 
relate to accruals for invoices outstanding in respect of goods 
and services received. They are due within one year.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

155

21   Financial instruments report 

130

Financial instruments

Financial assets

Financial liabilities

Equity

Amortized cost

Fair value

Amortized cost

Fair value

Cost

Statement of  
income

Other compre-
hensive income 

Fair value option

Held for trading

Loans and  
receivables

Held to 
maturity

Fair value option

Held for 
trading

Available for sale

  Categories used by Henkel

Financial instruments explained by category
A financial instrument is any contract that gives rise to a 
financial asset of one entity and a financial liability or equity 
instrument of another entity.

Within the Henkel Group, financial instruments are reported 
under trade accounts receivable, trade accounts payable, borrow-
ings, other financial assets, other financial liabilities, and cash 
and cash equivalents within the statement of financial position.

Financial instruments are recognized once Henkel becomes 
a party to the contractual provisions of the financial instrument. 
The recognition of financial assets takes place at the  settlement 
date, with the exception of derivative financial instruments, 
which are recognized on the transaction date. All financial 
instruments are initially reported at their fair value. Incidental 
acquisition costs are only capitalized if the financial instru-
ments are not subsequently remeasured to fair value through 
profit or loss. For subsequent remeasurement, financial 
instruments are divided into the following classes in accor-
dance with IAS 39:
•   Financial instruments measured at amortized cost
•   Financial instruments measured at fair value 

Different valuation categories are allocated to these two classes. 
Financial instruments assigned to the valuation categories “Fair 
value option,” “Available for sale” and “Held for trading” are gen-
erally measured at fair value. In fiscal 2014, we included in the 
fair value option fixed-interest bonds which were recognized in 
other financial assets under securities and time deposits and for 
which we had concluded interest rate swaps in order to convert 
the fixed interest rate into a floating interest rate. Other securi-
ties and time deposits as well as other investments which are 
not measured using the equity method, both part of other 
financial assets in the statement of financial position, are   
categorized as “Available for sale.” Only the derivative financial 
instruments held by the Henkel Group which are not included 
in hedge accounting are designated as “Held for trading.” We 
recognize all other financial instruments including the finan-
cial assets categorized as “Loans and receivables” at amortized 
cost using the effective interest method. The measurement 
category “Held to maturity” is not used within the Henkel 
Group.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures156

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

The financial instruments in the measurement category 
“Loans and receivables” are non-derivative financial instru-
ments. They are characterized by fixed or determinable pay-
ments and are not traded in an active market. Within the 
 Henkel Group, this category is mainly comprised of trade 
accounts receivable, cash and cash equivalents, and other 
financial assets with the exception of investments, deriva-
tives, securities and time deposits. The carrying amounts of 
the financial instruments categorized as  “Loans and receiv-
ables” closely approximate their fair value due to their pre-
dominantly short-term nature. If there are doubts as to the 
realizability of these financial instruments, they are recog-
nized at amortized cost less appropriate valuation allowances.

classified under the “Fair value option,” and also other invest-
ments, are categorized as “Available for sale.” The fair values 
of the securities and time deposits are based on quoted market 
prices, or derived from market data. As the fair values of other 
investments not recognized using the equity method cannot 
be reliably determined, they are measured at amortized cost. 
In fiscal 2014, the shares in Ten Education Ltd. and Ten Lifestyle 
Holdings Ltd., which were included under other investments, 
were sold, producing a gain of 6 million euros. At the time of 
derecognition, the carrying amount of these interests was less 
than 1 million euros. Henkel is currently not planning to sell 
any of the other financial instruments recognized under other 
investments.

Financial instruments are recognized in the “Fair value option” 
if this classification conveys more relevant information by 
eliminating or significantly reducing inconsistencies in the 
measurement or in the recognition that result from the valua-
tion of assets or liabilities or the recognition of gains and 
losses on a different basis. Financial instruments classified in 
the “Fair value option” are recognized at fair value through 
profit or loss. 

Financial instruments in the category “Available for sale” are 
non-derivative financial assets and are recognized at fair value, 
provided that this is reliably determinable. If the fair value can-
not be reliably determined, they are recognized at cost. Value 
changes between the reporting dates are essentially recog-
nized in equity through comprehensive income (revaluation 
reserve) without affecting profit or loss, unless the cause lies 
in permanent impairment. Impairment losses are recognized 
through profit or loss. When the asset is derecognized, the 
amounts recognized in the revaluation reserve are released 
through profit or loss. In the Henkel Group, the securities and 
time deposits recognized under other financial assets, and not 

The derivative financial instruments that are not included in 
a designated hedging relationship are categorized as “Held 
for trading” and recognized at their fair value. All fair value 
changes are recognized through profit or loss. Hedge account-
ing is applied in individual cases – where possible and eco-
nomically sensible – in order to avoid profit and loss varia-
tions arising from fair value changes in derivative financial 
instruments. Depending on the type of underlying and the risk 
being hedged, fair value and cash flow hedges are designated 
within the Group. Details relating to the hedging contracts 
transacted within the Group and how the fair values of the 
derivatives are determined are provided on pages 159 to 161.

All financial liabilities – with the exception of derivative finan-
cial instruments – are essentially recognized at amortized cost 
using the effective interest method.

Borrowings for which a hedging transaction has been concluded 
that meets the requirements of IAS 39 with respect to a desig-
nated hedging relationship are recognized according to hedge 
accounting rules. 

 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

157

Carrying amounts and fair values of financial instruments 

December 31, 2014
in million euros

Assets

Loans and receivables

Trade accounts receivable

Other financial assets

Receivables from associated companies

Financial receivables from third parties

Receivables from Henkel Trust e.V.

Sundry financial assets 

Cash and cash equivalents

Fair value option

Other financial assets

Fixed-interest securities (level 1)

Fixed-interest securities (level 2)

Available for sale

Other financial assets

Other investments

Floating-interest securities and time deposits (level 1)

Floating-interest securities (level 2)

Fixed-interest securities (level 1)

Financial collateral provided (level 1)

Held for trading (level 2)

Derivative financial instruments not included in a designated hedging 
relationship

Derivative financial instruments included in a designated hedging 
 relationship (level 2)

Total

Liabilities

Amortized cost

Trade accounts payable

Borrowings not included in a designated hedging relationship

Borrowings included in a designated hedging relationship

Other financial liabilities

Held for trading (level 2)

Derivative financial instruments not included in a designated hedging 
relationship

Derivative financial instruments included in a designated hedging 
 relationship (level 2)

Carrying 
amount 
December 31

Valuation according to IAS 39

Amortized  
cost 

Fair value,  
through other 
comprehensive 
income

Fair value,  
through profit 
or loss

131

Fair value 
December 31

4,331

2,747

356

1

34

226

95

4,331

2,747

356

1

34

226

95

1,228

1,228

227

227

196

31

114

114

21

14

60

–

19

23

23

65

–

–

–

–

21

21

21

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

4,760

4,352

4,865

3,046

395

1,349

75

35

35

8

4,865

3,046

395

1,349

75

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

93

93

–

14

60

–

19

–

–

16

109

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

8

8

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

227

227

196

31

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

23

23

49

299

–

–

–

–

–

35

35

–

35

4,331

2,747

356

1

34

226

95

1,228

227

227

196

31

114

114

21

14

60

–

19

23

23

65

4,760

4,866

3,046

395

1,350

75

35

35

8

4,909

Total 

4,908

4,865

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures158

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Carrying 
amount 
December 31

Valuation according to IAS 39

Amortized  
cost 

Fair value,  
through other 
comprehensive 
income

Fair value,  
through profit 
or loss

132

Fair value 
December 31

Carrying amounts and fair values of financial instruments 

December 31, 2015
in million euros

Assets

Loans and receivables

Trade accounts receivable

Other financial assets

Receivables from associated companies

Financial receivables from third parties

Receivables from Henkel Trust e.V.

Sundry financial assets 

Cash and cash equivalents

Fair value option

Other financial assets

Fixed-interest securities (level 1)

Fixed-interest securities (level 2)

Available for sale

Other financial assets

Other investments

Floating-interest securities and time deposits (level 1)

Floating-interest securities (level 2)

Fixed-interest securities (level 1)

Financial collateral provided (level 1)

Held for trading (level 2)

Derivative financial instruments not included in a designated 
 hedging relationship

Derivative financial instruments included in a designated 
 hedging  relationship (level 2)

Total

Liabilities 

Amortized cost

Trade accounts payable

Borrowings not included in a designated hedging relationship

Borrowings included in a designated hedging relationship

Other financial liabilities

Held for trading (level 2)

Derivative financial instruments not included in a designated 
 hedging relationship

Derivative financial instruments included in a designated 
 hedging  relationship (level 2)

4,603

2,944

483

1

39

349

94

4,603

2,944

483

1

39

349

94

1,176

1,176

–

–

–

–

36

36

21

3

2

–

10

60

60

12

–

–

–

–

21

21

21

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

4,711

4,624

4,126

3,176

884

–

66

34

34

10

4,126

3,176

884

–

66

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

15

15

–

3

2

–

10

–

–

12

27

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

10

10

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

60

60

–

60

–

–

–

–

–

34

34

–

34

4,603

2,944

483

1

39

349

94

1,176

–

–

–

–

36

36

21

3

2

–

10

60

60

12

4,711

4,126

3,176

884

–

66

34

34

10

4,170

Total

4,170

4,126

The following hierarchy is applied in order to determine and 
disclose  the fair value of financial instruments:
•   Level 1: Fair values which are determined on the basis of 

•   Level 3: Fair values which are determined on the basis of 

parameters for which the input factors are not derived from 
observable market data. 

quoted, unadjusted prices in active markets.

•   Level 2: Fair values which are determined on the basis of 
parameters for which either directly or indirectly derived 
market prices are available.

The fair value of securities and time deposits classified as 
level 1 is based on the quoted market prices on the reporting 
date. Observable market data are used to measure the fair value 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

159

of level 2 securities. If bid and ask prices are available, the mid 
price is used to determine the fair value.

at fair value led to a gain of 0 million euros (previous year: 
1 million euros) which we have recognized in the reserve for 
“Financial instruments available for sale” in equity. 

We did not perform any reclassifications between the valua-
tion categories  or transfers within the fair value hierarchy 
either in fiscal 2015 or in the previous year.

Net gains and losses from financial instruments by  
category 
The net gains and losses from financial instruments  can be 
allocated to the following categories: 

Net results of the measurement categories and  
reconciliation to financial result 

133

in million euros

Loans and receivables

Fair value option

Financial assets available for sale

Financial assets and liabilities held for trading 
including derivatives in a designated hedging 
 relationship

Financial liabilities measured at amortized cost

Total net results

Foreign exchange effects

Interest expense of pension obligations less  
interest income from plan assets and reimburse-
ment rights 

Other financial result (not related to financial 
 instruments)

Financial result

2014 

2015

51

12

15

107

– 82

103

– 118

– 19

– 15

– 49

57

–

2

64

– 77

46

– 60

– 22

– 6

– 42

The net result of “Loans and receivables” is allocated in full 
to interest income. Net expenses arising from  additions and 
releases of valuation allowances amounting to –21 million 
euros (previous year: –20 million euros) and income from 
 payments on financial instruments already written off and 
derecognized amounting to 1 million euros (previous year: 
0 million euros) were recognized in operating profit.  

The net result of the securities classified under the “Fair value 
option” includes interest income of 0 million euros (previous 
year: 5 million euros) and valuation gains of 0 million euros 
(previous year: 7 million euros). 

The net result from securities and time deposits classified as 
“Available for sale” amounts to 1 million euros (previous year: 
8 million euros) for interest income, 1 million euros (previous 
year: 1 million euros) for income from sales and 0 million 
euros (previous year: 6 million euros) for income from other 
investments. The measurement of these financial instruments 

The net result from “Held for trading” financial instruments 
and derivatives in a designated hedging relationship includes, 
in addition to the outcome of measurement of these deriva-
tives at fair value amounting to 17 million euros (previous year: 
59 million euros), an expense of 0 million euros arising from 
additions to the valuation allowance made for counterparty 
credit risk (previous year: 0 million euros). Moreover, 47 mil-
lion euros of interest income and expenses from interest rate 
derivatives and amounts recycled from cash flow hedges recog-
nized in equity are also included under this heading (previous 
year: 48 million euros).

The net result from “Financial liabilities measured at amor-
tized cost” is essentially derived from the interest expense for 
borrowings amounting to –116 million euros (previous year: 
–124 million euros). Also included are valuation gains of 
43 million euros (previous year: 45 million euros) from bor-
rowings in a fair value hedge relationship. Fees amounting to 
–4 million euros for procuring money and loans were also rec-
ognized under this heading (previous year: –3 million euros). 

The realization and valuation of financial assets and liabilities 
in foreign currencies (without derivative financial instruments) 
resulted in an expense of –60 million euros (previous year: 
–118 million euros).

Derivative financial instruments
Derivative financial instruments are measured at their fair 
 value at the reporting date. Recognition of the gains and losses 
arising from fair value changes of derivative financial instru-
ments is dependent upon whether the requirements of IAS 39 
are fulfilled with respect to hedge accounting. 

Hedge accounting is not applied to the large majority of deriv-
ative financial instruments. We recognize through profit or 
loss the fair value changes in these derivatives which, in eco-
nomic terms, represent effective hedges within the framework 
of Group strategy. These are largely compensated by fair value 
changes in the hedged items. In hedge accounting, derivative 
financial instruments are qualified as instruments for hedging 
the fair value of a recognized underlying (“fair value hedge”), 
as instruments for hedging future cash flows (“cash flow 
hedge”) or as instruments for hedging a net investment in a 
foreign entity (“hedge of a net investment in a foreign entity”). 
The following table provides an overview of the derivative 
financial instruments utilized and recognized within the 
Group, and their fair values:

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures160

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Derivative financial instruments 

At December 31 
in million euros

Forward exchange contracts 1

(of which: for hedging loans within the Group)

(of which: designated as cash flow hedge)

Foreign exchange options

Interest rate swaps 

(of which: designated as fair value hedge)

(of which: designated as cash flow hedge)

(of which: to hedge financial instruments in the fair value option)

Total derivative financial instruments

134

Nominal value

Positive fair value 2

Negative fair value 2

2014

3,516

(1,757)

(428)

2

1,517

(1,300)

(–)

(217)

5,035

2015

5,879

(4,277)

(696)

5

–

(–)

(–)

(–)

5,884

2014

39

(16)

(16)

–

49

(49)

(–)

(–)

88

2015

72

(51)

(12)

–

–

(–)

(–)

(–)

72

2014

– 36

(– 18)

(– 8)

–

– 7

(–)

(–)

(– 7)

– 43

2015

– 44

(– 29)

(– 10)

–

– 

(–)

(–)

(–)

– 44

1 Maturity less than 1 year. 
2  Fair values including accrued interest and a valuation allowance for counterparty credit risk of 0 million euros (previous year: 2 million euros).

For forward exchange contracts, we determine the fair value 
on the basis of the reference exchange rates of the European 
Central Bank prevailing at the reporting date, taking into 
account forward premiums / forward discounts for the remain-
ing term of the respective contract versus the contracted for-
eign exchange rate. Foreign exchange options are measured 
using price quotations or recognized models for the determi-
nation of option prices. We measure interest rate hedging 
instruments on the basis of discounted cash flows expected in 
the future, taking into account market interest rates applicable 
for the remaining term of the contracts. These are indicated 
for the two most important currencies in the following table. 
It shows the interest rates quoted on the interbank market in 
each case on December 31.

