ENR US Equity☆

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

In the course of conducting our business operations, we are exposed to a variety of risks, some of which are inherent in our industry and others of which are more specific to our own businesses. The discussion below addresses the material factors, of which we are currently aware, that could affect, and in certain cases have affected, our businesses, results of operations and financial condition and make an investment in the Company speculative or risky.

Some of these risks include:

•Global economic and financial market conditions, including the conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and actions taken by our customers, suppliers, other business partners and governments in markets in which we compete might materially and negatively impact us.

•Competition in our product categories might hinder our ability to execute our business strategy, achieve profitability, or maintain relationships with existing customers.

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•Changes in the retail environment and consumer preferences could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

•We must successfully manage the demand, supply, and operational challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and any other disease outbreak, including epidemics, pandemics, or similar widespread public health concerns.

•Loss or impairment of the reputation of our Company or our leading brands or failure of our marketing plans could have an adverse effect on our business.

•Loss of any of our principal customers could significantly decrease our sales and profitability.

•Our ability to meet our growth targets depends on successful product, marketing and operations innovation and successful responses to competitive innovation and changing consumer habits.

•We are subject to risks related to our international operations, including currency fluctuations, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

•If we fail to protect our intellectual property rights, competitors may manufacture and market similar products, which could adversely affect our market share and results of operations.

•Our reliance on certain significant suppliers subjects us to numerous risks, including possible interruptions in supply, which could adversely affect our business.

•Our business is vulnerable to the availability of raw materials, our ability to forecast customer demand and our ability to manage production capacity.

•Changes in production costs, including raw material prices, could erode our profit margins and negatively impact operating results.

•The manufacturing facilities, supply channels or other business operations of the Company and our suppliers may be subject to disruption from events beyond our control.

•We may be unable to generate anticipated cost savings, successfully implement our strategies, or efficiently manage our supply chain and manufacturing processes, and our profitability and cash flow could suffer as a result.

•Sales of certain of our products are seasonal and adverse weather conditions during our peak selling seasons for certain auto care products could have a material adverse effect.

•A failure of a key information technology system could adversely impact our ability to conduct business.

•We rely significantly on information technology and any inadequacy, interruption, theft or loss of data, malicious attack, integration failure, failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data residing on our systems or other security failure of that technology could harm our ability to effectively operate our business and damage the reputation of our brands.

•We may experience losses or be subject to increased funding and expenses related to our pension plans.

•The estimates and assumptions on which our financial projections are based may prove to be inaccurate, which may cause our actual results to materially differ from our projections, which may adversely affect our future profitability, cash flows and stock price.

•If we pursue strategic acquisitions, divestitures or joint ventures, we might experience operating difficulties, dilution, and other consequences that may harm our business, financial condition, and operating results, and we may not be able to successfully consummate favorable transactions or successfully integrate acquired businesses.

•The 2019 auto care and battery acquisitions from Spectrum Brands may have liabilities that are not known to us and the acquisition agreements may not provide us with sufficient indemnification with respect to such liabilities.

•Our business involves the potential for claims of product liability, labeling claims, commercial claims and other legal claims against us, which could affect our results of operations and financial condition and result in product recalls or withdrawals.

•Our business is subject to increasing regulation in the U.S. and abroad, the uncertainty and cost of future compliance and consequence of non-compliance with which may have a material adverse effect on our business.

•Increased focus by governmental and non-governmental organizations, customers, consumers and shareholders on sustainability issues, including those related to climate change, may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and damage our reputation.

•We are subject to environmental laws and regulations that may expose us to significant liabilities and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

•We cannot guarantee that any share repurchase program will be fully consummated or that any share repurchase program will enhance long-term stockholder value, and share repurchases could increase the volatility of the price of our stock and diminish our cash reserves.

•Our common stock ranks junior to our Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock with respect to dividends and amounts payable in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs.

Additional factors that could affect our businesses, results of operations and financial condition are discussed in Forward-Looking Statements in MD&A. However, other factors not discussed below or elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K could also adversely affect our businesses, results of operations and financial condition. Therefore, the risk factors below should not be considered a complete list of potential risks that we may face.

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Any risk factor described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any of our other SEC filings could by itself, or together with other factors, materially adversely affect our liquidity, competitive position, business, reputation, results of operations, capital position or financial condition, including by materially increasing our expenses or decreasing our revenues, which could result in material losses. Investors should not interpret the disclosure of a risk to imply that the risk has not already materialized.

Economic, Competitive and Industry Risks

Global economic and financial market conditions, including the conditions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and actions taken by our customers, suppliers, other business partners and governments in markets in which we compete might materially and negatively impact us.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused considerable volatility to global economic conditions and the economies in regions in which we conduct business. While we experienced reduced demand for certain of our consumer products as a result of the pandemic, demand increased for other products. In the future, our business might be adversely affected in a material way by lower consumer demand as a result of recessionary economic conditions, including after the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. In response to unfavorable economic conditions, there could be a reduction in discretionary spending, which may lead to reduced net sales or cause a shift in our product mix from higher-margin to lower-margin product offerings or a shift of purchasing patterns to lower cost options such as “private label” brands sold by retail chains or price brands. This shift could drive the market towards lower margin products or force us to reduce prices for our products in order to compete. Similarly, our retailer customers could reduce their inventories, shift to different products or require us to lower our prices to retain the shelf placement of our products. Conversely, rapid increases in demand as a result of improving economic conditions could lead to supply chain challenges.

Global markets continued to face threats and uncertainty during fiscal year 2021. Future changes to U.S. or foreign tax and trade policies, imposition of new or increased tariffs, other trade restrictions or other government actions, including any government shutdown, foreign currency fluctuations, including devaluations, and fear of exposure to or actual impacts of a widespread disease outbreak, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, may lead to continuation of such risks and uncertainty. Uncertain economic and financial market conditions may also adversely affect the financial condition of our customers, suppliers and other business partners. Any significant decrease in customers’ purchases of our products or our inability to collect accounts receivable resulting from an adverse impact of the global markets on customers’ financial condition could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, disruptions in financial markets could reduce our access to debt and equity capital markets, negatively affecting our ability to implement our business strategy.

Competition in our product categories might hinder our ability to execute our business strategy, achieve profitability, or maintain relationships with existing customers.

We face intense competition from consumer product companies both in the U.S. and in global markets. Most of our products compete with other widely advertised, promoted and merchandised brands within each product category. The categories in which we operate are mature and highly competitive, with a limited number of large manufacturers competing for consumer acceptance, limited retail shelf space and e-commerce opportunities. Because of the highly competitive environment in which we operate, our customers, including online retailers, frequently seek to obtain pricing concessions or better trade terms, resulting in either a reduction of our margins or the loss of distribution to lower-cost competitors.

Competition in our product categories is based upon brand perceptions, innovation, product performance, customer service and price. Our ability to compete effectively is, and in the future could be, affected by a number of factors, including:

•Certain of our competitors have substantially greater financial, marketing, research and development, and other resources and greater market share in certain segments than we do, which could provide them with greater scale and negotiating leverage with retailers and suppliers. These competitors may be able to spend more aggressively on advertising and promotional activities, introduce competing products more quickly and respond more effectively to changing business and economic conditions than we can.

•Our competitors may have lower production, sales and distribution costs, and higher profit margins.