Depending on their fair value and their maturity on the report-
ing date, derivative financial instruments are included in 
financial assets (positive fair value) or in financial liabilities 
(negative fair value).

Most of the forward exchange contracts serve to hedge risks 
arising from trade accounts receivable and payable, and those 
pertaining to Group financing.

Fair value hedges: A fair value hedge hedges the fair value of rec-
ognized assets and liabilities. The change in the fair value of 
the derivatives and the change in the fair value of the underly-
ing relating to the hedged risk are simultaneously recognized 
in profit or loss.

Euro

US dollar

135

Receiver interest rate swaps were used to hedge the fair value 
risk of the hybrid bond issued by Henkel AG & Co KGaA. They 
expired when the hybrid bond was redeemed in November 2015.

Interest rates in percent p.a. 

At December 31
Term

1 month

3 months

6 months

1 year 

2 years 

5 years 

10 years

2014

0.02

0.08

0.17

0.33

0.18

0.36

0.81

2015

– 0.21

– 0.13

– 0.04

0.06

– 0.03

0.33

1.00

2014

2015

0.17

0.26

0.36

0.63

0.88

1.75

2.27

0.43

0.61

0.85

1.18

1.18

1.74

2.19

In measuring derivative financial instruments, counterparty 
credit risk is taken into account with an adjustment to the fair 
values concerned, determined on the basis of credit risk pre-
miums. The adjustment relating to fiscal 2015 amounts to 
0 million euros (previous year: 2 million euros). The addition 
is recognized in profit or loss under financial result.

The following table provides an overview of the gains and 
losses arising from fair value hedges (valuation allowance 
made for the counterparty credit risk not included):

Gains and losses from fair value hedges 

in million euros

Gains (+) / losses (–) from hedged items

Gains (+) / losses (–) from hedging instruments 

Net 

2014

45

– 50

– 5

136

2015

43

– 45

– 2

 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

161

Cash flow hedges: A cash flow hedge hedges fluctuations in 
future cash flows from recognized assets and liabilities, and 
also transactions that are either planned or highly probable, or 
firmly contracted unrecognized financial commitments, from 
which an interest-rate or currency risk arises. The effective 
portion of a cash flow hedge is recognized in the hedge reserve 
in equity. The ineffective portion arising from the change in 
value of the hedging instrument is recognized through profit 
or loss in the financial result or operating profit, depending on 
the item hedged. The gains and losses recorded in equity are 
subsequently recognized through profit or loss in the period 
in which the results are affected by the hedged transaction. 

Cash flow hedges  
(after tax) 

in million euros

2015

2014

137

End balance

Initial 
 balance

Addition 
(recognized 
 in equity)

Disposal  
(recognized 
 through 
profit or loss)

– 202

– 217

1

11

– 14

4

– 215

– 202

The initial value of the cash flow hedges recognized in equity 
reflects firstly the fair values of the payer interest swaps that 
were used to hedge the cash flow risks of the floating-interest 
US dollar liabilities at Henkel of America, Inc. and expired in 
2014. Secondly, it relates to currency hedges for acquisitions 
transacted in previous years. Further amounts are related to 
the purchase of Colgate-Palmolive Company’s detergent busi-
ness in Australia and New Zealand, and to the acquisition of 
the hairstyling business and the associated brands of Indust-
rias Wet Line S.A. de C.V. in Latin America, completed during 
the reporting period.

An addition of 6 million euros after tax relates to currency 
hedges of planned inventory purchases against fluctuations in 
spot rates. Of the gains recognized in equity, 14 million euros 
were reclassified to operating profit in the reporting period. 
The positive and negative fair values of the derivatives con-
tracted as a currency hedge of planned inventory purchases 
amounted to 12 million and –10 million euros respectively. 
The cash flows from the currency derivatives and the cash 
flows from the hedged inventory purchases are expected 
to occur and affect profit or loss in the next fiscal year. 

A further addition of –5 million euros results from the cur-
rency hedge for the purchase of Colgate-Palmolive Company’s 
detergent business in Australia and New Zealand (–6 million 
euros), and for the acquisition of the hairstyling business and 
the associated brands of Industrias Wet Line S.A. de C.V. in 
Latin America (1 million euros). The hedged cash flows relat ing 
to the acquisitions made will only be recognized in operat ing 
profit with disposal or in the event of an impairment loss on 

the hedged items. In the fiscal year under review, ineffective 
 portions amounting to less than 1 million euros (as in the pre-
vious year) were recognized in profit or loss under financial 
result.

Hedges of a net investment in a foreign entity: The accounting 
treatment of hedges of a net investment in a foreign entity 
against translation risk  is similar to that applied to cash flow 
hedges. The gain or loss arising from the effective portion of 
the hedging instrument is recognized in equity through other 
comprehensive income; the gain or loss of the ineffective por-
tion is recognized directly through profit or loss. The gains or 
losses recognized directly in equity remain there until dis-
posal or partial disposal of the net investment. 

The items recognized in equity relate essentially to translation 
risks arising from net investments in Swiss francs and US dollars 
for which the associated hedges were entered into and settled 
in previous years.

The addition of –4 million euros relates to hedges of net 
investments contracted and settled in the past fiscal year in 
Chinese yuan and Russian rubles. The ineffective portions rec-
ognized through profit or loss in the financial result amounted 
to less than 1 million euros. We made no transfers from equity 
to profit or loss in the course of the year. 

Hedges of a net investment in a foreign entity 
(after tax) 

138

End balance

Initial 
 balance

Addition 
(recognized 
 in equity)

Disposal  
(recognized 
 through 
profit or 
loss)

35

35

– 4

–

–

–

31

35

in million euros

2015

2014

Risks arising from financial instruments, and risk 
 management
As a globally active corporation, Henkel is exposed in the course 
of its ordinary business operations to credit risks, liquidity risks 
and market risks (currency translation, interest rate and com-
modity price risks). The purpose of financial risk management is 
to restrict the exposure arising from operating activities through 
the use of selective derivative and non- derivative hedges. Henkel 
uses derivative financial instruments exclusively for the pur-
poses of risk management. Without these instruments, Henkel 
would be exposed to higher financial risks. Changes in exchange 
rates, interest rates or commodity prices can lead to significant 
fluctuations in the fair values of the derivatives used. These vari-
ations in fair value should not be regarded in isolation from the 
hedged items, as derivatives and the underlying constitute a unit 
in terms of countervailing fluctuations.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures 
162

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Management of currency, interest rate and liquidity risks is 
based on the treasury guidelines  introduced by the Manage-
ment Board, which are binding on the entire corporation. They 
define the targets, principles and competences of the Corporate 
Treasury organizational unit. These guidelines describe the 
fields of responsibility and establish the distribution of these 
responsibilities between Corporate Treasury and Henkel’s 
 subsidiaries. The Management Board is regularly and compre-
hensively informed of all major risks and of all relevant 
 hedging transactions and arrangements. A description of the 
objectives and fundamental principles adopted in capital 
 management can be found in the combined management 
report on pages 74 and 75. There were no major risk clusters 
in the reporting period.

Credit risk
In the course of its business activities with third parties, the 
Henkel Group is exposed to global credit risk arising from both 
its operating business and its financial investments. This risk 
derives from the possibility of a contractual party not fulfilling 
its obligations.

The maximum credit risk is represented by the carrying value 
of the financial assets recognized in the statement of financial 
position (excluding financial investments recognized using 
the equity method), as indicated in the following table:

Maximum risk position 

in million euros

Trade accounts receivable

Derivative financial instruments not included in a 
designated hedging relationship

Derivative financial instruments included in a 
 designated hedging relationship

Other financial assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Total carrying values

139

2015

2,944

60

12

519

1,176

4,711

2014

2,747

23

65

697

1,228

4,760

which applies to both new and existing customers, governs 
the allocation of credit limits and compliance with those lim-
its, individual analyses of customers’ creditworthiness based 
on both internal and external financial information, risk clas-
sification, and continuous monitoring of the risk of bad debts 
at the local level. We also monitor our key customer relation-
ships at the regional and global level. In addition, safeguard-
ing measures are implemented on a selective basis for particu-
lar countries and customers inside and outside the eurozone. 

Collateral received and other safeguards include country- 
specific and customer-specific protection afforded by credit 
insurance, confirmed and unconfirmed letters of credit in the 
export business, and guarantees, warranties, and cover notes. 

We make valuation allowances with respect to financial assets 
so that the assets are recognized at their fair value at the report-
ing date. In the case of impairment losses that have already 
occurred but have not yet been identified, we make global valu-
ation allowances on the basis of empirical evidence, taking into 
account the overdue structure of the trade accounts receivable. 
As a rule, the impairment test on loans and receivables that are 
more than 180 days overdue results in a valuation allowance of 
100 percent.

The decision as to whether a credit risk is accounted for through 
a valuation allowance account or by derecognition of the 
impaired receivable depends upon the probability of incurring 
a loss. For accounts receivable classified as irrecoverable, we 
report the credit risk directly through derecognition of the 
impaired item or entry of the relevant amount in the valuation 
allowance account. If the basis for the original impairment is 
eliminated, we recognize a reversal through profit or loss. 

In all, we recognized valuation allowances on loans and receiv-
ables in 2015 in the amount of 21 million euros  (previous year: 
20 million euros).

In its operating business, Henkel is confronted by progressive 
concentration and consolidation on the customer side, as 
reflected in the receivables from individual customers.

The carrying amount of loans and receivables, the term of 
which was renegotiated because they would have otherwise 
fallen overdue or been impaired, was 0 million euros (previ-
ous year: 0 million euros).

A credit risk management system operating on the basis of 
a globally applied credit policy ensures that credit risks are 
 constantly monitored and bad debts minimized. This policy, 

Based on our experience, we do not expect the necessity for 
any further valuation allowances, other than those described 
above, on non-overdue, non-impaired financial assets.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

163

Age analysis of non-impaired overdue loans and receivables 

Analysis

in million euros

At December 31, 2015

At December 31, 2014

Less than 30 days

30 to 60 days

61 to 90 days More than  91 days

194

173

67

64

32

27

6

2

140

Total

299

266

Credit risks also arise from financial investments such as cash 
at banks, securities and the positive fair value of derivatives. 
Such exposure is limited by our Corporate Treasury specialists 
through the selection of counterparties with strong credit rat-
ings, and limitations on the amounts allocated to individual 
investments. In financial investments and derivatives trading 
with German and international banks, we only enter into 
transactions with counterparties of high financial standing. 
We invest exclusively in securities from issuers with an invest-
ment grade rating. Our cash deposits can be liquidated at short 
notice. Our financial investments are broadly diversified 
across various counterparties and various financial assets. To 
minimize the credit risk, we agree netting arrangements to 
offset bilateral receivables and obligations with counterpar-

ties. We additionally enter into collateral agreements with 
selected banks, on the basis of which reciprocal sureties are 
established twice a month to secure the fair values of con-
tracted derivatives and other claims and obligations. The net-
ting arrangements only provide for a contingent right to offset 
transactions conducted with a contractual party. Accordingly, 
associated amounts can be offset only under certain circum-
stances, such as the insolvency of one of the contractual par-
ties. Thus, the netting arrangements do not meet the offsetting 
criteria under IAS 32 “Financial Instruments: Presentation.” 
The following table provides an overview of financial assets 
and financial liabilities from derivatives that are subject to 
netting, collateral, or similar arrangements:

Financial assets and financial liabilities from derivatives subject to netting,  
collateral, or similar arrangements 

At December 31  
in million euros

Financial assets

Financial liabilities

Gross amount recog-
nized in the statement 
of  financial position 1

Amount eligible for 
 offsetting

Financial collateral  
received / provided

Net amount

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

90

43

72

44

26

26

35

35

19

11

35

10

45

6

1 Fair values excluding valuation allowance of 0 million euros made for counterparty credit risk (previous year: 2 million euros).

141

2015

2

– 1

In addition to netting and collateral arrangements, investment 
limits are set, based on the ratings of the counterparties, in 
order to minimize credit risk. These limits are monitored and 
adjusted regularly. When determining the limits, we also apply 

certain other indicators, such as the pricing of credit default 
swaps (CDS) by banks. A valuation allowance of 0 million 
euros exists to cover the remaining credit risk from the posi-
tive fair values of derivatives  (previous year: 2 million euros).

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures164

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is defined as the risk of an entity failing to meet 
its financial obligations at any given time. 

We minimize this risk by deploying financing instruments in 
the form of issued bonds and commercial paper. With the help 
of our existing debt issuance program in the amount of 6 bil-
lion euros, this is also possible on a short-term and flexible 
basis. In order to ensure the financial flexibility of Henkel at 
any time, the liquidity within the Group is extensively central-
ized and managed through the use of cash pools. We predomi-
nantly invest cash in financial assets traded in a liquid market 
in order to ensure that they can be sold at any time to procure 
liquid funds. In addition, the Henkel Group has at its disposal 

confirmed credit lines of 1.5 billion euros. These credit lines 
have terms until 2019. The individual subsidiaries additionally 
have at their disposal committed bilateral loans of 0.1 billion 
euros with a revolving term of up to one year. Our credit rating 
is regularly assessed by the rating agencies  Standard & Poor’s 
and Moody’s.

Our liquidity risk can therefore be regarded as very low.

The maturity structure of the original and derivative financial 
liabilities within the scope of International Financial Report-
ing Standard (IFRS) 7 based on cash flows is shown in the fol-
lowing table.

Cash flows from financial liabilities 

in million euros

Bonds 1

Commercial paper 2

Liabilities to banks

Trade accounts payable

Sundry financial instruments 3

Original financial instruments

Derivative financial instruments

Total

December 
31, 2014 
Carrying 
amounts

1,349

288

104

3,046

78

4,865

43

4,908

Remaining term

Up to  
1 year

Between  
1 and 5 
years

More than  
5 years

70

288

96

3,046

74

3,574

40

3,614

–

–

9

–

1

10

3

13

1,300

–

–

–

3

1,303

–

1,303

142

December 
31, 2014 
Total cash 
flow

1,370

288

105

3,046

78

4,887

43

4,930

1  Cash flows from the hybrid bond issued in 2005 are indicated up to November 25, 2015, which was the first possible date on which Henkel could redeem the bond. 
2 From the euro and US dollar commercial paper program (total volume 2 billion US dollars and 1 billion euros).
3  Sundry financial instruments include amounts due to customers, and finance bills.

Cash flows from financial liabilities 

in million euros

Bonds

Commercial paper 1

Liabilities to banks

Trade accounts payable

Sundry financial instruments 2

Original financial instruments

Derivative financial instruments

Total

December 
31, 2015 
Carrying 
amounts

–

811

69

3,176

70

4,126

44

4,170

Remaining term

Up to  
1 year

Between  
1 and 5 
years

More than  
5 years

–

811

70

3,176

65

4,122

44

4,166

–

–

–

–

1

1

–

1

–

–

–

–

4

4

–

4

143

December 
31, 2015 
Total cash 
flow

–

811

70

3,176

70

4,127

44

4,171

1  From the euro and US dollar commercial paper program (total volume 2 billion US dollars and 1 billion euros).
2  Sundry financial instruments include amounts due to customers, and finance bills.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

165

Currency risk
The global nature of our business activities results in a huge 
number of cash flows in different currencies. The resultant 
currency exposure breaks down into two categories, namely 
transaction and translation risks. 

Transaction risks arise from possible exchange rate fluctua-
tions causing changes in the value of future foreign currency 
cash flows. The hedging of the resultant exchange rate risks 
forms a major part of our central risk management activity. 
Transaction risks arising from our operating business are par-
tially avoided by the fact that we largely manufacture our 
products in those countries in which they are sold. Residual 
transaction risks on the operating side are proactively man-
aged by Corporate Treasury. This includes the ongoing assess-
ment of the specific currency risk and the development of 
appropriate hedging strategies. The objective of our currency 
hedging is to fix prices based on hedging rates so that we are 
protected from future adverse fluctuations in exchange rates. 
Because we limit our potential losses, any negative impact on 
profits is restricted. The transaction risk arising from major 
financial payables and receivables is, for the most part, 
hedged. In order to manage these risks, we primarily utilize 
forward exchange contracts and currency swaps. The deriva-
tives are designated as cash flow hedges or “Held for trading” 
and measured accordingly. The currency risk that exists within 
the Group in the form of transaction risk initially affects 
equity in the case of cash flow hedges, while all changes in 
the value of derivatives designated as “Held for trading“ are 
recognized directly in income. 

The value-at-risk pertaining to the transaction risk of the 
 Henkel Group as of December 31, 2015 amounted to 102 mil-
lion euros after hedging (previous year: 215 million euros). The 
value-at-risk shows the maximum expected risk of loss in a 
 year as a result of currency fluctuations. Starting in fiscal 2013, 
our value-at-risk analysis has been extended to one year in our 
internal risk reports as it provides a more comprehensive rep-
resentation of the risk associated with a fiscal year. The risk 
arises from imports and exports by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and 
its foreign subsidiaries. Due to the international nature of its 
activities, the Henkel Group has a portfolio with more than 
50 different currencies. The following table shows the value-
at-risk for Henkel’s major currencies.

Market risk
Market risk exists where the fair value or future cash flows of a 
financial instrument may fluctuate due to changes in market 
prices. Market risks primarily take the form of currency risk, 
interest rate risk and various price risks (particularly the com-
modity price risk). 

The Corporate Treasury department manages currency expo-
sure and interest rates centrally for the Group and is therefore 
responsible for all transactions with financial derivatives and 
other financial instruments. Trading, Treasury Controlling and 
Settlement (front, middle and back offices) are separated both 
physically and in terms of organization. The parties to the con-
tracts are German and international banks which Henkel mon-
itors regularly, in accordance with Corporate Treasury guide-
lines, for creditworthiness and the  quality of their quotations. 
Financial derivatives are used to manage currency exposure 
and interest rate risks in connection with operating activities 
and the resultant financing requirements, again in accordance 
with the Corporate Treasury guidelines. Financial derivatives 
are entered into solely for hedging purposes.

The currency and interest rate risk management of the Group 
is supported by an integrated treasury system which is used to 
identify, measure and analyze the Group’s currency exposure 
and interest rate risks. In this context, “integrated” means that 
the entire process from the conclusion of financial transac-
tions to their entry in the accounts is covered. Much of the 
currency trading takes place on internet-based, multibank 
dealing platforms. These foreign currency transactions are 
automatically transferred into the treasury system. The cur-
rency exposure and interest rate risks reported by all subsid-
iaries under standardized reporting procedures are integrated 
into the treasury system by data transfer. As a result, it is pos-
sible to retrieve and measure at any time all currency and 
interest rate risks across the Group and all derivatives entered 
into to hedge the exposure to these risks. The treasury system 
supports the use of various risk concepts. 

Market risk is monitored on the basis of sensitivity analyses 
and value-at-risk computations. Sensitivity analyses enable 
estimation of potential losses, future gains, fair values or 
cash flows of instruments susceptible to market risks arising 
from one or several selected hypothetical changes in foreign 
exchange rates, interest rates, commodity prices or other 
 relevant market rates or prices over a specific period. We use 
 sensitivity analyses in the Henkel Group because they enable 
reasonable risk assessments to be made on the basis of direct 
assumptions (e.g. an increase in interest rates). Value-at-risk 
computations reveal the maximum potential future loss of 
a certain portfolio over a given period based on a specified 
 probability level.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures166

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Currency exposure 1 

in million euros

Russian ruble

Turkish lira

Mexican peso

Brazilian real

Indian rupee

US dollar

Other currencies

1 Transaction risk.

144

2015

23

7

4

4

9

– 4

59

102

eled, monitored and assessed in the risk management system 
may be used to hedge the interest rate risk.

Henkel’s interest management strategy is essentially aligned 
to optimizing the net interest result for the Group. The deci-
sions made in interest management relate to the commercial 
paper issued to secure Group liquidity, the securities and time 
deposits used for cash investments, and the other financial 
instruments. The financial instruments exposed to interest 
rate risk are primarily denominated in euros and US dollars.

2014

115

22

14

13

8

– 7

50

215

The value-at-risk analysis assumes a time horizon of one year 
and a unilateral confidence interval of 95 percent. We adopt 
the variance-covariance approach as our basis for calculation. 
Volatilities and correlations are determined using  historical 
data. The value-at-risk analysis is based on the operating book 
positions and budgeted positions in foreign currency, nor-
mally with a forecasting horizon of nine months. 

Translation risks emanate from changes caused by foreign 
exchange fluctuations to items on the statement of financial 
position and the income statement of a subsidiary, and the 
effect these changes have on the translation of individual com-
pany financial statements into Group currency. However, unlike 
transaction risk, translation risk does not necessarily impact 
future cash flows. The Group’s equity reflects the changes in 
carrying values resulting from foreign exchange influences. The 
risks arising from the translation of the earnings results of sub-
sidiaries in foreign currencies and from net investments in for-
eign entities are only hedged in exceptional cases. 

Interest rate risk
The interest rate risk encompasses those potentially negative 
influences on profits, equity or cash flow in current or future 
reporting periods arising from changes in interest rates. In the 
case of fixed-interest financial instruments, changing capital 
market interest rates result in a fair value risk, as the attribut-
able fair values fluctuate depending on capital market interest 
rates. In the case of floating-interest financial instruments, a 
cash flow risk exists because the interest payments may be 
subject to future fluctuations.

The Henkel Group obtains and invests the majority of the cash 
it requires from and in the international money and  capital 
markets. The resulting financial liabilities and our cash  
deposits may be exposed to the risk of changes in interest 
rates. The aim of our centralized interest rate management 
system is to manage this risk through our choice of interest 
commitments and the use of derivative financial instruments. 
Only those derivative financial instruments that can be mod-

Depending on forecasts with respect to interest rate develop-
ments, Henkel enters into derivative financial instruments, 
primarily interest rate swaps, in order to optimize the interest 
rate lock-down structure. The coupon interest on the euro- 
denominated hybrid bond issued by Henkel was converted 
from fixed to floating through interest rate swaps until the 
bond was repaid on November 25, 2015. In the event of an 
expected rise in interest rate levels, Henkel protects its posi-
tions by transacting additional interest rate derivatives as an 
effective means of guarding against interest rates rising over 
the short term. A major portion of the financing in US dollars 
has been converted from floating to fixed interest rates 
through interest rate swaps. This interest fixing expired at the 
end of the first quarter 2015. Since that time, the net interest 
position has been entirely floating. 

Our exposure to interest rate risk at the reporting dates was as 
follows:

Interest rate exposure 

in million euros

Fixed-interest financial instruments

Euro

US dollar

Others

Floating-interest financial instruments

Euro

US dollar

Chinese yuan

Russian ruble

Others

145

Carrying amounts

2014

2015

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

252

254

– 1,398

– 1,036

502

59

432

– 153

474

16

627

335

The calculation of the interest rate risk is based on sensitivity 
analyses. The analysis of cash flow risk examines all the main 
floating-interest financial instruments as of the reporting 
date. Net debt is defined as borrowings less cash and cash 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

167

equivalents and readily monetizable financial instruments 
classified as “Available for sale” or according to the “Fair value 
option,” less positive and plus negative fair values of hedging 
transactions. The interest rate risk figures shown in the table 
are based on this calculation at the relevant reporting date. 
When analyzing fair value risk, we assume a parallel shift in 
the interest curve of 100 basis points and calculate the hypo-
thetical loss or gain of the relevant interest rate derivatives at 
the reporting date.  

The risk  of interest rate fluctuations with respect to the earn-
ings of the Henkel Group is shown in the basis point value 
(BPV) analysis in the following table.

Interest rate risk 

in million euros

Based on an interest rate change of 
100 basis points 

of which:

Cash flow through profit or loss

Fair value recognized in equity through 
 comprehensive income

146

2014

2015

2

2

–

– 3

– 3

–

Other price risks (commodity price risk)
Uncertainty with respect to commodity price development 
impacts the Group. Purchase prices for raw materials can 
affect the net assets, financial position and results of opera-
tions of Henkel. The risk management strategy put in place by 
the Group management for safeguarding against procurement 
market risk is described in more detail in the risk and opportu-
nities report on pages 108 and 109.

As a small part of the risk management strategy, cash-settled 
commodity futures may be entered into on the basis of fore-
casted purchasing requirements in order to hedge future 
uncertainties with respect to commodity prices. Cash-settled 
commodity derivatives are only used at Henkel where there is 
a direct relationship between the hedging derivative and the 
physical underlying. Henkel does not practice hedge account-
ing and can therefore be exposed to temporary price risks 
when holding commodity derivatives. Such price risks arise 
due to the fact that the commodity derivatives are measured at 
fair value whereas the purchasing requirement, as a pending 
transaction, is not measured or recognized. This can lead to 
losses being recognized in profit or loss and equity. Develop-
ments in fair values and the resultant risks are continuously 
monitored.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures168

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated statement of income

22   Sales and principles of income recognition 

24   Marketing, selling and distribution expenses

Sales increased year on year to 18,089 million euros. Revenues 
and their development by business unit and region are sum-
marized in the Group segment report and in the key financials 
by region on pages  123 and 124. A detailed explanation of the 
development of major income and expense items can be 
found in the combined management report on pages 67 to 71.

Sales comprise sales of goods and services less direct sales 
deductions such as customer-related rebates, credits and other 
benefits paid or granted. Sales are recognized once the goods 
have been delivered or the service has been performed. In the 
case of goods, this coincides with the physical delivery and 
 so-called transfer of risks and rewards. Henkel uses different 
terms of delivery that contractually determine the transfer of 
risks and rewards. It must also be probable that the economic 
benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the Group, 
and the costs incurred with respect to the transaction must be 
reliably measurable.

Services are generally provided in conjunction with the sale of 
goods, and recorded once the service has been performed. No 
sale is recognized if there are significant risks relating to the 
receipt of the consideration or it is likely that the goods will be 
returned. 

Interest income is recognized on a time-proportion basis that 
takes into account the effective yield on the asset and the 
interest rate in force. Dividend income from investments is 
recognized when the shareholders’ right to receive payment  
is legally established.

Marketing, selling and distribution expenses amounted to 
4,608 million euros (previous year: 4,151 million euros). 

In addition to marketing organization and distribution 
expenses, this item comprises, in particular, advertising, sales 
promotion and market research expenses. Also included here 
are the expenses of technical advisory services for customers, 
valuation allowances on trade accounts receivable and valua-
tion allowances and impairment losses on trademarks and 
other rights. 

25   Research and development expenses

Research and development expenses increased year on year 
to 478 million euros. Expenditures directly attributable to 
research and development activities amounted to 464 million 
euros (previous year: 410 million euros). 

The capitalization of research expenses is not permitted. 
Development expenditures are recognized as an asset if all 
the criteria for recognition are met, the research phase can be 
clearly distinguished from the development phase, and the 
expenditures can be attributed to distinct project phases. 
 Currently, the criteria set out in International Accounting 
Standard (IAS) 38 “Intangible Assets” for recognizing develop-
ment expenditures are not all met in regard to product and 
technology developments, due to a high level of interdepen-
dence within these developments and the difficulty of assess-
ing which products will eventually be marketable.

23   Cost of sales

26   Administrative expenses

The cost of sales increased from  8,712 million euros to 9,368 mil-
lion euros.

Administrative expenses amounted to 1,012 million euros 
 (previous year: 852 million euros). 

Cost of sales comprises the  cost of products and services sold 
and the purchase cost of merchandise sold. It consists of the 
directly attributable cost of materials and primary production 
cost, as well as indirect production overheads including the 
production-related amortization/depreciation and impair-
ment of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment. 

Administrative expenses include personnel and material costs 
relating to the Group management, Human Resources, Pur-
chasing, Accounting and IT functions, as well as the costs of 
managing and administering the business units.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

169

27   Other operating income

29   Financial result

Other operating income 

in million euros

Release of provisions 1

Gains on disposal of non-current assets

Insurance claim payouts

Write-ups of non-current assets

Payments on derecognized receivables

Impairment reversal on assets held for sale

Sundry operating income

Total

2014

10

7

4

–

–

25

63

109

1  Including income from the release of provisions for pension  obligations 
 (curtailment gains) of 2 million euros in 2015 (2014: 2 million euros).

147

Financial result 

2015

in million euros

11

34

4

1

2

–

75

127

Interest result

Other financial result

Investment result

Total

Interest result 

in million euros

Interest and similar income from third parties 1

Interest to third parties 1

Total

149

2015

– 17

– 24

– 1

– 42

150

2015

28

– 45

– 17

2014

– 9

– 46

6

– 49

2014

39

– 48

– 9

The increased income from non-current assets is primarily 
attributable to gains on disposal of assets held for sale. For 
details, please refer to Note 9 on page 141 referring to assets 
and liabilities held for sale. Sundry operating income relates  
to a number of individual items arising from ordinary operat-
ing activities, such as grants and subsidies, tax refunds for 
 indirect taxes, and similar income. The figure also includes 
income of 15 million euros pertaining to performance-related 
purchase price components in connection with the acquisi-
tion of a non-controlling interest in OOO Henkel Bautechnik, 
which was completed in 2013.

28   Other operating charges

Other operating charges 

in million euros

Losses on disposal of non-current assets

Severance payments

Impairment on assets held for sale 

Impairment on other assets 

Sundry operating expenses

Total

148

2015

– 8

– 1

–

–

– 96

– 105

2014

– 6

–

–

–

– 159

– 165

Sundry operating expenses include a number of individual 
items arising from ordinary operating activities, such as fees, 
provisions for litigation and third party claims, incidental 
acquisition costs, sundry taxes, and similar expenses. The 
 figure also includes an expense of 14 million euros relating 
to remediation obligations.

1  Including interest income and interest expense, both in the amount of  
26 million euros in 2015 (2014: 31 million euros), with respect to  mutually 
offset deposits and liabilities to banks, reported on a net basis.

Other financial result 

in million euros

Interest expense for pension obligations

Interest income on plan assets

Interest income on reimbursement rights (IAS 19)

Other financial charges

Other financial income

Total

151

2015

– 27

–

5

– 71

69

– 24

2014

– 24

–

5

– 154

127

– 46

Other financial charges include –60 million euros (previous 
year: –118 million euros) from currency losses. Other financial 
income includes 63 million euros (previous year: 114 million 
euros) for currency gains. Please see page 159 of the financial 
instruments report for information on the net results of the 
valuation categories under International Financial Reporting 
Standard (IFRS) 7 and the reconciliation to financial result.

Investment result
The investment result includes 2 million euros for expenses 
from the valuation of companies that are recognized using the 
equity method (2014: 0 million euros).