•Our competitors have obtained, and may in the future be able to obtain, exclusivity or sole source at particular retailers or favorable in-store placement.

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•We may lose market share to certain retailers, including club stores, grocery, dollar stores, mass merchandisers and internet-based retailers, which may offer private label brands that are typically sold at lower prices and compete with our products in certain categories.

•Due to increased demand for certain of our products in response to COVID-19, we expect heightened competitive activity from strong local competitors, other large multinational companies, and new entrants into the market in many of our product categories. We expect such activities to include more aggressive product claims and marketing challenges, increased promotional spending and geographic expansion, and marketing of new products. We expect promotional activities to increase as retailers try aggressively to get consumers back into their stores following the easing of restrictions. Furthermore, our competitors may attempt to gain market share by offering products at prices at or below those we typically offer.

Changes in the retail environment and consumer preferences could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our sales have historically been largely concentrated in the traditional retail grocery, mass retail outlet, warehouse club and dollar store channels. However, the retail environment continues to evolve and may change to a more significant extent or at a faster pace during or following the COVID-19 pandemic, with a greater consumer emphasis on health and wellness. Alternative retail channels, including hard discounters, e-commerce retailers and subscription services, have become more prevalent, and retailers are increasingly selling consumer products through such channels. In addition, a growing number of alternative sales channels and business models, such as niche brands, native online brands, private label and store brands, direct-to-consumer brands and channels and discounter channels, have emerged in the markets we serve. In particular, the growing presence of, and increasing sales through, e-commerce retailers have affected, and may continue to affect, consumer preferences (as consumers increasingly shop online) and market dynamics, including any pricing pressures for consumer goods as retailers face added costs to build their e-commerce capacity. These trends have been magnified due to the COVID-19 pandemic in many of our geographies. Although we are engaged in e-commerce with respect to many of our products, if we are not successful in expanding sales in such alternative retail channels, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be negatively impacted. In addition, the growth of the alternative retail channels that are focused on limiting the number of items they sell and selling predominantly private label products may reduce our ability to market and sell our products through such retailers. If these alternative retail channels were to take significant market share away from traditional retailers and/or we are not successful in these alternative retail channels, our margins and results of operations may be negatively impacted.

Our failure to adapt to changing consumer preferences and market dynamics or expand sales through e-commerce retailers, hard discounters and other alternative retail channels, may negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. With the growing trend towards retailer consolidation, both in the U.S. and internationally, the rapid growth of e-commerce and the integration of traditional and digital operations at key retailers, we are increasingly dependent on certain retailers. This trend has resulted in the increased size and influence of large consolidated retailers, who have in the past changed, and may in the future change, their business strategies, demand lower pricing, or higher trade discounts or impose other burdensome requirements on product suppliers. These business demands may relate to inventory practices, in-store or online product placement, transportation and storage or product packaging. Such customers may also shift their focus away from branded products toward private label or other aspects of the customer-supplier relationship. These large consolidated companies could also exert additional competitive pressure on our other customers, which could in turn lead to such customers demanding lower pricing, higher trade discounts or special packaging or imposing other onerous requirements on us. If we cease doing business with a significant customer or if sales of our products to a significant customer materially decrease due to customer inventory reductions or otherwise, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be harmed.

We must successfully manage the demand, supply, and operational challenges brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and any other disease outbreak, including epidemics, pandemics, or similar widespread public health concerns.

Our operations are impacted by consumer spending levels, impulse purchases, the availability of our products to retail and our ability to manufacture, store and distribute products to our customers and consumers in an effective and efficient manner. The fear of exposure to or actual effects of a disease outbreak or similar widespread public health concern, such as COVID-19, negatively impacted portions of our business in fiscal 2021, and could continue to negatively impact our overall business, financial position and financial results. These impacts may include, but are not limited to:

▪Significant reductions, shifts or fluctuations in demand for one or more of our products, which may be caused by, among other things:

–a decrease in consumer traffic in brick-and-mortar stores across all our major markets and the resulting negative impact on our net sales to customers in that channel;

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–the temporary inability of our consumers to purchase our products due to illness, quarantine, other travel restrictions, or financial hardship;

–shifts in demand away from one or more of our premium products to lower priced value or private label products and lower demand in our discretionary product categories;

–stockpiling or similar “pantry-loading” activity by consumers, which may cause volatility in our quarterly results and, if prolonged, further increase the complexity of our operations planning and financial forecasting and adversely impact our results of operations;

–significant reductions in the availability of one or more of our products as a result of retailers, common carriers or other shippers modifying restocking, fulfillment and shipping practices; or

–shifts, fluctuations, or cancellation of orders due to the impact on customers’ operations, including the possibility of temporary or permanent closure.

▪Inability to meet our customers’ needs due to disruptions in our manufacturing and supply chain arrangements caused by the loss or disruption of essential manufacturing and supply chain elements, such as raw materials or other finished product components, transportation, workforce, or other manufacturing and distribution capability, as well as due to stressors on these elements resulting from an economic recovery. In addition, we may incur higher costs for transportation, workforce and distribution capability in order to maintain the surety of supplying product to our customers;

▪Failure of third parties upon which we rely, including our suppliers, contract manufacturers, distributors, contractors and commercial banks, to meet their obligations to us to meet those obligations in a timely manner, which may be caused by their own financial or operational difficulties and may adversely impact our operations, liquidity and financial results; and

▪Significant changes in the political and regulatory landscape in the markets in which we manufacture, sell or distribute our products, which may include, but are not limited to, quarantines, restrictions on international trade, governmental or regulatory actions, closures or other restrictions that limit or suspend our operating and manufacturing capabilities, restrict our employees’ ability to travel or perform necessary business functions, or otherwise prevent our third-party partners or customers from sufficiently staffing operations, including operations necessary for the production, distribution, sale, and support of our products, which could adversely impact our results.

We have incurred additional costs as a result of COVID-19 and may continue to incur additional costs if we are required to implement additional operational changes in response to the pandemic, including due to government requirements. For example, our incremental COVID-19 related costs of products sold were approximately $6 million and $24 million in fiscal 2021 and 2020, respectively. We also cannot predict the impact that the ongoing pandemic will have on our customers, suppliers, vendors and other business partners, and their respective financial conditions. Even after the pandemic has subsided, we may continue to experience materially adverse impacts to our business as a result of the virus’s global economic impact, including the availability of credit, adverse impacts on our liquidity and the impacts of any future economic downturn.

Loss or impairment of the reputation of our Company or our leading brands or failure of our marketing plans could have an adverse effect on our business.

We depend on the continuing reputation and success of our brands. Maintaining a strong reputation with consumers, customers and trade and other third-party partners is critical to the success of our business. Negative publicity about us or our brands, including product safety, quality, efficacy, environmental impacts (including packaging, energy and water use, matters related to climate and waste management) and other sustainability or similar issues, whether real or perceived, could occur and could be widely and rapidly disseminated, including through the use of social media or network sites. Our operating results could be adversely affected if any of our brands suffers damage to its reputation due to real or perceived quality issues. Any damage to our brands could impair our ability to charge premium prices for our products, resulting in the reduction of our margins or losses of distribution to lower price competitors, and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The success of our brands can suffer if our marketing plans or new product offerings do not improve, or have a negative impact on, our brands’ image or ability to attract and retain consumers. Additionally, if claims made in our marketing campaigns subject us to litigation alleging false advertising, which is common in our industry, such litigation could damage our brand or cause us to alter our marketing plans in ways that may materially and adversely affect sales, or result in the imposition of significant damages against us. In addition, our products could face withdrawal, recall or other quality issues, which could lead to decreased demand for, and sales of, such products and harm the reputation of the related brands. We also license certain of our brands to third parties, and such licenses and partnerships may create additional exposure for those brands to product safety, quality, sustainability and other concerns.