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures170

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

30   Taxes on income 

Income tax expense/income breaks down as follows:

Income before tax and analysis of taxes 

152

We have summarized the individual company reports – pre-
pared on the basis of the tax rates applicable in each country 
and taking into account consolidation procedures – in the 
statement below, showing how the expected tax charge, based 
on the tax rate applicable to Henkel AG & Co. KGaA of 31 per-
cent, is reconciled to the effective tax charge disclosed.

in million euros

Income before tax

Current taxes

Deferred taxes

Taxes on income

Tax rate in percent

2014

2015

2,195

2,603

579

– 46

533

708

– 73

635

Tax reconciliation statement 

in million euros

Income before taxes

155

2014

2015

2,195

2,603

24.3 %

24.4 %

Tax rate (including trade tax) of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA

31 %

31 %

Main components of tax expense and income 

in million euros

Current tax expense/income in the reporting year

Current tax adjustments for prior years

Deferred tax expense/income from temporary 
 differences

Deferred tax income from unused tax losses

Deferred tax expense from  tax credits

Deferred tax expense/income from changes in tax 
rates

Increase/decrease in valuation allowances on 
deferred tax assets

2014

601

– 22

– 34

– 5

4

3

– 14

Deferred tax expense by items on the statement  
of financial position 

in million euros

Intangible assets

Property, plant and equipment

Financial assets

Inventories

Other receivables and other assets

Special tax items

Provisions

Liabilities

Tax credits

Unused tax losses

Valuation allowances

Financial statement figures

2014

– 126

–

73

– 8

3

– 3

31

– 1

4

– 5

– 14

– 46

153

2015

688

20

– 77

– 13

2

– 4

19

154

2015

– 140

– 8

82

– 9

– 17

– 2

1

8

2

– 9

19

– 73

Expected tax charge

Tax reductions due to differing tax rates abroad

Tax increases/reductions for prior years

Tax increases/reductions due to changes in tax 
rates

Tax increases/reductions due to the recognition of 
deferred tax assets relating to unused tax losses 
and temporary differences

Tax reductions due to tax-free income and other 
items

Tax increases/reductions arising from additions 
and deductions for local  taxes

Tax increases due to withholding taxes

Tax increases due to non-deductible expenses 

Tax charge disclosed

Tax rate

680

– 91

20

3

– 14

807

– 100

– 2

– 4

19

– 186

– 216

13

24

84

533

4

43

84

635

24.3 %

24.4 %

Deferred taxes are calculated on the basis of tax rates that 
apply in the individual countries at the year-end date or which 
have already been legally decided. In Germany, there is a uni-
form corporate income tax rate of 15 percent plus a solidarity 
surcharge of 5.5 percent. After taking into account trade tax, 
this yields an overall tax rate of 31 percent.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are netted where they 
involve the same tax authority and the same tax creditor.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

171

The deferred tax assets and liabilities stated on the reporting 
date relate to the following items of the consolidated state-
ment of financial position, unused tax losses and tax credits:

euros) relating to intangible assets are mainly attributable to 
business combinations such as the acquisition of the National 
Starch businesses in 2008 and of Spotless Group SAS in 2014. 

Allocation of deferred taxes 

156

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities

December 
31, 2014

December 
31, 2015

December 
31, 2014

December 
31, 2015

269

341

750

in million euros

Intangible assets

Property, plant and 
equipment

Financial assets

Inventories

Other receivables and 
other assets

Special tax items

Provisions

Liabilities

Tax credits 

Unused tax losses

Amounts netted

Valuation allowances

Financial statement 
figures

749

75

167

1

37

35

26

7

– 

–

82

83

5

46

37

12

6

– 

–

18

1

43

32

–

755

70

5

60

– 393

– 22

16

1

50

39

–

704

58

3

60

– 427

– 29

– 393

–

– 427

–

838

816

628

670

The deferred tax assets of 704 million euros (previous year: 
755 million euros) relating to provisions in the financial state-
ment result primarily from recognition and measurement 
 differences with respect to pension obligations. The deferred 
tax liabilities of 749 million euros (previous year: 750 million 

An excess of deferred tax assets is only recognized insofar as it 
is likely that the company concerned will achieve sufficiently 
positive taxable profits in the future against which the deduc-
tible temporary differences can be offset and tax loss carry-for-
wards can be used. Deferred taxes have not been recognized 
with respect to unused tax losses of 146 million euros (previ-
ous year: 126 million euros), as it is not sufficiently probable 
that taxable gains or benefits will be available against which 
they may be utilized. Of these tax losses carried forward, 62 mil-
lion euros (previous year: 60 million euros) expire after more 
than three years. State taxes relating to our US subsidiaries 
account for 53 million euros (previous year: 48 million euros) of 
these unused tax losses (tax rate: around 2 percent). Of the tax 
losses carried forward, 76 million euros are non- expiring (previ-
ous year: 64 million euros). Deferred tax  liabilities of 42 million 
euros (previous year: 12 million euros) relating to the retained 
earnings of foreign subsidiaries have been recognized due to 
the fact that these earnings will be distributed in 2016. 

We have summarized the expiry dates of unused tax losses 
and tax credits in the following table, which includes unused 
tax losses arising from losses on the disposal of assets of 
10 million euros (previous year: 10 million euros) which may 
be carried forward without restriction. In addition to the 
unused tax losses listed in the table, an interest expense of 
8 million euros (previous year: 16 million euros) is available 
which may be carried forward in full with no  expiration. 

Expiry dates of unused tax losses and tax credits 

157

in million euros

Expire within

1 year

2 years

3 years

more than 3 years

May be carried forward without restriction

Total

Unused tax losses

Tax credits

December  
31, 2014

December  
31, 2015

December  
31, 2014

December  
31, 2015

8

10

13

145

109

285

3

3

6

180

103

295

2

–

1

2

–

5

1

–

–

2

–

3

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures172

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

In many countries, different tax rates apply to losses on the 
disposal of assets than to operating profits, and in some cases 
losses on the disposal of assets may only be offset against 
gains on the disposal of assets. 

Of unused tax losses expiring beyond three years, 91 million 
euros (previous year: 91 million euros) relate to loss carry-
forwards of US subsidiaries with respect to state taxes. 

Equity-decreasing deferred taxes of 82 million euros were 
 recognized (previous year: equity-increasing amount of 123 mil-
lion euros). Within this figure, an expense of 88 million euros 
(previous year: income of 127 million euros) results from actu-
arial gains and losses on pension obligations, while income 
of 4 million euros (previous year: expense of 4 million euros) 
results from gains and losses on cash flow hedges and income 
of 2 million euros (previous year: 0 million euros) from hedges 
of net investments. 

31   Non-controlling interests

The amount shown here represents the proportion of net 
income and losses attributable to other shareholders of con-
solidated affiliated companies.

Their share of net income was 49 million euros (previous year: 
36 million euros) and that of losses was 2 million euros (previ-
ous year: 2 million euros).

The non-controlling interests included in the Henkel Group  
at the end of fiscal 2015 had no material impact on our net 
assets, financial position and results of operations. The Group 
has no joint operations or unconsolidated structured entities. 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

173

118   Consolidated statement of 

financial position

120   Consolidated statement of 

income

121    Consolidated statement    
of changes in equity
122   Consolidated statement  

of cash flows

121   Consolidated statement of  
comprehensive income

123    Group segment  report  
by business unit

124   Key financials by region
125   Accounting principles and 

133   Notes to the consolidated  

statement of financial position

methods applied in preparation 
of the consolidated financial 
statements

168   Notes to the consolidated  
statement of income

173   Other disclosures

Other disclosures

34   Share-based payment plans

32    Reconciliation of adjusted net income

Adjusted net income 

in million euros

Adjusted EBIT

Financial result

Taxes on income (adjusted)

Adjusted net income

Attributable to non-controlling interests

 Attributable to shareholders of  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

158

December 
31, 2014

December 
31, 2015

2,588

– 49

– 609

1,930

34

2,923

– 42

– 720

2,161

49

1,896

2,112

33   Payroll cost and employee structure

Payroll cost 1 

in million euros

Wages and salaries

Social security contributions and staff welfare 
costs

Pension costs

Total

159

2015

2,464

404

179

2014

2,073

372

153

2,598

3,047

1  Excluding personnel-related restructuring charges of 104 million euros 
 (previous year: 105 million euros).

Number of employees per function 1 

Production and engineering 

Marketing, selling and distribution

Research and development

Administration

Total

160

2015

25,400

14,650

2,800

7,000

2014

23,000

15,200

2,650

6,950

47,800

49,850

1  Annual average headcount: full-time employees, excluding apprentices and 
trainees, work experience students and interns; figures rounded. 

Global Cash Performance Units Plan (Global CPU Plan) 
2004 – 2012
Since the end of the Stock Incentive Plan in 2004, those eligi-
ble for that plan, the senior executive personnel of the Henkel 
Group (excluding members of the Management Board), have 
been part of the Global CPU Plan, which enables them to par-
ticipate in any increase in the price of the Henkel preferred 
share. Cash Performance Units (CPUs) are awarded on the basis 
of the level of achievement of certain defined targets. They 
grant the beneficiary the right to receive a cash payment at a 
fixed point in time. Until 2012, the CPUs were granted on con-
dition that the member of the Plan was employed for three 
years by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA or one of its subsidiaries in a 
position senior enough to qualify to participate and that he or 
she was not under notice during that period. This minimum 
period of employment pertained to the calendar year in which 
the CPUs were granted and the two subsequent calendar years.

The number of CPUs granted depends not only on the hierarchy 
level of the officer but also on the achievement of set target 
 figures. For the cycles up to 2012, these targets were operating 
profit (EBIT) and net  income attributable to shareholders 
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA. The value of a CPU in each case is the 
average price of the Henkel preferred share as quoted 20 stock 
exchange trading days after the Annual General Meeting 
 following the performance period. An upper limit or cap is 
imposed in the event of extraordinary share price increases.

Global Long Term Incentive Plan (Global LTI Plan) 2013
In fiscal 2013, the general terms and conditions of the Global 
CPU Plan 2004 were amended and replaced by the Global LTI 
Plan 2013, which is a share-based remuneration scheme with 
cash settlement. Since 2013, CPUs are granted on condition 
that the member of the Plan is employed for four years by 
 Henkel AG & Co. KGaA or one of its subsidiaries in a position 
senior enough to qualify to participate and that he or she is 
not under notice during that period. This minimum period of 
employment  pertains to the calendar year in which the CPUs 
are granted and the three subsequent calendar years. In addi-
tion, an  Outperformance Reward, which awards CPUs based 
on the achievement of target figures established in advance, 
may be set at the beginning of a four-year medium-term plan.

The total value of the cash remuneration payable to senior 
management personnel is recalculated on each reporting 
date and on the settlement date, based on the fair value of 
the CPUs, and recognized through an appropriate increase 
in  provisions as a payroll cost that is spread over the period 
of service by the beneficiary. All changes to the measurement 
of this provision are reported under payroll cost.

174

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Due to the extension of the cycle, one tranche with a three-
year term and another with a four-year term were issued in 
2013. The number of CPUs granted depends not only on the 
seniority of the officer but also on the achievement of set tar-
get figures. For the cycles issued from 2013 onward, the target 
is based on growth in adjusted earnings per preferred share. 
The value of a CPU in each case is the average price of the 
 Henkel preferred share as quoted 20 stock exchange trading 
days after the Annual General Meeting following the perfor-
mance period. As of the reporting date, the calculation of the 
provision was based on a fair value of 103.20 euros (closing 
price of Henkel preferred shares on December 31, 2015) 
 (previous year: 89.42 euros) per CPU. The overall payout of the 
long-term incentive is subject to a cap. 

The ninth cycle, which was issued in 2012, became due for pay-
ment in 2015 (expense: 8.7 million euros). At December 31, 2015, 
the CPU Plan worldwide comprised 1,044,353 CPUs  (previous 
year: 994,775 CPUs) from the tranches issued in 2013 (expense: 
43.4 million euros), 542,998 CPUs (previous year: 533,553 CPUs) 
from the tranche issued in 2014 (expense: 16.4 million euros), 
and 673,099 CPUs from the tranche issued in the reporting year 
(expense: 17.4 million euros). The Out performance Reward 
comprised 511,098 CPUs (expense: 15.9 million euros). This 
resulted in an additional expense in the reporting year of 
101.8 million euros (previous year: 61.2 million euros). The 
 cor responding provision amounted to 178.9 million euros 
 (previous year: 123.2 million euros), of which 52.3 million euros 
(previous year: 37.5 million euros) is vested.

35   Group segment report

The format for reporting the activities of the Henkel Group by 
segment is by business unit and reportable segments; selected 
regional information is also provided. The segment report cor-
responds to the way in which the Group manages its operating 
business, and the Group’s reporting structure.

Reportable segments

Laundry & Home Care
This reportable segment covers the global activities of Henkel 
in laundry and home care branded consumer goods. The 
Laundry Care operating segment includes not only heavy-duty 
and specialty detergents but also fabric softeners, laundry 
 performance enhancers and laundry care products. Our Home 
Care operating segment encompasses hand and automatic 
dishwashing products, cleaners for bathroom and WC appli-
cations, and household, glass and specialty cleaners. We also 
offer air fresheners and insect control products for household 
applications in selected regions.

Beauty Care
The Beauty Care reportable segment covers our globally active 
Branded Consumer Goods operating segment with Hair Care, 
Hair Colorants, Hair Styling, Body Care, Skin Care and Oral 
Care,  as well as the professional Hair Salon operating segment.

Adhesives for Consumers, Craftsmen and Building
In the Adhesives for Consumers, Craftsmen and Building oper-
ating segment, we market a comprehensive range of brand-
name products for private users, craftsmen and the construc-
tion industry. Based on our four international brand platforms, 
namely Loctite, Pritt, Pattex and Ceresit, we offer target group-
aligned system solutions for applications in the household, 
schools and offices, for do-it-yourselfers and craftsmen, and 
also for the building industry.

Industrial Adhesives
The Industrial Adhesives reportable segment covers four oper-
ating segments: Packaging and Consumer Goods Adhesives, 
Transport and Metal, General Industry, and Electronics.

The Packaging and Consumer Goods Adhesives operating seg-
ment serves major international customers as well as medium- 
and small-sized manufacturers of the consumer goods and 
 furniture industries. Our economies of scale allow us to offer 
attractive solutions for standard and volume app li cations. 

The Transport and Metal operating segment serves major 
international customers in the automotive and metal-process-
ing industries, offering tailor-made system solutions and spe-
cialized technical services that cover the entire value chain – 
from steel strip coating to final vehicle assembly. 

In the General Industry operating segment, our customers 
comprise manufacturers from a multitude of industries, rang-
ing from household appliance producers to the wind power 
industry. Our portfolio here encompasses Loctite products for 
industrial maintenance, repair and overhaul, a wide range of 
sealants and system solutions for surface treatment applica-
tions, and specialty adhesives. 

Our Electronics operating segment offers customers from the 
worldwide electronics industry a broad spectrum of innova-
tive high- technology adhesives and soldering materials for the 
manufacture of microchips and electronic assemblies. 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

175

Principles of Group segment reporting
In determining the segment results, assets and liabilities, we 
apply essentially the same principles of recognition and mea-
surement as in the consolidated financial statements. We have 
valued net operating assets in foreign currencies at average 
exchange rates.

The Group measures the performance of its segments on the 
basis of a segment income variable referred to by Internal 
 Control and Reporting as “adjusted EBIT.” For this purpose, 
operating profit (EBIT) is adjusted for one-time charges and 
gains and also restructuring charges. 

Of the restructuring charges, 66 million euros is attributable to 
the business unit Laundry & Home Care (previous year: 74 mil-
lion euros), 43 million euros is attributable to Beauty Care (pre-
vious year: 64 million euros) and 77 million euros is attributable 
to Adhesive Technologies (previous year: 60 million euros). 

Reconciliation between net operating assets / 
capital employed and financial statement figures 

For reconciliation with the figures for the Henkel Group, 
Group overheads are reported under  Corporate together with 
income and expenses that cannot be allocated to the individ-
ual business units.

Proceeds transferred between the segments only exist to a 
 negligible extent and are therefore not separately disclosed.

Operating assets, provisions and liabilities are assigned to the 
segments in accordance with their usage or origin. Where 
usage or origin is attributable to several segments, allocation 
is effected on the basis of appropriate ratios and keys. 

For regional and geographic analysis purposes, we allocate 
sales to countries on the basis of the country-of-origin prin-
ciple, and non-current assets in accordance with the domicile 
of the international company to which they pertain.

161

Financial 
statement  
figures

December  
31, 2015 

8,850

5,493

816

1,721

2,944

–

1,313

1,176

10

in million euros

Goodwill at book value

Other intangible assets and property, plant and equipment 
(total)

Deferred taxes

Inventories

Trade accounts receivable from third parties

Intra-group accounts receivable 

Other assets and tax refund claims 2

Cash and cash equivalents

Assets held for sale

Net operating assets

Annual  
average 1  
2014

6,842

4,373

–

1,700

2,763

764

410

December  
31, 2014 

8,074

4,977

–

1,671

2,747

880

416

Financial 
statement 
figures

December  
31, 2014 

8,074

4,977

838

1,671

2,747

–

1,395

1,228

31

Net operating assets

Annual  
average 1  
2015

8,605

5,266

–

1,836

3,171

1,018

505

December  
31, 2015 

8,850

5,493

–

1,721

2,944

1,246

440

Operating assets (gross) / Total assets

16,852

18,765

20,961

20,401

20,694

22,323

Operating liabilities

of which: 

Trade accounts payable to third parties

Intra-group accounts payable

 Other provisions and other liabilities 2 
(financial and non-financial)

Net operating assets

– Goodwill at book value

+ Goodwill at cost 3

Capital employed

5,617

2,992

764

1,861

11,235

6,842

7,397

11,790

5,959

3,046

880

2,033

12,806

–

–

–

–

3,046

–

2,292

–

–

–

–

6,435

3,242

1,018

2,175

13,965

8,605

9,151

14,511

6,716

3,176

1,246

2,294

13,978

–

–

–

–

3,176

–

2,437

–

–

–

–

1 The annual average is calculated on the basis of the 12 monthly figures.
2 We only take amounts relating to operating activities into account in calculating net operating assets.
3 Before deduction of accumulated impairment pursuant to IFRS 3.79 (b).

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures 
  
 
176

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

36   Earnings per share

Earnings per share 

in million euros (rounded)

Net income attributable to shareholders of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Dividends, ordinary shares

Dividends, preferred shares

Total dividends

Retained earnings per ordinary share

Retained earnings per preferred share

Retained earnings

Number of ordinary shares

Dividend per ordinary share in euros

of which preliminary dividend per ordinary share in euros 1

Retained earnings per ordinary share in euros

EPS per ordinary share in euros

Number of outstanding preferred shares 2

Dividend per preferred share in euros

of which preferred dividend per preferred share in euros 1

Retained earnings per preferred share in euros

EPS per preferred share in euros

Number of ordinary shares

Dividend per ordinary share in euros

of which preliminary dividend per ordinary share in euros 1

Retained earnings per ordinary share in euros (after dilution)

Diluted EPS per ordinary share in euros

162

2014

Reported

1,628

2015

Adjusted

1,896

Reported

Adjusted

1,921

2,112

335

229

564

636

428

335

229

564

797

535

377

256

633

771

517

377

256

633

885

594

1,064

1,332

1,288

1,479

259,795,875

259,795,875

259,795,875

259,795,875

1.29

0.02

2.45

3.74

1.29

0.02

3.07

4.36

1.45 3

0.02

2.97

4.42

1.45 3

0.02

3.41

4.86

174,482,310

174,482,310

174,482,312

174,482,312

1.31

0.04

2.45

3.76

1.31

0.04

3.07

4.38

1.47 3

0.04

2.97

4.44

1.47 3

0.04

3.41

4.88

259,795,875

259,795,875

259,795,875

259,795,875

1.29

0.02

2.45

3.74

1.29

0.02

3.07

4.36

1.45 3

0.02

2.97

4.42

1.45 3

0.02

3.41

4.86

Number of potential outstanding preferred shares 2

174,482,310

174,482,310

174,482,312

174,482,312

Dividend per preferred share in euros

of which preferred dividend per preferred share in euros 1

Retained earnings per preferred share in euros (after dilution)

Diluted EPS per preferred share in euros

1.31

0.04

2.45

3.76

1.31

0.04

3.07

4.38

1.47 3

0.04

2.97

4.44

1.47 3

0.04

3.41

4.88

1  See combined management report, Corporate governance, Capital stock denominations / Shareholder rights / Amendments to the Articles of Association  
on pages 32 and 33.
2 Weighted annual average of preferred shares.
3 Proposal to shareholders for the Annual General Meeting on April 11, 2016.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

177

37   Consolidated statement of cash flows

We prepare the consolidated statement of cash flows in accor-
dance with International Accounting Standard (IAS) 7 “State-
ment of Cash Flows.” It describes the flow of cash and cash 
equivalents by origin and usage of liquid funds, distinguishing 
between changes in funds arising from operating activities, 
investing activities, and financing activities. Financial funds 
include cash on hand, checks and credit at banks, and other 
financial assets with a remaining term of not more than three 
months. Securities are therefore included in financial funds, 
provided that they are available at short term and are only 
exposed to an insignificant price change risk. The computa-
tion is adjusted for effects arising from currency translation. 
In some countries, there are administrative hurdles to the 
transfer of money to the parent company. 

Cash flows from operating activities are determined by ini-
tially adjusting operating profit by non-cash variables such as 
amortization / depreciation / impairment / write-ups on intan-
gible assets and property, plant and equipment – supple-
mented by changes in provisions, changes in other assets 
and liabilities, and also changes in net working capital. We 
disclose payments made for income taxes under operating 
cash flow.

Cash flows from investing activities occur essentially as a 
result of outflows of funds for investments in intangible assets 
and property, plant and equipment, subsidiaries and other 
business units, as well as investments accounted for using the 
equity method and joint ventures. We also recognize inflows 
of funds from the sale of intangible assets and property, plant 
and equipment, subsidiaries and other business units here. 
In the reporting period, cash flows from investing activities 
mainly involved outflows for the acquisition of subsidiaries 
and other business units in the amount of –322 million euros 
(previous year: –1,719 million euros), as well as outflows for 
investments in intangible assets, and property, plant and 
equipment in the amount of –625 million euros (previous 
year: –531 million euros). Outflows for the acquisition of sub-
sidiaries and other business units relate to the acquisitions as 
described in the section “Acquisitions and divestments” on 
pages 126 and 127. 

In cash flow from financing activities, we recognize interest 
and dividends paid and received, the change in borrowings 
and in pension provisions, and also payments made for the 
acquisition of non-controlling interests and other financing 
transactions. The change in borrowings in the reporting 
year was influenced by the repayment of our hybrid bond 
on November 25, 2015 and by inflows from issuing commer-
cial paper.  

The free cash flow shows how much cash is actually available 
for acquisitions and dividends, reducing debt and/or contri-
butions to pension funds.

38   Contingent liabilities

Analysis 

in million euros

Liabilities under guarantee and  
warranty agreements

163

December 
31, 2014

December 
31, 2015

4

12

39   Other unrecognized financial commitments

Operating leases as defined in IAS 17 comprise all forms of 
rights of use of assets, including rights of use arising from rent 
and leasehold agreements. Payment commitments under oper-
ating lease agreements are shown at the total amounts payable 
up to the earliest date of termination. The amounts shown are 
the nominal values. At December 31, 2015, they were due for 
payment as follows:

Operating lease commitments 

164

in million euros

Due in the following year 

Due within 1 to 5 years

Due after 5 years

Total

December 
31, 2014

December 
31, 2015

67

135

24

226

72

139

17

228

Within the Group, we primarily lease office space and equip-
ment, automobiles, and IT equipment. Some of these con-
tracts contain extension options and price adjustment clauses. 
In the course of the 2015 fiscal year, 66 million euros became 
due for payment under operating leases (previous year: 64 mil-
lion euros). 

As of the end of 2015, commitments arising from orders for 
property, plant and equipment amounted to 65 million euros 
(previous year: 67 million euros). 

As of the reporting date, payment commitments under 
the terms of agreements for capital increases and share 
purchases contracted prior to December 31, 2015 amounted 
to 0 million euros (previous year: 0 million euros).

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures 
 
178

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

40    Voting rights / Related party disclosures

Related parties as defined by IAS 24 “Related Party Disclosures” 
are legal entities or natural persons who may be able to exert 
influence on Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and its subsidiaries, or be 
subject to control or material influence by Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA or its subsidiaries. These include, in particular, the 
members of the Henkel family share-pooling agreement as a 
whole, the non-consolidated entities in which Henkel holds a 
participating interest, associated entities and also the mem-
bers of the corporate management bodies of   Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA whose compensation is indicated in the remuneration 
report section of the combined management report on pages 
41 to 51. Henkel Trust e.V. and Metzler Trust e.V. also fall into 
the category of related parties as defined in IAS 24.

Information required by Section 160 (1) no. 8 of the German 
Stock Corporation Act [AktG]:

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Düsseldorf, has been notified that on 
December 17, 2015 the proportion of voting rights held by the 
members of the Henkel family share-pooling agreement repre-
sented in total a share of 61.02 percent of the voting rights 
(158,535,741 votes) in Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (International Secu-
rities Identification Number [ISIN]: DE0006048408), held by
•   131 members of the families of the descendents of Fritz 

 Henkel, the company’s founder,

•   four foundations set up by members of those families,
•   three trusts set up by members of those families,
•   two private limited companies (GmbH) set up by members 
of those families, 13 limited partnerships with a lim ited 
company as general partner (GmbH & Co. KG), and one 
 limited partnership (KG),

under the terms of a share-pooling agreement per Section 
22 (2) of the German Securities Trading Act [WpHG], whereby 
the shares held by the two private limited companies, by the 
13 limited partnerships with a limited company as general 
partner, and by the one limited partnership, representing a 
percentage of 16.97 percent of the voting rights (44,081,965 
votes), are attributed (per Section 22 (1) no. 1 WpHG) to the 
family members who control those companies.

No party to the share-pooling agreement is obliged to notify 
that it has reached or exceeded 3 percent or more of the total 
voting rights in Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, even after adding 
 voting rights expressly granted under the terms of usufruct 
agreements.

Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah, Germany, is the authorized representa-
tive of the parties to the Henkel family share-pooling agreement. 
(Latest notification November 5, 2014.) 

Financial receivables from and payables to other investments 
in the form of non-consolidated affiliated entities and associ-
ated entities are disclosed in Notes 3 and 18.

Henkel Trust e.V. and Metzler Trust e.V., as parties to relevant 
contractual trust arrangements (CTA), hold the assets required 
to cover the pension obligations in Germany. The claim on 
Henkel Trust e.V. for reimbursement of pension payments 
made is shown under other financial assets (Note 3 on page 
139). The receivable does not bear interest.

41   Exercise of exemption options

The following German companies included in the consoli-
dated financial statements of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA exercised 
exemption options in fiscal 2015:
•   Schwarzkopf Henkel Production Europe GmbH & Co. KG, 

Düsseldorf (Section 264b German Commercial Code [HGB])

•   Henkel Loctite-KID GmbH, Hagen (Section 264 (3) HGB)
•   Henkel IP Management and IC Services GmbH, Monheim 

(Section 264 (3) HGB)

•   The Bergquist Company GmbH, Halstenbek  

(Section 264 (3) HGB) 

The Dutch company Henkel Nederland B.V., Nieuwegein, 
 exercised the exemption option afforded in Article 2:403 of the 
Civil Code of the Netherlands.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

179

42    Remuneration of the corporate  

management bodies

45    Auditor’s fees and services 

The total fees charged to the Group for services provided by 
the auditor KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft and 
other companies of the worldwide KPMG network in fiscal 
2014 and 2015 were as follows:

Type of fee 

in million euros

Audits 

Other audit-related services 

Tax advisory services

Other services

Total

2014

7.5

2.0

0.9

0.8

11.2

of which 
Germany

1.9

0.7

0.1

0.8

3.5

2015

8.4

1.7

0.8

1.1

12.0

165

of which 
Germany

1.8

0.6

0.1

1.0

3.5

The item “Audits” includes fees and disbursements with 
respect to the audit of the Group accounts and the legally pre-
scribed financial statements of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and its 
affiliat ed companies. The fees for “Other audit-related services” 
relate  primarily to the quarterly reviews. The item “Tax advisory 
services” includes fees for advice and support on tax issues 
and the performance of tax compliance services on behalf of 
affiliated companies outside Germany. “Other services”  comprise 
fees predominantly for project-related consultancy services.

Düsseldorf, January 29, 2016

Henkel Management AG, 
Personally Liable Partner  
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Management Board
Kasper Rorsted, 
Jan-Dirk Auris, Carsten Knobel, Kathrin Menges,  
Bruno Piacenza, Hans Van Bylen

The total remuneration of the members of the Supervisory 
Board and of the Shareholders’ Committee of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA amounted to 1,546,000 euros plus value-added tax (pre-
vious year: 1,562,000 euros) and 2,350,000 euros (previous 
year: 2,350,000 euros), respectively. The total remuneration 
(Section 285 no. 9a and Section 314 (1) no. 6a HGB) of the 
 Management Board and members of the Management Board 
of Henkel  Management AG amounted to 25,804,019 euros 
 (previous year: 27,404,426 euros). 

For pension obligations to former members of the Manage-
ment Board and the management of Henkel KGaA, as well as 
the former management of its legal predecessor and surviving 
dependents, 98,729,434 euros (previous year: 108,218,489 euros) 
is deferred. The total remuneration for this group of persons 
(Section 285 no. 9b and Section 314 (1) no. 6b HGB) in the 
reporting year amounted to 7,163,382 euros (previous year:  
7,138,469 euros). For further details regarding the compensa-
tion of the corporate management bodies, please refer to the 
audited remuneration report on pages 41 to 51.

43    Declaration of compliance with the  Corporate 

 Governance Code [DCGK]

In March 2015, the Management Board of Henkel Management 
AG and the Supervisory Board and Shareholders’ Committee 
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA approved a joint declaration of com-
pliance with the recommendations of the German Corporate 
 Governance Code [DCGK] in accordance with Section 161 of the 
German Stock Corporation Act [AktG]. The declaration has been 
made permanently available to shareholders on the company 
website: 

  www.henkel.com/ir

44   Subsidiaries and other investments

Details relating to the investments held by Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA and the Henkel Group, which are part of these financial 
statements, are provided in a separate schedule appended to 
these notes to the consolidated financial statements but not 
included in the printed form of the Annual Report. Said  
schedule is included in the accounting record submitted for 
publication in the electronic Federal Gazette and can be 
viewed there and at the Annual General Meeting. The schedule 
is also included in the online version of the Annual Report on 
our website: 

  www.henkel.com/reports

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures180

Consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Independent Auditor’s Report

To Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Düsseldorf

Report on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated financial 
statements of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Düsseldorf, and its subsid-
iaries, which comprise the consolidated statement of financial 
position, the consolidated statement of income, the consoli-
dated statement of comprehensive income, the consolidated 
statement of changes in equity, the consolidated statement of 
cash flows, and notes to the consolidated financial statements 
for the business year from January 1 to December 31, 2015.