Loss of any of our principal customers could significantly decrease our sales and profitability.

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A large percentage of our sales are attributable to a relatively small number of retail customers, and we may continue to derive a significant portion of our future revenues from a small number of customers. As a result, changes in the strategies of our largest customers, including a reduction in the number of brands they carry, a shift of shelf space to private label or competitors’ products or a decision to lower pricing of consumer products, including branded products, may harm our net sales or margins, and reduce our ability to offer new, innovative products to consumers. Furthermore, any loss of a key customer or a significant reduction in net sales to a key customer, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Customers could reduce their purchasing levels or cease buying products from us at any time and for any reason. If we do not effectively respond to the demands of our customers, they could decrease their purchases from us, causing our net sales and net earnings to decline.

Our ability to meet our growth targets depends on successful product, marketing and operations innovation and successful responses to competitive innovation and changing consumer habits.

A large percentage of our revenues comes from mature markets that are subject to high levels of competition, and we are a company that relies on continued global demand for our brands and products. Achieving our business results depends, in part, on successfully developing, introducing and marketing new products and on making significant improvements to our equipment and manufacturing processes. The successful development and introduction of new products requires retail and consumer acceptance and overcoming the reaction from competitors. New product introductions in categories where we have existing products will likely also reduce the sales of our existing products. Our investments in research and development may not result in successful products or innovation that will recover the costs of such investments. Our customers or end consumers may not purchase our new products once introduced. Additionally, new products could require regulatory approval which may not be available or may require modification to the product which could impact the production process. Our competitors may introduce new or enhanced products that outperform ours, or develop manufacturing technology that permits them to manufacture at a lower cost relative to ours and sell at a lower price. If we fail to develop and launch successful new products or fail to reduce our cost structure to a competitive level, we may be unable to grow our business and compete successfully.

We must also successfully respond to technological advances made by, and intellectual property rights granted to, competitors. Failure to continually innovate, improve and respond to competitive moves and changing consumer habits could compromise our competitive position and adversely impact our results. With respect to the battery category, we have been assessing volume and device trends in the battery category over the last several years, and although baseline emerging device and demographic trends combined with the stabilization of the device universe lead us to believe the long term outlook for category volume will be flat to slightly positive, there is no assurance this trend will continue. An increasing number of devices are using built-in battery systems, such as rechargeable hearing aids, particularly in developed markets, leading to potential declining volume trend in the battery category. Additionally, there could be a negative impact on the demand for primary batteries and could put additional pressure on results going forward, both directly through reduced consumption and indirectly as manufacturers aggressively price and promote their products to seek to retain market share or gain battery shelf space.

Our business also depends on our ability to continue to manufacture our existing products to meet the applicable product performance claims we have made to our customers. Any decline in these standards could result in the loss of business and negatively impact our performance and financial results. Finally, our ability to maintain favorable margins on our products requires us to manage our manufacturing and other production costs relative to our prices. We may not be able to increase our prices in the event that our production costs increase, which would decrease our profit margins and negatively impact our business and financial results.

We have implemented price increases in the past, including those announced during fiscal 2021, and may implement price increases in the future, which may slow sales growth or create volume declines in the short term as customers and consumers adjust to these price increases. In addition, our competitors may or may not take competitive actions, which may lead to sales declines and loss of market share. If we are unable to increase market share in existing product lines, develop product innovations, undertake sales, marketing and advertising initiatives that grow our product categories or develop, acquire or successfully launch new products or brands, we may not achieve our sales growth objectives. Furthermore, a general decline in the markets for certain product categories has had and may in the future have a negative impact on our financial condition and results of operation. In addition, changes to the mix of products that we sell, as well as the mix of countries in which we sell our products, may adversely impact our net sales, profitability and cash flow.

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We are subject to risks related to our international operations, including currency fluctuations, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

We currently conduct our business on a worldwide basis, with more than 40% of our sales in fiscal year 2021 arising from foreign countries, and a significant portion of our production capacity and cash is located overseas. Consequently, we are subject to a number of risks associated with doing business in foreign countries, including:

•price controls and related government actions;

•the possibility of nationalization, expropriation, confiscatory taxation or other similar government action;

•the inability to repatriate foreign-based cash for strategic needs in the U.S., either at all or without incurring significant income tax and earnings consequences, as well as the heightened counterparty, internal control and country-specific risks associated with holding cash overseas;

•the effect of foreign income taxes, value-added taxes and withholding taxes, including the inability to recover amounts owed to us by a government authority without extended proceedings or at all;

•the effect of the U.S. tax treatment of foreign source income and losses, and other restrictions on the flow of capital between countries;

•adverse changes in local investment, local employment, local training or exchange control regulations;

•legal and regulatory constraints, including the imposition of tariffs, trade restrictions, price, profit or other government controls, labor laws, immigration restrictions, travel restrictions, including as a result of COVID-19 or other outbreaks of infectious diseases, import and export laws or other government actions generating a negative impact on our business, including changes in trade policies that may be implemented;

•currency fluctuations, including the impact of hyper-inflationary conditions in certain economies, particularly where exchange controls limit or eliminate our ability to convert from local currency;

•political or economic instability, labor disputes, government nationalization of business or industries, government corruption and civil unrest, including political or economic instability in the countries of the Eurozone, Egypt, Russia, the Middle East and certain markets in Latin America;

•difficulties in hiring and retaining qualified employees;

•employment litigation related to employees, contractors and suppliers, particularly in Latin America and Europe;

•difficulties in obtaining or unavailability of raw materials;

•difficulty in enforcing contractual and intellectual property rights;

•lack of well-established or reliable, and impartial legal systems in certain countries where we operate;

•challenges relating to enforcement of or compliance with local laws and regulations and with U.S. laws affecting operations outside of the U.S., including without limitation, the FCPA; and

•risks related to natural disasters, terrorism, social unrest and other events beyond our control.

Brexit has created and may continue to create legal, political and economic uncertainties and impacts, including disruptions to trade and free movement of goods, services and people to and from the United Kingdom, disruptions to our workforce or the workforce of our suppliers or business partners, and increased foreign exchange volatility with respect to the British pound. All of the foregoing risks could have a significant adverse impact on our ability to commercialize our products on a competitive basis in international markets and may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are also exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risks with respect to our net sales, net earnings and cash flow driven by movements of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies. A weakening of the currencies in which generate sales relative to the currencies in which costs are denominated would decrease net earnings and cash flow, and. our foreign currency hedges only offset a portion of our exposure to foreign currency fluctuations, including devaluations. Foreign currency fluctuations also may affect our ability to achieve sales growth. A weakening of foreign currencies in which we generate sales relative to the U.S. dollar would decrease our net sales. Accordingly, our reported net earnings may be negatively affected by changes in foreign exchange rates.