Responsibility of the Personally Liable Partner  
of the Company for the Consolidated Financial Statements
The personally liable partner of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA is 
responsible for the preparation of these consolidated financial 
statements. This responsibility includes preparing these con-
solidated financial statements in accordance with Interna-
tional Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the EU, and 
the supplementary requirements of German law pursuant to 
§ [Article] 315a Abs. [paragraph] 1 HGB [Handelsgesetzbuch: 
German Commercial Code], to give a true and fair view of the 
net assets, financial position and results of operations of the 
Group in accordance with these requirements. The personally 
liable partner of the company is also responsible for the inter-
nal controls that management determines are necessary to 
enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements 
that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud 
or error.

Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consoli-
dated financial statements based on our audit. We conducted 
our audit in accordance with § 317 HGB and German generally 
accepted standards for the audit of financial statements pro-
mulgated by the Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer [Institute of 
Public Auditors in Germany] (IDW) as well as in supplemen-
tary compliance with International Standards on Auditing 
(ISA). Accordingly, we are required to comply with ethical 
requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain rea-
sonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial 
statements are free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing audit procedures to obtain audit 
evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the consoli-
dated financial statements. The selection of audit procedures 
depends on the auditor’s professional judgment. This includes 

the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the 
consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or 
error. In assessing those risks, the auditor considers the inter-
nal control system relevant to the entity’s preparation of the 
consolidated financial statements that give a true and fair 
view. The aim of this is to plan and perform audit procedures 
that are appropriate in the given circumstances, but not for the 
purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the 
Group’s internal control system. An audit also includes evalu-
ating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the 
reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the compa-
ny’s personally liable partner, as well as evaluating the overall 
presentation of the consolidated financial statements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is suffi-
cient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

Audit Opinion
Pursuant to § 322 Abs. 3 Satz 1 HGB, we state that our audit 
of the consolidated financial statements has not led to any 
 reservations.

In our opinion, based on the findings of our audit, the consoli-
dated financial statements comply in all material respects with 
IFRSs as adopted by the EU and the supplementary require-
ments of German commercial law pursuant to § 315a Abs. 1 HGB 
and give a true and fair view of the net assets and financial 
position of the Henkel Group as at December 31, 2015, as well 
as the results of operations for the business year then ended, 
in accordance with these requirements. 

Report on the Combined Management Report
We have audited the accompanying Group management report 
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, which is combined with the manage-
ment report of the company, for the business year from 
 January 1 to December 31, 2015. The personally liable partner 
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA is responsible for the preparation of 
the combined management report in compliance with the 
applicable requirements of German commercial law pursuant 
to § [Article] 315a Abs. [paragraph] 1 HGB [Handelsgesetzbuch: 
German Commercial Code]. We conducted our audit in accor-
dance with § 317 Abs. 2 HGB and German generally accepted 
standards for the audit of combined management reports pro-
mulgated by the Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer [Institute of Pub-
lic Auditors in Germany] (IDW). Accordingly, we are required to 
plan and perform the audit of the combined management 
report to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the com-
bined management report is consistent with the consolidated 
financial statements and the audit findings, and as a whole 

Henkel Annual Report 2015

181

provides a suitable view of the Group’s position and suitably 
presents the opportunities and risks of future development. 

Pursuant to § 322 Abs. 3 Satz 1 HGB, we state that our audit of  
the combined management report has not led to any reserva-
tions. 

In our opinion, based on the findings of our audit of the con-
solidated financial statements and combined management 
report, the combined management report is consistent with 
the consolidated financial statements, and as a whole provides 
a suitable view of the Group’s position and suitably presents 
the opportunities and risks of future development.

Düsseldorf, January 29, 2016

KPMG AG 
Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft 

Prof. Dr. Kai C. Andrejewski 
Wirtschaftsprüfer 
(German Public Auditor) 

Simone Fischer
Wirtschaftsprüferin 
(German Public Auditor) 

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures182

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Recommendation for the approval of the annual 
financial statements and the appropriation of the 
profit of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

It is proposed that the annual financial statements of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA be approved 
as presented and that the unappropriated profit of 766,311,011.08 euros for fiscal 2015 be 
applied as follows:
a) 

Payment of a dividend of 1.45 euros per ordinary share  
(259,795,875 shares) 

b) 

Payment of a dividend of 1.47 euros per preferred share  
(178,162,875 shares) 

c) 

Carried forward as retained earnings 

= 376,704,018.75 euros

= 261,899,426.25 euros

= 127,707,566.08 euros

766,311,011.08 euros

According to Section 71b German Stock Corporation Act [AktG], treasury shares do not 
qualify for a dividend. The amount in unappropriated profit which relates to the shares 
held by the corporation (treasury shares) at the date of the Annual General Meeting will 
be carried forward as retained earnings. As the number of such treasury shares can 
change up to the time of the Annual General Meeting, a correspondingly adapted proposal 
for the appropriation of profit will be submitted to it, providing for an unchanged payout 
of 1.45 euros per ordinary share qualifying for a dividend and 1.47 euros per preferred 
share qualifying for a dividend, with corresponding adjustment of the other retained 
earnings and retained earnings carried forward to the following year.

Düsseldorf, January 29, 2016

Henkel Management AG, 
Personally Liable Partner  
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Management Board

 
 
 
 
 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

183

Responsibility statement by the  
Personally Liable Partner

To the best of our knowledge, and in accordance with the applicable accounting princi-
ples, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the net assets, 
financial position and results of operations of the Group, and the management report of 
the Group, which is combined with the management report of Henkel Management AG & 
Co. KGaA, includes a fair review of the development, performance and results of the 
business and the position of the Group, together with a cogent description of the princi-
pal opportunities and risks associated with the expected development of the Group.

Düsseldorf, January 29, 2016

Henkel Management AG

Management Board
Kasper Rorsted, 
Jan-Dirk Auris, Carsten Knobel, Kathrin Menges,  
Bruno Piacenza, Hans Van Bylen

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures184

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Corporate management bodies of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Boards / memberships as defined by Section 125 (1) sentence 5 of the German Stock Corporation Act [AktG] as at January 2016 

Honorary Chairman of the Henkel Group: Dipl.-Ing. Albrecht Woeste

Supervisory Board of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Dr. rer. nat. Simone Bagel-Trah 
Chair,  
Private Investor, Düsseldorf

Born in 1969 
Member since: April 14, 2008

Memberships: 
Henkel Management AG (Chair) 1 
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Shareholders’  
Committee, Chair) 2 
Bayer AG 1 
Heraeus Holding GmbH 1

Winfried Zander * 
Vice Chair, 
Chairman of the General Works Council of  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and Chairman of the 
Works Council of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA,  
Düsseldorf site

Born in 1954 
Member since: May 17, 1993

Jutta Bernicke * 
Member of the Works Council of  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Düsseldorf site

Born in 1962 
Member since: April 14, 2008

Dr. rer. nat. Kaspar von Braun 
Astrophysicist, Pasadena

Born in 1971 
Member since: April 19, 2010

Boris Canessa 
Private Investor, Düsseldorf

Born in 1963 
Member since: April 16, 2012

Ferdinand Groos 
Managing Partner, Cryder Capital Partners LLP, 
London

Born in 1965 
Member since: April 16, 2012

Béatrice Guillaume-Grabisch 
Chairwoman of the Executive Board,  
Nestlé Deutschland AG, Frankfurt am Main 

Born in 1964 
Member since: April 16, 2012

Peter Hausmann * 
Member of the Executive Board of  
IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie and responsible  
for Wages / Finance, Hannover

Born in 1954 
Member since: April 15, 2013

Memberships: 
Continental AG 1 
Vivawest Wohnen GmbH (Vice Chair) 1  
50 Hertz Transmission AG (Vice Chair) 1

Birgit Helten-Kindlein * 
Member of the Works Council of  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Düsseldorf site

Born in 1964 
Member since: April 14, 2008

Prof. Dr. sc. nat. Michael Kaschke 
Chairman of the Executive Board,  
Carl Zeiss AG, Oberkochen

Born in 1957 
Member since: April 14, 2008

Memberships: 
Deutsche Telekom AG 1 
Carl Zeiss Group: 
Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH (Chair) 1 
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Chair) 1 
Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH (Chair) 1 
Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH (Chair) 1 
Carl Zeiss Australia Pty. Ltd. (Chair), Australia 2 
Carl Zeiss Far East Co. Ltd. (Chair), China / Hong Kong 2  
Carl Zeiss India (Bangalore) Private Ltd., India 2 
Carl Zeiss Pte. Ltd. (Chair), Singapore 2 
Carl Zeiss (Pty.) Ltd., South Africa 2

Barbara Kux 
Private Investor, Zurich

Born in 1954 
Member since: July 3, 2013

Memberships: 
Engie S.A., France 2 
Firmenich S.A., Switzerland 2 
Pargesa Holding S.A., Switzerland 2 
Total S.A., France 2 
Umicore N.V., Belgium 2

*  Employee representatives.
1  Membership of statutory supervisory and administrative boards in Germany.
2  Membership of comparable oversight bodies.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

185

Mayc Nienhaus * 
Member of the General Works Council of  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and  
Chairman of the Works Council of  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Unna site

Dr. rer. nat. Martina Seiler * 
Chemist, Duisburg 
Chairwoman of the General Senior Staff  
Representative Committee and of the Senior Staff 
Representative Committee of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Edgar Topsch * 
Member of the General Works Council of  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and  
Vice Chairman of the Works Council of  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Düsseldorf site

Born in 1961 
Member since: January 1, 2010

Born in 1971 
Member since: January 1, 2012

Born in 1960 
Member since: August 1, 2010

Andrea Pichottka * 
Managing Director, IG BCE Bonusagentur GmbH, 
Hannover 
Managing Director, IG BCE Bonusassekuranz GmbH, 
Hannover

Born in 1959 
Member since: October 26, 2004

Prof. Dr. oec. publ. Theo Siegert 
Managing Partner of  
de Haen-Carstanjen & Söhne, Düsseldorf

Born in 1947 
Member since: April 20, 2009

Memberships: 
E.ON AG 1 
Merck KGaA 1 
DKSH Holding Ltd., Switzerland 2 
E. Merck OHG 2

Supervisory Board committees

Nominations Committee

Audit Committee

Functions 
The Nominations Committee prepares the resolutions of the Supervisory 
 Board on election proposals to be presented to the Annual General Meeting 
for the election of members of the Supervisory Board (representatives of the 
share holders).

Members 
Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah, Chair 
Dr. Kaspar von Braun  
Prof. Dr. Theo Siegert

Functions  
The Audit Committee prepares the proceedings and resolutions of the Supervi-
sory Board relating to the approval of the annual financial statements and the 
consolidated financial statements, and relating to ratification of the proposal to 
be put before the Annual General Meeting regarding appointment of the audi-
tor. It also deals with accounting, risk management and compliance issues.

Members 
Prof. Dr. Theo Siegert, Chair  
Prof. Dr. Michael Kaschke, Vice Chair 
Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah  
Peter Hausmann 
Birgit Helten-Kindlein 
Winfried Zander

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures186

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Shareholders’ Committee of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Dr. rer. nat. Simone Bagel-Trah 
Chair,  
Private Investor, Düsseldorf

Born in 1969 
Member since: April 18, 2005

Memberships: 
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Chair) 1 
Henkel Management AG (Chair) 1 
Bayer AG 1 
Heraeus Holding GmbH 1

Dr. rer. pol. h.c. Christoph Henkel 
Vice Chair, 
Founding Partner, Canyon Equity LLC, London

Born in 1958 
Member since: May 27, 1991

Prof. Dr. oec. HSG Paul Achleitner 
Chairman of the Supervisory Board,  
Deutsche Bank AG, Munich

Born in 1956 
Member since: April 30, 2001

Memberships: 
Bayer AG 1 
Daimler AG 1 
Deutsche Bank AG (Chair) 1

Johann-Christoph Frey 
Private Investor, Klosters

Born in 1955 
Member since: April 16, 2012

Stefan Hamelmann 
Private Investor, Düsseldorf

Born in 1963 
Member since: May 3, 1999

Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Ulrich Lehner 
Former Chairman of the Management Board  
of Henkel KGaA, Düsseldorf

Born in 1946 
Member since: April 14, 2008

Memberships: 
Deutsche Telekom AG (Chair) 1 
E.ON SE 1 
Porsche Automobil Holding SE 1 
ThyssenKrupp AG (Chair) 1

Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Norbert Reithofer 
Chairman of the Supervisory Board  
of Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, 
Munich

Born in 1956 
Member since: April 11, 2011

Memberships: 
Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft  
(Chair) 1 
Siemens AG 1

Konstantin von Unger 
Partner, Quarton International AG,  
London

Born in 1966 
Member since: April 14, 2003

Memberships: 
Henkel Management AG 1 
Ten Lifestyle Management Ltd.,  
Great Britain 2

Jean-François van Boxmeer 
Chairman of the Executive Board  
of Heineken N.V., Amsterdam

Born in 1961 
Member since: April 15, 2013

Membership: 
Mondelez International Inc., USA 2

Werner Wenning 
Chairman of the Supervisory Board  
of Bayer AG, Leverkusen

Born in 1946 
Member since: April 14, 2008

Memberships: 
Bayer AG (Chair) 1 
E.ON SE (Chair) 1 
Henkel Management AG 1 
Siemens AG 1

Subcommittees of the Shareholders’ Committee

Finance Subcommittee

Human Resources Subcommittee

Functions 
The Finance Subcommittee deals principally with financial matters, accounting 
issues including the statutory year-end audit, taxation and accounting policy, 
internal auditing, and risk management in the company.

Functions  
The Human Resources Subcommittee deals principally with personnel matters 
relating to members of the Management Board, issues pertaining to human 
resources strategy, and with remuneration.

Members 
Dr. Christoph Henkel, Chair 
Stefan Hamelmann, Vice Chair 
Prof. Dr. Paul Achleitner 
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Lehner  
Dr. Dr. Norbert Reithofer

Members 
Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah, Chair 
Konstantin von Unger, Vice Chair 
Johann-Cristoph Frey  
Jean-François van Boxmeer 
Werner Wenning

1 Membership of statutory supervisory and administrative boards in Germany.
2 Membership of comparable oversight bodies.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Notes to the consolidated financial statements

187

Management Board of Henkel Management AG *

Kasper Rorsted 
Chairman of the Management Board

Carsten Knobel 
Finance / Purchasing / Integrated Business Solutions

Bruno Piacenza 
Laundry & Home Care

Born in 1962 
Member since: April 1, 2005 3

Memberships: 
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, Belgium 2 
Bertelsmann Management SE 1 
Danfoss A/S, Denmark 2

Jan-Dirk Auris 
Adhesive Technologies

Born in 1968 
Member since: January 1, 2011

Membership: 
Henkel Corporation (Chair), USA 2

Born in 1969 
Member since: July 1, 2012

Born in 1965 
Member since: January 1, 2011

Hans Van Bylen 
Beauty Care

Born in 1961 
Member since: July 1, 2005 3

Memberships: 
GfK SE, Nuremberg 1 
The Dial Corporation (Chair), USA 2

Memberships: 
Henkel (China) Investment Co. Ltd., China 2 
Henkel & Cie AG, Switzerland 2 
Henkel Central Eastern Europe GmbH (Chair),  
Austria 2 
Henkel Consumer Goods Inc. (Chair), USA 2 
Henkel Ltd., Great Britain 2 
Henkel of America Inc. (Chair), USA 2

Kathrin Menges 
Human Resources / Infrastructure Services

Born in 1964 
Member since: October 1, 2011

Memberships: 
Adidas AG 1 
Henkel Central Eastern Europe GmbH, Austria 2 
Henkel Nederland BV, Netherlands 2 
Henkel Norden AB, Sweden 2 
Henkel Norden Oy, Finland 2 

Supervisory Board of Henkel Management AG *

Dr. rer. nat. Simone Bagel-Trah 
Chair,  
Private Investor, Düsseldorf

Born in 1969 
Member since: February 15, 2008

Memberships: 
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Chair) 1 
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Shareholders’  
Committee, Chair) 2 
Bayer AG 1 
Heraeus Holding GmbH 1

Konstantin von Unger 
Vice Chair 
Partner, Quarton International AG,  
London

Born in 1966 
Member since: April 17, 2012

Memberships: 
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Shareholders’ Committee) 2 
Ten Lifestyle Management Ltd., Great Britain 2

Werner Wenning 
Chairman of the Supervisory Board  
of Bayer AG, Leverkusen

Born in 1946 
Member since: September 16, 2013

Memberships: 
Bayer AG (Chair) 1 
E.ON SE (Chair) 1 
Siemens AG 1 
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Shareholders’ Committee) 2

* Personally Liable Partner of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA.
1  Membership of statutory supervisory and administrative boards in Germany.
2  Membership of comparable oversight bodies.
3  Including membership of the Management Board of Henkel KGaA.