Furthermore, the imposition of tariffs and/or increases in tariffs on various products by the U.S. and other countries has introduced greater uncertainty with respect to trade policies and government regulations affecting trade between the U.S. and other countries. New and increased tariffs have subjected, and may in the future subject, us to additional costs and expenditures of resources. Major developments in trade relations, including the imposition of new or increased tariffs by the U.S. and/or other countries, and any emerging nationalist trends in specific countries could negatively affect the trade environment and consumer purchasing behavior and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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If we fail to protect our intellectual property rights, competitors may manufacture and market similar products, which could adversely affect our market share and results of operations.

The vast majority of our total revenues are from products bearing proprietary trademarks and brand names. In addition, we own or license from third parties a number of patents, patent applications and other technology. We rely on trademark, trade secret, patent and copyright laws to protect our intellectual property rights. We cannot be certain that we will be able to effectively utilize these intellectual property rights or that we can successfully assert or defend these rights. There is a risk that we will not be able to obtain and perfect or maintain our own intellectual property rights or, where appropriate, license intellectual property rights necessary to support new product introductions. In addition, even if we can protect such rights in the United States, the laws of some other countries in which we sell our products may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. It is also possible that our brands may not be available for use in certain countries due to prior third-party rights, thereby limiting expansion of our brands. If other parties infringe our intellectual property rights, they may dilute or diminish the value of our brands and products in the marketplace, which could diminish the value that consumers associate with our brands and harm our net sales. The failure to perfect and protect our intellectual property rights could make us less competitive and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We cannot be certain that our intellectual property rights will not be invalidated, circumvented or challenged in the future, and we could incur significant costs in connection with legal actions relating to such rights. As patents expire, we could face increased competition, which could negatively impact our operating results. Additionally, a finding that we have violated the trademark, trade secret, copyright, patent or other intellectual property rights of others, directly or indirectly, through the use of third-party marks, ideas or technologies, could result in the need to cease use of such trademark, trade secret, copyrighted work or patented invention in our business, as well as the obligation to pay for past infringement. If holders are willing to permit us to continue to use such intellectual property rights, they could require a payment of a substantial amount for continued use of those rights. Either ceasing use or paying such amounts could cause us to become less competitive and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Operational and Technology Risks

Our reliance on certain significant suppliers subjects us to numerous risks, including possible interruptions in supply, which could adversely affect our business.

Our ability to maintain consistent quality throughout our operations depends in part upon our ability to acquire certain products in sufficient quantities. Supply shortages for a particular component can delay production and thus delay shipments to customers and the associated revenue of all products using that component. This could cause us to experience a reduction in sales, increased inventory levels and costs and could adversely affect relationships with existing and prospective customers. In some cases, we may have only one supplier for a product or service. Our dependence on single-source suppliers subjects us to the possible risks of shortages, interruptions and price fluctuations, and possible litigation when we change vendors because of performance issues. Global economic factors continue to put significant pressure on suppliers, with some suppliers facing financial distress and others attempting to rebuild profitability as a result of the pandemic, all of which tends to make the supply environment more expensive. The shutdown of one or more of our vendors could disrupt the supply of products necessary to our operations. If any of these vendors is unable to fulfill its obligations, or if we are unable to find replacement suppliers in the event of a supply disruption, we could encounter supply shortages and/or incur higher costs to secure adequate supplies, either of which could materially harm our business.

Our business is vulnerable to the availability of raw materials, as well as our ability to forecast customer demand and manage production capacity.

Our ability to meet customer demand depends, in part, on our production capacity and on obtaining supplies, a number of which can only be obtained from a single supplier or a limited number of suppliers. A reduction or disruption in our production capacity or our supplies could delay products and the fulfillment of orders and otherwise negatively impact our business and reputation.

We must accurately predict both the demand for our products and the lead times required to obtain the necessary components and materials. If we overestimate demand, we may experience underutilized capacity and excess inventory levels. If we underestimate demand, we may miss delivery deadlines and sales opportunities and incur additional costs for labor overtime, equipment overuse and logistical complexities. Additionally, our production capacity could be affected by manufacturing problems. Difficulties in the production process could reduce yields or interrupt production, and, as a result, we

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may not be able to deliver products on time or in a cost-effective, competitive manner. Our failure to adequately manage our capacity could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our ability to meet customer demand also depends on our ability to obtain timely and adequate delivery of materials, parts and components from our suppliers. From time to time, suppliers may extend lead times, limit the amounts supplied to us or increase prices due to capacity constraints or other factors. Supply disruptions may also occur due to shortages of critical materials. In addition, a number of our raw materials are obtained from a single supplier. Many of our suppliers must undertake a time-consuming qualification process before we can incorporate their raw materials into our production process. If we are unable to obtain materials from a qualified supplier, it can take up to a year to qualify a new supplier, assuming an alternative source of supply is available. Our raw materials and component parts are also susceptible to currency fluctuations and price fluctuations due to supply and demand, transportation, government regulations, price controls, tariffs, economic climate, or other unforeseen circumstances. We have experienced some shortages and allocations of component parts due to COVID-19, mainly related to our auto care operations. We continue to qualify additional sources to ensure continued supply of these items. A reduction or interruption in supplies or a significant increase in the price of one or more supplies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, sales of certain of our products tend to be seasonal. As a result of this seasonality, our inventory and working capital needs fluctuate significantly throughout the year. Orders from retailers are often made late in the period preceding the applicable peak season, making forecasting of production schedules and inventory purchases difficult. If we are unable to accurately forecast and prepare for customer orders or our working capital needs, or there is a general downturn in business or economic conditions during these periods, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Additionally, as a result of the desire of retailers to more closely manage inventory levels, there is a growing trend among them to purchase products on a “just-in-time” basis. Due to a number of factors, including (i) manufacturing lead-times, (ii) seasonal purchasing patterns and (iii) the potential for material price increases, we may be required to shorten our lead-time for production and more closely anticipate our retailers’ and customers’ demands, which could in the future require us to carry additional inventories and increase our working capital and related financing requirements. This may increase the cost of warehousing inventory or result in excess inventory becoming difficult to manage, unusable or obsolete. In addition, if our retailers significantly change their inventory management strategies, we may encounter difficulties in filling customer orders or in liquidating excess inventories, or may find that customers are cancelling orders or returning products, which may have a material adverse effect on our business.

Changes in production costs, including raw material prices, have adversely affected, and in the future could erode, our profit margins and negatively impact operating results.

Pricing and availability of raw materials, energy, shipping and other services needed for our business can be volatile due to general economic conditions, labor costs, production levels, import duties and tariffs and other factors beyond our control. There is no certainty that we will be able to offset future cost increases. This volatility can significantly affect our production cost and may, therefore, have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Reduced availability of transportation options has caused, and could continue to cause, us to incur unanticipated expenses. We believe commodity price and other cost increases and volatility, especially due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, could continue in the future. If such increases occur or exceed our estimates and we are not able to increase the prices of our products or achieve cost savings to offset such cost increases, our results of operation would be harmed. In addition, even if we increase the prices of our products in response to increases in the cost of commodities or other cost increases, we may not be able to sustain our price increases. Sustained price increases may lead to declines in volume as competitors may not adjust their prices or customers may decide not to pay the higher prices, which could lead to sales declines and loss of market share. Our projections may not accurately predict the volume impact of price increases, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The manufacturing facilities, supply channels or other business operations of the Company and our suppliers may be subject to disruption from events beyond our control.

Operations of the manufacturing and packaging facilities worldwide and corporate offices of the Company and our suppliers, and the methods we and our suppliers use to obtain supplies and to distribute our products, may be subject to disruption for a variety of reasons, including work stoppages, cyber-attacks and other disruptions in information technology systems, demonstrations, disease outbreaks or pandemics, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, acts of war, terrorism, fire, earthquakes, flooding or other natural disasters, disruptions in logistics, loss or impairment of key manufacturing sites,

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supplier capacity constraints, raw material and product quality or safety issues, industrial accidents or other occupational health and safety issues, availability of raw materials, and other regulatory issues, trade disputes between countries in which we have operations, such as the U.S. and China. There is also a possibility that third-party manufacturers, which produce a significant portion of certain of our products, could discontinue production with little or no advance notice, or experience financial problems or problems with product quality or timeliness of product delivery, resulting in manufacturing delays or disruptions, regulatory sanctions, product liability claims or consumer complaints. If a major disruption were to occur, it could result in delays in shipments of products to customers or suspension of operations. We maintain business interruption insurance to potentially mitigate the impact of business interruption, but such coverage may not be sufficient to offset the financial or reputational impact of an interruption.

We may be unable to generate anticipated cost savings, successfully implement our strategies, or efficiently manage our supply chain and manufacturing processes, and our profitability and cash flow could suffer as a result.

We continue to implement plans to improve our competitive position by reducing material costs and manufacturing inefficiencies and realizing productivity gains, and distribution and supply chain efficiencies. If we cannot successfully implement our cost savings plans or offset the cost of making these changes, we may not realize all anticipated benefits, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations or our long-term strategies. We also continue to seek to penetrate new markets and introduce new products and product innovations. We may fail to implement these goals and strategies or to achieve the desired results, and we may fail to achieve one or more of our financial goals for one or more of the relevant fiscal years.

We expect to continue to restructure our operations as necessary to improve operational efficiency, including occasionally opening or closing offices, facilities or plants. Gaining additional efficiencies may become increasingly difficult over time. There may be one-time and other costs and negative impacts on sales growth relating to facility closures or other restructurings and anticipated cost savings. Our strategies may not be implemented or may fail to achieve desired results. If we are unable to generate anticipated cost savings, successfully implement our strategies or efficiently manage our supply chain and manufacturing processes, our results of operations could suffer. These plans and strategies could also have a negative impact on our relationships with employees or customers, which could also adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Sales of certain of our products are seasonal and adverse weather conditions during our peak selling seasons for certain auto care products could have a material adverse effect.

Sales of certain of our auto care products tend to be seasonal. Historically, sales for certain auto care products typically have peaked during the first six months of the calendar year due to customer seasonal purchasing patterns and the timing of promotional activities. Purchases of our auto care products, especially our auto appearance and A/C recharge products, can be significantly impacted by unfavorable weather conditions during the summer period, and as a result we may suffer decreases in net sales if conditions are not favorable for use of our products. If adverse weather conditions during the first six months of the calendar year (our second and third fiscal quarters) when demand for auto care products typically peaks persist, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

A failure of a key information technology system could adversely impact our ability to conduct business.

We rely extensively on information technology systems, including some that are managed by third-party service providers, in order to conduct business. These systems include, but are not limited to, programs and processes relating to internal and external communications, ordering and managing materials from suppliers, converting materials to finished products, shipping products to customers, processing transactions, summarizing and reporting results of operations, and complying with regulatory, legal or tax requirements. These information technology systems could be damaged or cease to function properly due to the poor performance or failure of third-party service providers, catastrophic events, power outages, security breaches, network outages, failed upgrades or other similar events. If our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve such issues on a timely basis, we may suffer interruptions in conducting our business, which may adversely impact our operating results. In addition, we continuously assess and implement upgrades to improve our information technology systems globally. As such, during these implementation periods, we face a heightened risk of system interruptions and deficiencies or failures in our internal controls involving our information systems and processes.

We continue to utilize various legacy hardware, software and operating systems, which may be vulnerable to increased risks, including the risk of system failures and disruptions. In addition, we will need to upgrade or replace some of the legacy systems in the future as third-party service providers stop supporting these systems. If we do not successfully upgrade or replace these legacy systems in a timely manner, system outages, disruptions or delays, or other issues may arise. We must also

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successfully integrate the technology systems of acquired companies into our existing and future technology systems, including with third-party service providers and processes. If a new system does not function properly or is not adequately supported by third-party service providers and processes, it could limit or prevent us from processing and delivering customer orders and processing and receiving payments for our products. This could adversely impact our results of operations and cash flows.

We rely significantly on information technology and any inadequacy, interruption, theft or loss of data, malicious attack, integration failure, failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data residing on our systems or other security failure of that technology could harm our ability to effectively operate our business and damage the reputation of our brands.

Our systems and networks, as well as those of our retailer customers, suppliers, service providers, and banks, have and may in the future become the target of cyberattacks or information security breaches, which in turn could result in the unauthorized release and misuse of confidential or proprietary information about our company, employees, customers or consumers, as well as disrupt their and our operations or damage their and our facilities or those of third parties. We have seen an increase in the number of such attacks recently as a large number of our employees are working remotely and accessing our technology infrastructure remotely as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, such attacks may originate from nation states or attempts by outside parties, hackers, criminal organizations or other threat actors. We cannot guarantee that our security efforts will prevent or timely detect attacks and resulting breaches or breakdowns of our, or our third-party service providers’, databases or systems. In addition, any significant breaches or breakdowns of such databases or systems could result in significant costs, including costs to investigate or remediate. While we have taken steps to maintain and enhance adequate cyber security and address these risks and uncertainties by implementing additional security technologies, internal controls, network and data center resiliency, redundancy and recovery processes, upgrading our remote work environment and by obtaining insurance coverage, these measures may be inadequate. If the systems are damaged or cease to function properly due to any number of causes, including catastrophic events, power outages, security breaches, cyberattacks or other similar events or as a result of legacy systems, and if our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve such issues on a timely basis, we may experience interruptions in our ability to manage or conduct business. We might also experience reputational harm, governmental fines, penalties, regulatory proceedings, litigation and remediation expenses, any of which may adversely impact our business. In addition, such incidents could result in unauthorized disclosure and misuse of material confidential information. Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, are constantly evolving and are being made by groups and individuals with a wide range of expertise and motives, and this increases the difficulty of detecting and successfully defending against them. Data breaches or theft of personal information we and our third-party service providers collect, as well as company information and assets, may occur in the future and the failure to implement adequate protections against such intrusions may adversely affect our reputation and financial condition.

We may not be able to attract, retain and develop key personnel, as well as effectively manage human capital resources.

Our future performance depends significantly, in part upon the continued service of our executive officers and other key personnel, as well as our continuing ability to attract, retain and develop highly qualified personnel, including future members of our management team. Competition for such personnel is intense, and there can be no assurance that we can retain and motivate our key employees or attract and retain other highly qualified personnel in the future. A failure to adequately manage human capital resources could have a material adverse effective on our business, prospects, reputation, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, the escalating costs of offering and administering health care, retirement and other benefits for employees could result in reduced profitability.