118  Consolidated statement of financial position120  Consolidated statement of income121  Consolidated statement of  comprehensive income121   Consolidated statement    of changes in equity122  Consolidated statement  of cash flows123   Group segment  report  by business unit124  Key financials by region125  Accounting principles and methods applied in preparation of the consolidated financial statements133  Notes to the consolidated  statement of financial position168  Notes to the consolidated  statement of income173  Other disclosures188

Further information

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Quarterly breakdown of key financials

1st quarter

2nd quarter

3rd quarter

4th quarter

Full year

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

166

in million euros

Sales

Laundry & Home Care

Beauty Care

Adhesive Technologies

Corporate

Henkel Group

1,147

856

1,893

34

1,298

940

2,160

32

3,929

4,430

1,139

897

2,069

32

4,137

1,314

1,006

2,343

31

4,695

1,188

918

2,100

30

4,236

1,314

964

2,279

33

4,590

1,152

876

2,065

32

4,126

1,211

922

2,209

32

4,374

4,626

3,547

8,127

128

16,428

– 8,712

7,716

5,137

3,833

8,992

128

18,089

– 9,368

8,721

Cost of sales

Gross profit

– 2,016

– 2,264

– 2,210

– 2,439

– 2,245

– 2,361

– 2,241

– 2,304

1,913

2,166

1,927

2,256

1,991

2,229

1,885

2,070

– 1,033

– 1,166

– 1,025

– 1,185

– 1,045

– 1,158

– 1,048

– 1,099

– 4,151

– 4,608

Marketing, selling and  distribution 
expenses

Research and development 
expenses

Administrative expenses

Other operating charges and income

EBIT

Laundry & Home Care

Beauty Care

Adhesive Technologies

Corporate

Henkel Group

Investment result

Other financial result

Interest result

Financial result

Income before tax

Taxes on income

Net income

– 104

– 202

34

196

114

331

– 32

608

6

– 11

– 10

– 15

593

– 137

456

– 119

– 245

12

192

133

345

– 22

648

–

– 6

– 3

– 9

639

– 157

482

– 103

– 216

6

160

135

346

– 52

589

–

– 13

2

– 11

578

– 132

446

  Attributable to non-controlling 
interests

  Attributable to shareholders 
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

7

12

5

449

470

441

– 122

– 241

7

198

158

388

– 29

715

– 1

– 7

– 3

– 11

704

– 173

531

10

521

– 104

– 210

– 29

171

98

354

– 20

603

–

– 10

– 1

– 11

592

– 142

450

10

440

– 120

– 278

– 7

211

142

367

– 54

666

–

– 3

– 8

– 11

655

– 161

494

10

484

– 102

– 224

– 67

88

74

314

– 33

444

–

– 12

–

– 12

432

– 122

310

12

298

– 117

– 248

10

186

128

362

– 58

616

–

– 8

– 3

– 11

605

– 144

461

– 413

– 852

– 56

615

421

1,345

– 137

2,244

6

– 46

– 9

– 49

2,195

– 533

1,662

– 478

– 1,012

22

786

561

1,462

– 164

2,645

– 1

– 24

– 17

– 42

2,603

– 635

1,968

15

34

47

446

1,628

1,921

Earnings per  
preferred share  

in million euros

EBIT (as reported)

One-time gains

One-time charges

Restructuring charges

Adjusted EBIT

Adjusted earnings  
per preferred share  

in euros

1.04

1.09

1.02

1.20

1.01

1.12

0.69

1.03

3.76

4.44

1st quarter

2nd quarter

3rd quarter

4th quarter

Full year

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014

2015

608

– 25

8

28

619

648

–

5

54

707

589

– 3

17

71

674

715

– 

24

29

768

603

–

43

47

693

666

–

34

78

778

444

–

91

67

602

616

– 15

37

32

670

2,244

2,645

– 28

159

213

– 15

100

193

2,588

2,923

in euros

1.04

1.18

1.16

1.29

1.17

1.30

1.01

1.11

4.38

4.88

The quarterly figures are specific to the quarter to which they refer and have been rounded for commercial convenience.  
Calculated on the basis of units of 1,000 euros.

 
Henkel Annual Report 2015

Further information

189

Multi-year summary

in million euros

Results of operations

Sales

Laundry & Home Care
Beauty Care
Adhesive Technologies
Corporate

Gross margin
Research and development expenses
Operating profit (EBIT)

Laundry & Home Care
Beauty Care
Adhesive Technologies
Corporate
Income before tax
Tax rate  
Net income

Attributable to shareholders  
of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Net return on sales 2 
Interest coverage ratio 

Net assets

Total assets
Non-current assets 
Current assets
Equity
Liabilities
Equity ratio  
Return on equity 3 

Operating debt coverage ratio 

Financial position

Cash flow from operating activities
Capital expenditures
Investment ratio  

Shares

2009

2010

2011  
restated 1

2012

2013

2014

2015

167

13,573
4,129
3,010
6,224
210

15,092
4,319
3,269
7,306
199

15,605
4,304
3,399
7,746
156

16,510
4,556
3,542
8,256
155

16,355
4,580
3,510
8,117
148

16,428
4,626
3,547
8,127
128

18,089
5,137
3,833
8,992
128

45.4

46.5

45.3

46.8

47.7

47.0

48.2

396
1,080
501
387
290
– 98
885

391
1,723
542
411
878
– 108
1,552

410
1,765
419
471
1,002
– 127
1,610

408
2,199
621
483
1,191
– 97
2,018

415
2,285
682
474
1,271
– 141
2,172

413
2,244
615
421
1,345
– 137
2,195

478
2,645
786
561
1,462
– 164
2,645

29.0

628

26.4

1,143

26.0

1,191

24.4

25.2

24.3

24.4

1,526

1,625

1,662

1,968

602

1,118

1,161

1,480

1,589

1,628

1,921

4.7
8.7

7.6
12.8

7.6
14.0

9.2
14.3

9.9
23.9

10.1
48.4

10.9
75.7

15,818
11,162
4,656
6,544
9,274

41.4
9.6

41.8

17,525
11,590
5,935
7,950
9,575

45.4
17.5

71.4

18,487
11,848
6,639
8,670
9,817

46.9
15.0

91.6

1,919
415

1,851
260

1,562
443

19,525
11,927
7,598
9,511
10,014

48.7
17.6

>500

2,634
516

19,344
11,360
7,984
10,158
9,186

52.5
17.1

not  
relevant 4

20,961
14,150
6,811
11,644
9,317

22,323
15,406
6,917
13,811
8,512

55.6
16.4

61.9
16.9

274.8

375.2

2,116
465

1,914
2,214

2,384
979

in %

in %

in %
in %

in %

as % of sales

3.0

1.7

2.8

3.1

2.8

13.5

5.4

Dividend per ordinary share  
Dividend per preferred share  
Total dividends
Payout ratio 
Share price, ordinary shares, at year-end 
Share price, preferred shares, at year-end 
Market capitalization at year-end 

in euros
in euros

0.51
0.53

0.70
0.72

0.78  
0.80 

0.93 
0.95

1.20
1.22

1.29
1.31

227

310 

345

411

529

569

in %
in euros
in euros
in bn euros

27.6
31.15
36.43
14.6

25.5
38.62
46.54
18.3

25.5
37.40
44.59
17.6

25.6 
51.93
62.20
24.6

30.0
75.64
84.31
34.7

30.0
80.44
89.42
36.8

1.45 5
1.47 5

 639 5

30.2 5
88.62
103.20
41.4

Employees
Total 6 

Germany 
Abroad 

(at December 31)

49,250
8,800
40,450

47,850
8,600
39,250

47,250
8,300
38,950

46,600
8,000
38,600

46,850
8,050
38,800

49,750
8,200
41,550

49,450
8,350
41,100

1  Application of IAS 8 “Accounting policies, changes in accounting estimates and errors” (see notes on pages 116 and 117 of the 2012 Annual Report).
2  Net income divided by sales.
3  Net income divided by equity at the start of the year.
4  Figure not relevant due to the positive balance of net financial position and pension obligations.
5  Proposed.
6  Basis: permanent employees excluding apprentices.

188  Quarterly breakdown of key financials 189 Multi-year summary190 Index of tables and graphs192  Glossary195 Credits196 Contacts 
190

Further information

Henkel Annual Report 2015

57

58

59

62

64

64

65

67

67

67

68

68

69

70

70

Index of tables and graphs

The Company

Highlights 2015 (inside cover) 

1   Key financials 
2   Sales by business unit 
3   Sales by region 
4   Key financials Laundry & Home Care
5   Sales Laundry & Home Care 

6   Key financials Beauty Care 

7   Sales Beauty Care 

Operational activities

26  

 Henkel around the world:  
regional centers 

Strategy and financial targets 2016

27   Financial targets 2016 

28  

 Acquisitions completed in fiscal 2015 

29  

 Our focal areas and targets 

Cost of capital

30   WACC before tax by business unit 

8   Key financials Adhesive Technologies

31   WACC after tax by business unit 

9   Sales Adhesive Technologies 

Combined management report 

Remuneration report 

10   Remuneration structure 

11   Caps on remuneration 

12  

13  

14  

15  

 Remuneration of Management Board  
members who served in 2015 

 Structure of Management Board  
remuneration 

 Service cost / Present value of 
 pension benefits 

 Pursuant to DCGK, payments / benefits 
granted for the reporting year to mem-
bers of the Management Board serving 
in 2015 

42

43

45

45

46

47

16  

 Pursuant to DCGK, payments / benefits 
made for the reporting year to members of 
the Management Board  serving in 2015  48

17   Supervisory Board remuneration 

18  

 Shareholders’ Committee  
remuneration 

Shares and bonds 

 Key data on Henkel shares  
2011 through 2015 

 Henkel share performance versus  
market January through December 2015 53

 Henkel share performance versus  
market 2006 through 2015 

19  

20  

21  

 Henkel represented in all major indices 

22   Share data 

23   ADR data 

International shareholder structure

24  

 Shareholder structure: institutional 
 investors holding Henkel shares 

Pro-active capital market communication

25   Analyst recommendations 

50

51

52

53

54

54

55

56

Macroeconomic and industry-related  
conditions

32  

 Average rates of exchange versus  
the euro 

Results of operations

33   Sales development 

34   Sales 

35   Price and volume effects 

36   Adjusted operating profit (EBIT)  

37   Key financials by region 

38   Guidance versus performance 2015 

39  

 Reconciliation from sales to adjusted  
operating profit 

40   Net income 

41   Adjusted earnings per preferred share  70

42   Preferred share dividends 

Net assets and financial position

43   Financial structure 

71

72

44   Capital expenditures by business unit  73

45   Capital expenditures 2015 

46   Net financial position 2011 to 2015 

47   Net financial position 

48   Credit ratings 

49   Key financial ratios 

Employees 

50   Employees by region 

51   Employees by organizational unit 

52   Employees by activity 

53   Employees by age group 

54   Employees 

Procurement

73

73

74

75

75

76

76

77

77

77

55   Material expenditures by business unit  80

Research and development

59   R&D expenditures 

60  

 R&D expenditures by business unit 

61  

 Selected research and  
development sites 

62   Key R&D figures 

Laundry & Home Care

63   Key financials 

64   Sales development 

65   Sales Laundry & Home Care 

Beauty Care

66   Key financials 

67   Sales development 

68   Sales Beauty Care 

Adhesive Technologies

69   Key financials 

70   Sales development 

71   Sales Adhesive Technologies 

Results of operations

72  

 Condensed income statement in 
accordance with HGB 

Financial result

73  

 Condensed balance sheet in  
accordance with HGB 

Risk management system

74  

 Major risk categories 

75  

 Classification of risks in  
ascending order 

83

83

84

84

90

90

92

94

94

96

98

98

100

103

104

108

108

Consolidated financial statements

76  

77  

 Consolidated statement of financial 
p osition – Assets 

 Consolidated statement of financial 
 position – Equity and liabilities 

78   Consolidated statement of income 

79  
80   

81  

 Additional voluntary information 

 Consolidated statement of  
comprehensive income 

 Consolidated statement of changes  
in equity 

118

119

120

120

121

121

82  

 Consolidated statement of cash flows  122

83  

 Additional voluntary information 
Reconciliation to free cash flow 

122

56   Material expenditures by type 

80

84   Group segment report by business unit  123

Production 

57   Number of production sites 

58  

 Sustainability targets from 2011  
to 2015 and current status 

81

83

85   Key financials by region 

86  

 Scope of consolidation 

124

125

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Further information

191

188   Quarterly breakdown of key 

financials 

189  Multi-year summary
190  Index of tables and graphs

192   Glossary
195  Credits
196  Contacts

Acquisitions and divestments

87  

 Reconciliation of the purchase price  
to provisional goodwill 

88   Acquisitions 

Currency translation

89   Currencies 

127

127

129

Recognition and measurement methods

90  

 Summary of selected measurement 
methods 

130

New international accounting regulations 
according to International Financial 
Reporting Standards (IFRSs)

91  

92  

93  

  Accounting methods applied for the 
first time in the year under review 

  Accounting regulations not applied  
in advance of their effective date 

 Accounting regulations not yet 
 adopted into EU law 

Non-current assets

94   Useful life 

Intangible assets

95   Cost 

96  

 Accumulated amortization /  
impairment 

97   Net book values 

98   Book values – Goodwill 

99  

 Book values – Trademarks  
and other rights 

Property, plant and equipment

100   Cost 

101  

 Accumulated depreciation /  
impairment 

102   Net book values 

103   Other financial assets 

104   Other assets 

Inventories

105   Analysis of inventories 

Trade accounts receivable

106   Trade accounts receivable 

131

131

132

133

133

134

134

135

136

137

137

138

139

139

140

140

113  

114  

115  

116  

117  

118  

 Fair value of reimbursement rights  
at December 31, 2014 

 Net liability from pension  
obligations at December 31, 2014 

 Present value of pension obligations  
at December 31, 2015 

 Fair value of plan assets  
at December 31, 2015 

 Fair value of reimbursement rights  
at December 31, 2015 

 Net liability from pension  
obligations at December 31, 2015 

119   Analysis of plan assets 

120   Plan assets by country 2015 

145

146

146

147

147

147

148

149

142  

143  

 Cash flows from financial liabilities at 
December 31, 2014 

164

 Cash flows from financial liabilities at 
December 31, 2015 

144   Currency exposure 

145   Interest rate exposure 

146   Interest rate risk 

147   Other operating income 

148   Other operating charges 

Financial result

149   Financial result 

150   Interest result 

121   Classification of bonds by rating 2015  149

151   Other financial result 

Risks associated with pension obligations

122  

 Future payments for pension benefits  150

123  

 Sensitivities – Present value of pension 
obligations at December 31, 2015 

151

Income tax provisions and other provisions

124   Development in 2015 

125  

 Analysis of sundry provisions  
by function 

Borrowings

126   Borrowings 

127   Bonds 

128   Other financial liabilities 

129   Other liabilities 

Financial instruments report

151

152

153

153

154

154

130  

 Financial instruments report 

155

Taxes on income

152  

153  

154  

 Income before tax and  
analysis of taxes  

 Main components of tax expense  
and income 

 Deferred tax expense by items on the 
statement of financial position 

155   Tax reconciliation statement 

156   Allocation of deferred taxes 

157  

 Expiry dates of unused tax  
losses and tax credits 

Reconciliation of adjusted net income

158   Adjusted net income 

Payroll cost and employee structure

159   Payroll cost 

160  

 Number of employees per function 

 Carrying amounts and fair values  
of financial instruments (12/31/2014)  157

 Carrying amounts and fair values  
of financial instruments (12/31/2015)  158

Group segment report

161  

 Reconciliation between net operating 
assets / capital employed and financial 
statement figures 

131  

132  

133  

164

166

166

167

169

169

169

169

169

170

170

170

170

171

171

173

173

173

175

176

177

 Net results of the measurement  
categories and reconciliation  
to financial result 

134   Derivative financial instruments 

135   Interest rates in percent p.a. 

136  

 Gains and losses from  
fair value hedges 

137  

 Cash flow hedges (after tax) 

 Hedges of a net investment  
in a foreign entity (after tax) 

139   Maximum risk position 

140  

 Age analysis of non-impaired  
overdue loans and receivables 

107  

 Development of valuation allowances  
on trade accounts receivable 

140

138  

108  

 Assets and liabilities held for sale  141

109   Issued capital 

141

Pension obligations

110  

 Actuarial assumptions 

144

141  

111  

112  

 Present value of pension obligations  
at December 31, 2014 

 Fair value of plan assets at  
December 31, 2014 

145

145

 Financial assets and financial  
liabilities from derivatives subject  
to netting, collateral, or similar  
arrangements 

159

160

160

160

161

161

162

163

163

162  

 Earnings per share 

163   Contingent liabilities 

Other unrecognized financial commitments

164   Operating lease commitments 

177

Auditor’s fees and services

165   Type of fee 

179

Further information 

166   Quarterly breakdown of key financials  188

167   Multi-year summary 

189

192

Further information

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Glossary

Adjusted EBIT
Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) adjusted for 
exceptional items in the form of one-time charges, one-
time gains and restructuring charges.

Beta factor
Reflects the systemic risk (market risk) of a share price 
compared to a certain index (stock market average): In 
the case of a beta factor of 1.0, the share price fluctu-
ates to the same extent as the index. If the factor is less 
than 1.0, this indicates that the share price undergoes 
less  fluctuation, while a factor above 1.0 indicates that 
the share price fluctuates more than the market average.

Capital employed
Capital invested in company assets and operations. 
Equity + interest-bearing liabilities.

Cash flows
Inflow and outflow of cash and cash equivalents divided 
within the statement of cash flows into cash flow from 
operating activities, from investing  activities, and from 
financing activities. 

Commercial paper
Short-term bearer bonds with a promise to pay, issued 
for the purpose of generating short-term debt capital.

Compliance
Acting in conformity with applicable regulations; 
ad herence to laws, rules, regulations and in-house  
or corporate codes of conduct.

Compound annual growth rate
Year-over-year rate of growth, e.g. of an investment.

Corporate governance
System of management and control, primarily within 
listed companies. Describes the powers and authority 
 of corporate management, the extent to which these 
need to be monitored and the extent to which structures 
should be put in place through which certain interest /
stakeholder groups may exert influence on the corporate 
management.

Corporate Governance Code 
The German Corporate Governance Code (abbreviation: 
DCGK) is intended to render the rules governing corpo-
rate management and control for a stock corporation 
in Germany transparent for national and international 
investors, engendering trust and confidence in the 
 corporate management of German companies. 

Credit default swap
Instrument used by Henkel to evaluate the credit risks of 
banks.

Credit facility
Aggregate of all loan services available on call from  
one or  several banks as cover for an immediate credit 
requirement.

DAX ®
Abbreviation for Deutscher Aktienindex, the German 
share index. The DAX lists the stocks and shares of 
 Germany’s 30 largest listed corporations. Henkel’s pre-
ferred shares are quoted on the DAX. DAX is a registered 
trademark of Deutsche Börse AG, the German stock 
exchange company.

Declaration of conformity
Declaration made by the management / executive board 
and supervisory board of a company according to  
Section 161 of the German Stock Corporation Act [AktG], 
confirming implementation of the recommendations  
of the Governmental Commission for the German 
 Corporate Governance Code.

Deferred taxes
In accordance with International Accounting Standard 
(IAS) 12, deferred taxes are recognized with respect to 
temporary differences between the statement of finan-
cial position valuation of an asset or a liability and its 
tax base, unused tax losses and tax credits.

Defined contribution plans
Post-employment benefit plans under which an entity 
pays fixed contributions into a separate entity (a fund) 
and will have no legal or constructive obligation to pay 
further contributions if the fund does not hold sufficient 
assets to pay all employee benefits relating to employee 
service in current and prior periods.

Derivative
Financial instrument, the value of which changes in 
 res ponse to changes in an underlying asset or an index, 
which will be settled at a future date and which initially 
requires only a small or no investment.

Divestment
Disposal, sale or divestiture of an asset, operation or 
business unit. 

Earnings per share (EPS)
Metric indicating the income of a joint stock corporation 
divided between the weighted average number of its shares 
outstanding. The calculation is performed in accordance 
with International Accounting Standard (IAS) 33.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Further information

193

188   Quarterly breakdown of key 

financials 

189  Multi-year summary
190  Index of tables and graphs

192   Glossary
195  Credits
196  Contacts

EBIT
Abbreviation for Earnings Before Interest and Taxes. 
Standard profit metric that enables the earning power 
of the operating business activities of a company to 
be assessed independently of its financial structure, 
facilitating comparability between entities where these 
are financed by varying levels of debt capital. 

EBITDA
Abbreviation for Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, 
 Depreciation and Amortization.

Economic Value Added (EVA®)
The EVA concept reflects the net wealth generated by 
a company over a certain period. A company achieves pos-
itive EVA when the operating result exceeds the weighted 
average cost of capital. The WACC corresponds to the 
yield on capital employed expected by the capital market. 
EVA is a registered trademark of Stern Stewart & Co.

Equity ratio
Financial metric indicating the ratio of equity to total 
capital. It expresses the share of total assets financed out 
of equity (owners’ capital) rather than debt capital (pro-
vided by lenders). Serves to assess the financial stability 
and independence of a company.

Fair value
Amount at which an asset or a liability might be 
exchanged or a debt paid in an arm’s length transaction 
between knowledgeable, willing parties. 

Free cash flow
Cash flow actually available for acquisitions, dividend 
payments, the reduction of borrowings, and contribu-
tions to pension funds.

Goodwill
Amount by which the total consideration for a company 
or a business exceeds the netted sum of the fair values 
of the individual, identifiable assets and liabilities.

Gross margin
Indicates the percentage by which a company’s sales 
exceed cost of sales, i.e. the ratio of gross profit to sales.

Gross profit
Difference between sales and cost of sales.

Hedge accounting
Method for accounting for hedging transactions where by 
the compensatory effect of changes in the fair value of 
the hedging instrument (derivative) and of the underlying 
asset or liability is recognized in either the statement of 
income or the statement of comprehensive income.

Hybrid bond
Equity-like corporate bond, usually with no specified date 
of maturity, or with a very long maturity, char acter ized 
by its subordination in the event of the issuer  becoming 
insolvent.

IAS / IFRS
Abbreviation for International Accounting Standards and 
International Financial Reporting Standards respectively. 
In Europe, capital market-oriented companies are gener-
ally required to prepare consolidated financial statements 
in accordance with the International Financial Reporting 
Standards adopted by the European Union. Standards 
issued before 2003 are known as IAS, those since that 
date are IFRS. 

Impairment
Impairments of assets are recorded when the recover-
able amount is lower than the carrying amount at which 
the asset is recognized in the statement of financial 
position. The recoverable amount is calculated as the 
higher of fair value less costs to sell (net realizable value) 
and value in use. 

IT risk
The international standard ISO / IEC 27001 “Information 
technology, Security techniques, Information security 
management systems, Requirements” specifies the 
requirements for establishing, implementing, operating, 
monitoring, reviewing, maintaining and improving a 
 documented Information Security Management System 
within the context of an organization’s overall IT risks. 
ISO / IEC 27002 additionally provides recommendations 
for designing the control mechanisms needed for infor-
mation security.

KGaA
Abbreviation for “Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien.” 
 A KGaA is a company with a legal identity (legal entity) 
 in which at least one partner has unlimited liability with 
respect to the company’s creditors (personally liable 
 partner), while the liability for such debts of the other 
partners participating in the share-based capital stock 
 is limited to their share capital (limited shareholders).

Long-term incentive (LTI)
Bonus aligned to long-term financial performance. 

Market capitalization
Market value of a company calculated from the number 
of shares issued, multiplied by their list price as quoted 
on the stock exchange.

Net debt
Borrowings less cash and cash equivalents and readily 
monetizable financial instruments classified as “availa ble 
for sale” or in the “fair value option,” less positive and 
plus negative fair values of hedging transactions.

Net working capital
Inventories plus payments on account, receivables from 
suppliers and trade accounts receivable, less trade 
accounts payable, liabilities to customers, and current 
sales provisions.

194

Further information

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Non-controlling interests 
Proportion of equity attributable to third parties in sub-
sidiaries included within the scope of consolidation. 
 Previously termed “minority interests.” Valued on a pro-
portional net asset basis. A pro-rata portion of the net 
income of a corporation is due to shareholders owning 
non-controlling interests.

Operational excellence
A comprehensive program to structure and optimize all 
Henkel’s business processes based on customer needs, 
quality and efficiency.

Organic sales growth
Growth in revenues after adjusting for effects arising 
from acquisitions, divestments and foreign exchange 
 differences – i.e. “top line” growth generated from within. 

Scope of consolidation
The scope of consolidation is the aggregate of companies 
incorporated in the consolidated financial statements.

Supply chain
Encompasses purchasing, production, storage, transport, 
customer services, requirements planning, production 
scheduling, and supply chain management.

Swap
Term given to the exchange of capital amounts in differ-
ing currencies (currency swap) or of different interest 
obligations (interest swap) between two entities. 

Value-at-risk
Method, based on fair value, used to calculate the maxi-
mum likely or potential future loss arising from a portfolio.

Payout ratio
Indicates what percentage of annual net income 
(ad justed for exceptional items) is paid out in dividends 
to shareholders, including non-controlling interests. 

Volatility
Measure of fluctuation and variability in the prices 
quot ed for securities, in interest rates and in foreign 
exchange rates.

Weighted average cost of capital (WACC)
Average return on capital, expressed as a percentage and 
calculated on the basis of a weighted average of the cost 
of debt and equity. WACC represents the minimum return 
expected of a company by its lenders for financing its 
assets.

Plan assets
Pension fund investment vehicles per definition under 
IAS 19 “Employee Benefits.” 

Rating
Assessment of the creditworthiness of a company as 
published by rating agencies.

Return-enhancing portfolio
Contains investments in equities and alternative invest-
ments, and serves to improve the overall return of the 
pension plan assets over the long term in order to raise 
the coverage ratio of pension funds. In addition, a 
 broader investment horizon increases the level of 
 investment diversification.

Return on capital employed (ROCE)
Profitability metric reflecting the ratio of earnings before 
interest and taxes (EBIT) to capital employed. 

Return on sales (EBIT)
Operating business metric derived from the ratio of EBIT 
to revenues. Also known as EBIT margin.

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Further information

195

188   Quarterly breakdown of key 

financials 

189  Multi-year summary
190  Index of tables and graphs

192   Glossary
195  Credits
196  Contacts

Credits

Published by
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA   
40191 Düsseldorf, Germany 
Phone: +49 (0) 211-797-0 

© 2016 Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Edited by: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations,  
Corporate Accounting and Subsidiary Controlling

Coordination: Renata Casaro, Dr. Hannes Schollenberger,  
Wolfgang Zengerling

English translation: RR Donnelley, London 

Pre-print proofing: Paul Knighton, Cambridge;  
Thomas Krause, Krefeld

Design and typesetting:  
mpm Corporate Communication  Solutions, Mainz

Photographs: Charles Cherney, Guido Daniele, Olaf Döring, 
Neil Hamberg, Steffen Hauser, Philipp Hympendahl,  
Claudia Kempf, Nils Hendrik Müller; Henkel

Printed by: Druckpartner, Essen

Date of publication of this Report: 
February 25, 2016

PR N0.: 02 16 3,800 
ISSN: 0724-4738 
ISBN: 978-3-941517-62-2

The Annual Report is printed on LuxoArt Silk FSC. The paper is made from pulp 
bleached without chlorine. It has been certified and verified in accordance with the 
rules of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The printing inks contain no heavy 
metals. This publication was cover-finished and bound with these Henkel products: 
Cellophaning with Aquence GA 6085 HGL laminating adhesive, bound using  
Technomelt PUR 3400 ME COOL and Technomelt GA 3960 Ultra for the highest 
occupational health and safety standards.

Except as otherwise noted, all marks used in this publication are trademarks and/or 
registered trademarks of the Henkel Group in Germany and elsewhere.

This document contains forward-looking statements which are based on the current 
estimates and assumptions made by the executive management of Henkel AG & Co. 
KGaA. Forward-looking statements are characterized by the use of words such as 
expect, intend, plan, predict, assume, believe, estimate, anticipate and similar for-
mulations. Such statements are not to be understood as in any way guaranteeing 
that those expectations will turn out to be accurate. Future performance and the 
results actually achieved by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and its affiliated companies 
depend on a number of risks and uncertainties and may therefore differ materially 
from forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are outside Henkel’s con-
trol and cannot be accurately estimated in advance, such as the future economic 
environment and the actions of competitors and others involved in the market-
place. Henkel neither plans nor undertakes to update forward-looking statements.

196

Further information

Henkel Annual Report 2015

Contacts

Corporate Communications
Phone: +49 (0) 211-797-3533 
Fax: +49 (0) 211-798-2484 
E-mail: corporate.communications@henkel.com

Investor Relations
Phone: +49 (0) 211-797-3937 
Fax: +49 (0) 211-798-2863 
E-mail: investor.relations@henkel.com

Financial calendar

Annual General Meeting  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA 2016: 
Monday, April 11, 2016

Publication of Report  
for the First Quarter 2016: 
Thursday, May 19, 2016

Publication of Report  
for the Second Quarter / Half Year 2016: 
Thursday, August 11, 2016 

Publication of Report  
for the Third Quarter / Nine Months 2016: 
Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Publication of Report  
for Fiscal 2016: 
Thursday, February 23, 2017

Annual General Meeting  
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA 2017: 
Thursday, April 6, 2017

Up-to-date facts and figures on Henkel also  
available on the internet: 

  www.henkel.com

 
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Henkel AG & Co. KGaA  
40191 Düsseldorf, Germany  
Phone: +49 (0) 211-797-0 
www.henkel.com