As we continue to optimize our operations, the risk of potential employment-related claims and disputes will also increase. As such, we may be subject to claims, allegations or legal proceedings related to employment matters including discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination or retaliation, local, state, federal and non-U.S. labor law violations, injury, and wage violations. In addition, our employees in certain countries in Europe are subject to works council arrangements, exposing us to associated delays, works council claims and associated litigation. In the event we or our partners are subject to one or more employment-related claims, allegations or legal proceedings, we may incur substantial costs, losses or other liabilities in the defense, investigation, settlement, delays associated with, or other disposition of such claims. In addition to the economic impact, we may also suffer reputational harm as a result of such claims, allegations and legal proceedings and the investigation, defense and prosecution of such claims, allegations and legal proceedings could cause substantial disruption in our business and operations, including delaying and reducing the expected benefits of any operations’ optimization. We have policies and procedures in place to reduce our exposure to these risks, but such policies and procedures may not be effective and we may be exposed to such claims, allegations or legal proceedings.

Financial and Strategic Risks

We have significant debt obligations that could adversely affect our business and our ability to meet our obligations.

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As of September 30, 2021, our total aggregate outstanding indebtedness was approximately $3.5 billion. We had $287.3 million of additional capacity available under a senior secured revolving credit facility, inclusive of issued and outstanding letters of credit totaling approximately $7.7 million. This significant amount of debt could have important consequences to us and our shareholders, including:

•requiring a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to make payments on this debt, thereby limiting the cash we have available to fund future growth opportunities, such as research and development, capital expenditures and acquisitions;

•restrictive covenants in our debt arrangements that limit our operations and borrowing, and place restrictions on our ability to pay dividends or repurchase common stock;

•the risk of a future credit ratings downgrade of our debt or rising interest rates on our variable rate debt increasing future debt costs and limiting the future availability of debt financing;

•increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions and limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and industry, due to the need to use our cash to service our outstanding debt;

•placing us at a competitive disadvantage relative to our competitors that are not as highly leveraged with debt and that may therefore be able to invest more in their business or use their available cash to pursue other opportunities, including acquisitions; and

•limiting our ability to borrow additional funds as needed or take advantage of business opportunities as they arise.

In addition, our actual cash requirements in the future may be greater than expected. Our cash flow from operations may not be sufficient to repay all of our outstanding debt as it becomes due, and we may not be able to borrow money, sell assets or otherwise raise funds on acceptable terms, or at all, to refinance our debt.

We may need to seek additional financing for our general corporate purposes. For example, we may need to increase our investment in research and development activities or require funding to make acquisitions. Although the indentures and credit agreements relating to our existing debt contain restrictions on the incurrence of additional debt, these restrictions are subject to a number of significant qualifications and exceptions, and, under certain circumstances, the amount of debt that could be incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. We may be unable to obtain desired additional financing on terms favorable to us, or at all. For example, during periods of volatile credit markets, there is a risk that lenders, even those with strong balance sheets and sound lending practices, could fail or refuse to honor their credit commitments and obligations, including, but not limited to, extending credit up to the maximum permitted by a credit facility and otherwise accessing capital or honoring loan commitments. If our lenders are unable to fund borrowings under their loan commitments or we are unable to borrow, it could be difficult to replace such loan commitments on similar terms or at all. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to fund growth opportunities, successfully develop or enhance products, or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could negatively affect our business. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity securities, our shareholders will experience dilution of their ownership interest. If we raise additional funds by issuing debt, we may be subject to limitations on our operations and ability to pay dividends due to restrictive covenants. Generally, to the extent that we incur additional indebtedness, all of the risks described above in connection with our debt obligations could increase.

In addition, the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, the interest rate benchmark used as a reference rate for borrowings under our revolving credit facility and certain derivative instruments, is expected to be phased out in calendar year 2023. A reference rate based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or another alternative benchmark rate, is expected to be established to replace LIBOR. Once the relevant administrator announces that LIBOR has ceased or will cease to be available, or the required lenders elect to opt-in early to a new reference rate, the Company and the lenders under the revolving credit facility will be required to mutually select a substitute reference rate, and if such substitute reference rate, or the replacement reference rate for our derivative instruments, is higher than LIBOR, our interest expense related to such borrowings may increase.

Our credit ratings are important to our cost of capital.

We expect that the major credit rating agencies will continue to evaluate our creditworthiness and give us specified credit ratings. These credit ratings are limited in scope, and do not address all material risks related to investment in Energizer, but rather reflect only the view of each rating agency at the time the rating is issued. Nonetheless, the credit ratings we receive will impact our borrowing costs as well as our access to sources of capital on terms that will be advantageous to our business. Failure to obtain sufficiently high credit ratings could adversely affect the interest rate in future financings, our liquidity or our competitive position and could also restrict our access to capital markets. There can be no assurance that any credit ratings we

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receive will remain in effect for any given period of time or that a rating will not be lowered, suspended or withdrawn entirely by the applicable rating agencies if, in such rating agency’s judgments, circumstances so warrant.

We may experience losses or be subject to increased funding and expenses related to our pension plans.

We assumed pension plan liabilities related to our current and former employees in connection with the separation. Effective January 1, 2014, the pension benefit earned to date by active participants under the legacy U.S. pension plan was frozen and future retirement service benefits are no longer accrued under this retirement program; however, our pension plan obligations remain significant. If the investment of plan assets does not provide the expected long-term returns, if interest rates or other assumptions change, or if governmental regulations change the timing or amounts of required contributions to the plans, we could be required to make significant additional pension contributions, which may have an adverse impact on our liquidity, our ability to comply with debt covenants and may require recognition of increased expense within our financial statements.

The estimates and assumptions on which our financial projections are based may prove to be inaccurate, which may cause our actual results to materially differ from our projections, which may adversely affect our future profitability, cash flows and stock price.

Our financial projections, including any sales or earnings guidance or outlook we may provide from time to time, depend on certain estimates and assumptions related to, among other things, a number of factors: product category growth; development and launch of innovative new products; market share projections; product pricing and sale, volume and product mix; foreign exchange rates and volatility; tax rates; manufacturing costs including commodity prices; distribution channel volume and costs; cost savings; accruals for estimated liabilities, including litigation reserves, measurement of benefit obligations for pension and other postretirement benefit plans; and our ability to generate sufficient cash flow to reinvest in our existing business, fund internal growth, repurchase our stock, make acquisitions, pay dividends and meet debt obligations.

We develop our financial projections based on historical experience and on various other estimates and assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances and at the time they are made. Our actual results may differ materially from our financial projections. Any material variation between our financial projections and our actual results may adversely affect our future profitability, cash flows and stock price.

If we pursue strategic acquisitions, divestitures or joint ventures, we might experience operating difficulties, dilution, and other consequences that may harm our business, financial condition, and operating results, and we may not be able to successfully consummate favorable transactions or successfully integrate acquired businesses.

From time to time, we may evaluate potential acquisitions, divestitures or joint ventures that could further our strategic objectives. With respect to acquisitions, we may not be able to identify suitable candidates, consummate a transaction on terms that are favorable to us, or achieve expected returns and other benefits as a result of integration challenges. Some of the areas where we face risks include:

•Diversion of management time and focus from operating our business to challenges related to acquisitions and other strategic transactions;

•Failure to successfully integrate and further develop the acquired business or technology;

•Implementation or remediation of controls, procedures, and policies at the acquired company;

•Integration of the acquired company’s accounting, human resource, and other administrative systems, and coordination of research and development, commercial and marketing functions;

•Transition of operations, users, and customers onto our existing platforms;

•Failure to obtain required approvals on a timely basis, if at all, from governmental authorities, or conditions placed upon approval that could, among other things, delay or prevent us from completing a transaction, or otherwise restrict our ability to realize the expected financial or strategic goals of a transaction;

•In the case of foreign acquisitions, the need to integrate operations across different cultures and languages and to address the particular economic, currency, political, and regulatory risks associated with specific countries;

•Cultural challenges associated with integrating employees from the acquired company into our organization, and retention of employees from the businesses we acquire;

•Liability for activities of the acquired company before the acquisition, including patent and trademark infringement claims, data privacy and security issues, violations of laws, commercial disputes, tax liabilities, and other known and unknown liabilities; and

•Litigation or other claims in connection with the acquired company, including claims from terminated colleagues, customers, former shareholders, or other third parties.

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Our failure to address these risks or other problems encountered in connection with our past or future acquisitions and other strategic transactions could cause us to fail to realize their anticipated benefits, incur unanticipated liabilities, and harm our business generally.

Future acquisitions could also result in potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities or amortization expenses related to certain intangible assets, and increased operating expenses, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, if we issue equity or debt securities to raise additional funds, our existing shareholders may experience significant dilution, and the new equity or debt securities may have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our existing shareholders. Furthermore, if we sell a substantial number of shares of common stock in the public markets, the availability of those shares for sale could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Such sales, or the perception in the market that holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could depress the market price of our common stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. For one or more of these transactions, we may:

•use cash that we may need in the future to operate our business;

•incur large charges or substantial liabilities;

•incur debt on terms unfavorable to us or that we are unable to repay; and

•encounter difficulties retaining key employees of the acquired company.

We have divested and may, in the future, divest certain assets, businesses or brands that do not meet our strategic objectives or growth targets. With respect to any potential future divestiture, we may encounter difficulty finding potential acquirers or other divestiture options on favorable terms. Any future divestiture could affect our profitability as a result of the gains or losses on such sale of a business or brand, the loss of the operating income or sales resulting from such sale or the costs or liabilities that we retain, which may negatively impact profitability and cash flow subsequent to any divestiture. We may also be required to recognize impairment charges or other losses as a result of a divestiture.

Our growth and expansion could adversely affect our internal control over financial reporting and cause us to incur additional material expense to update and maintain an effective system of internal control.

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting cannot provide absolute assurance that a misstatement of our financial statements would be prevented or detected. Our continuing growth and expansion in domestic and globally dispersed markets may place significant additional pressure on our system of internal control over financial reporting and require us to update its internal control over financial reporting. Moreover, the Company engages the services of third parties to assist with business operations and financial reporting processes, which injects additional monitoring obligations and risk into the system of internal control. When the Company is required to comply with new or revised accounting standards or implements changes to its external disclosure processes, it must make any appropriate changes to its internal control over financial reporting to fully implement the standards or such changes, which may require significant effort and judgment. Any failure to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting could limit our ability to report its results of operations accurately and on a timely basis, or to detect and prevent fraud and could expose it to regulatory enforcement action and stockholder claims, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The 2019 acquisitions of the auto care and battery businesses from Spectrum (the Acquisitions) may have liabilities that are not known to us and the acquisition agreements may not provide us with sufficient indemnification with respect to such liabilities.

The Acquisitions may have liabilities that we failed, or were unable, to discover in the course of performing Energizer’s due diligence investigations of the acquired businesses. We cannot assure you that the indemnification available to us under the acquisition agreements in respect of the Acquisitions will be sufficient in amount, scope or duration to fully offset the possible liabilities associated with the acquired businesses or that the terms of the acquisition agreements will be complied with. We may learn additional information about the Acquisitions that materially adversely affects us, such as unknown or contingent liabilities and liabilities related to compliance with applicable laws. Any such liabilities, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Legal, Compliance and Sustainability Risks

Our business involves the potential for claims of product liability, labeling claims, commercial claims and other legal claims against us, which could affect our results of operations and financial condition and result in product recalls or withdrawals.

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We face exposure to claims arising out of alleged defects in our products, including for property damage, bodily injury or other adverse effects; alleged contaminants in our products; and allegations that our products provide inadequate instructions or warnings regarding their use; and failure to perform as advertised. Product liability, advertising and labeling claims could result in negative publicity that could harm our reputation, sales and results of operation. If any of our products are found to be defective, we may recall such products, which could result in adverse publicity and significant expenses. We maintain product liability insurance, but this insurance does not cover all types of claims, particularly claims that do not involve personal injury or property damage or claims that exceed the amount of insurance coverage. Further, we may not be able to maintain such insurance in sufficient amounts, on desirable terms, or at all, in the future. In addition to the risk of monetary judgments not covered by insurance, product liability claims could result in negative publicity that could harm our products’ reputation and in certain cases require a product recall. Product withdrawals or product liability claims, and any subsequent remedial actions, could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, brand value, results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, we are, and may in the future become, the subject of, or party to, various pending or threatened legal actions, government investigations and proceedings relating to, among other things, advertising disputes with competitors, consumer class actions, including those related to advertising claims, labor claims, breach of contract claims, antitrust litigation, securities litigation, premises liability claims, data privacy and security disputes, employment litigation related to employees, contractors and suppliers, including class action lawsuits, and litigation in foreign jurisdictions. We have been, and may in the future be, subject to additional claims, proceedings and actions as we expand the products within the global auto care product category. In general, claims made by or against us in litigation, investigations, disputes or other proceedings have been and may in the future be expensive and time-consuming to bring or defend against and could result in settlements, injunctions or damages that could significantly affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and harm our reputation. It is not possible to predict the final resolution of litigation, investigations, disputes or proceedings in which we currently are or may in the future become involved and our assessment of the materiality of these matters and any reserves taken in connection therewith may not be consistent with their final resolutions. The impact of these matters, including any reserves taken in connection with such matters, on our business, financial condition and results of operations could be material. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in for additional information related to these matters.

Our business is subject to increasing regulation in the U.S. and abroad, the uncertainty and cost of future compliance and consequence of non-compliance with which may have a material adverse effect on our business.

Federal, state and foreign governments may introduce new or expand existing legislation and regulations, or courts or governmental authorities could impose more stringent interpretations of existing legislation and regulations, that may adversely affect our operations or require us to increase our resources, capabilities and expertise in certain areas, as well as incur increased compliance costs. In order to conduct our operations in compliance with these laws and regulations we must obtain and maintain numerous permits, approvals and certificates from various federal, foreign, state and local governmental authorities.

Additional regulations may be enacted governing the packaging, use and disposal of our auto care business' products containing refrigerants. In recent years, refrigerants such as R-134a have become the subject of regulatory focus due to their potential to contribute to global warming. The EU has passed regulations that essentially phased out of R-134a in automotive cooling systems in new vehicles by 2017. Canada has also implemented similar regulations, phasing into effect beginning in 2021. In the United States, while such regulations are not currently in effect at the federal level, the applicable regulations could be implemented and if so, depending on the scope and timing of the regulations, could have a materially adverse impact on our business. In addition, individual states are regulating the sale and distribution of products containing R-134a. Regulations may also be enacted governing the packaging, use and disposal of our auto care business' products containing refrigerants. If the future use of R-134a is phased out or is limited or prohibited in jurisdictions in which we do business, or if substitutes for R-134a become widely used in A/C systems and their use for DIY and retrofit purposes is not approved by the EPA or other regulatory bodies, the future market for our auto care business' products containing R-134a may be limited, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. In addition, any alternatives to R-134a for use in the A/C systems of new vehicles will likely be at a higher cost than that of R-134a and access to supply may be limited. If an alternative becomes widely used, we may be unable to obtain sufficient supply or we may obtain supply at a cost that impacts our net sales and gross margins if we are unable to price products to reflect the increased cost of the alternatives.

Privacy and data protection laws and regulations, including with respect to the European Union’s GDPR, the Brazilian Data Protection Law, and California's CCPA, and the interpretation and enforcement of those and similar laws and regulations, are continuously developing and evolving and there may be uncertainty with respect to how to comply with them. The changes introduced by existing privacy and data protection laws and regulations and the introduction of similar laws and regulations in

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other jurisdictions, have subjected, and may continue in the future to subject, us to additional costs and have required, and may in the future require, costly changes to our security systems, policies, procedures and practices. Our systems and those of our business partners are subject to regulation to preserve the privacy of certain data held on those systems.

The GDPR imposes more stringent operational requirements for processors and controllers of personal data, including, for example, increased requirements to erase an individual’s information upon request, mandatory data breach notification requirements and onerous new obligations on service providers. The implementation of the GDPR may require substantial amendments to procedures and policies, and these changes could impact our business by increasing operational and compliance costs. The GDPR significantly increases penalties for non-compliance. Non-compliance could also damage our reputation with retailer customers and consumers and diminish the strength and reputation of their and our brands, or require the payment of monetary penalties. We may also be required to incur additional costs to modify or enhance their or our systems or in order to prevent or remediate any such issues. Our efforts to comply with privacy and data protection laws and regulations may impose significant costs and challenges that are likely to increase over time, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

If the Company is found to be noncompliant with applicable laws and regulations in these or other areas, it could be subject to governmental or regulatory actions, including fines, import detentions, injunctions, product withdrawals or recalls or asset seizures, as well as potential criminal sanctions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if a claim is unsuccessful, is not merited or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding such assertions could jeopardize our reputation and brand image and have a material adverse effect on our businesses, as well as require resources to rebuild our reputation. Additionally, loss of or failure to obtain necessary permits and registrations, particularly with respect to our global auto care business, could delay or prevent us from meeting current product demand, introducing new products, building new facilities or acquiring new businesses and could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Increased focus by governmental and non-governmental organizations, customers, consumers and shareholders on sustainability issues, including those related to climate change, may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and damage our reputation.

As climate change, land use, water use, deforestation, plastic waste, recyclability or recoverability of packaging, including single-use and other plastic packaging, and other sustainability concerns become more prevalent, governmental and non-governmental organizations, customers, consumers and investors are increasingly focusing on these issues. In particular, changing consumer preferences may result in increased customer and consumer concerns and demands regarding plastics and packaging materials, including single-use and non-recyclable plastic packaging, and their environmental impact on sustainability, a growing demand for natural or organic products and ingredients, or increased consumer concerns or perceptions (whether accurate or inaccurate) regarding the effects of ingredients or substances present in certain consumer products. This increased focus on environmental issues and sustainability may result in new or increased regulations and customer, consumer and investor demands that could cause us to incur additional costs or to make changes to our operations to comply with any such regulations and address demands. If we are unable to respond or perceived to be inadequately responding to sustainability concerns, customers and consumers may choose to purchase products from another company or a competitor, and certain investor may divert from, or avoid investing in, our securities. Concern over climate change may result in new or increased legal and regulatory requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of climate change on the environment, as well as increasing the cost of capital. Increased costs of energy or compliance with emissions standards due to increased legal or regulatory requirements may cause disruptions in or increased costs associated with manufacturing our products. Any failure to achieve our goals with respect to reducing our impact on the environment or a perception (whether or not valid) of our failure to act responsibly with respect to the environment or to effectively respond to new, or changes in, legal or regulatory requirements concerning climate change or other sustainability concerns could adversely affect our business and reputation.

We are subject to environmental laws and regulations that may expose us to significant liabilities and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We must comply with various environmental laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate, including those relating to the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, recycling of batteries and packaging, the remediation of contamination associated with the use and disposal of hazardous substances, chemicals in products and product safety. A release of such substances due to accident or an intentional act or the presence of contamination that predates our ownership or operation of our facilities could result in substantial liability to governmental authorities or to third parties. Pursuant to certain environmental laws, we could be subject to joint and several strict liability for contamination relating to our or their predecessors’ current or former properties or any of their respective third-party waste disposal sites. In addition to potentially significant investigation and remediation costs, any such contamination can give rise to claims from governmental authorities or other third parties for natural resource damage, personal injury, property damage or other liabilities. Contamination has been

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identified at certain of our current and former facilities as well as third-party waste disposal sites, and we are conducting investigation and remediation activities in relation to such properties. The discovery of additional contamination or the imposition of further cleanup obligations at these or other properties or the assertion of tort claims related to such contamination could have a material adverse effect on our businesses, results of operations or financial condition. We have incurred, and will continue to incur, capital and operating expenses and other costs in complying with environmental laws and regulations, including with respect to current and formerly owned facilities, as well as disposal sites owned by third parties to whom we have sent waste. As new laws and regulations are introduced, we could become subject to additional environmental liabilities in the future that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

The resolution of our tax contingencies may result in additional tax liabilities, which could adversely impact our cash flows and results of operations.

Significant estimation and judgment are required in determining our tax provisions for taxes in the U.S. and jurisdictions outside the U.S. In the ordinary course of our business, there are transactions and calculations in which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We are regularly audited by tax authorities and, although we believe our tax positions are defensible and our tax provision estimates are reasonable, the final outcome of tax audits and related litigation could be materially different than that reflected in our income tax provisions and accruals. When particular tax matters arise, a number of years may elapse before such matters are audited and finally resolved. Unfavorable resolution of any tax matter in any of the jurisdictions in which we operate could increase the effective tax rate, which would have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Any resolution of a tax issue may require the use of cash in the year of resolution.

Risks Specific to Our Common Stock

We cannot guarantee that any share repurchase program will be fully consummated or that any share repurchase program will enhance long-term stockholder value, and share repurchases could increase the volatility of the price of our stock and diminish our cash reserves.

In November 2020, the Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to 7.5 million of our common stock. Our repurchase program does not have an expiration date and does not obligate us to repurchase any specific dollar amount or to acquire any specific number of shares. The Board’s decisions regarding the repurchase of shares will depend on many factors, such as our financial condition, earnings, capital requirements, debt service obligations, covenants associated with certain of our debt service obligations, legal requirements and regulatory constraints. Our share repurchase program could affect the price of our stock and increase volatility and may be suspended or terminated at any time, which may result in a decrease in the trading price of our stock. We cannot guarantee that we will repurchase shares in the future or conduct share repurchase programs.

We cannot guarantee the timing, amount or payment of dividends on our common stock.

The timing, declaration, amount and payment of future dividends to shareholders will fall within the discretion of our Board of Directors. The Board’s decisions regarding the payment of dividends will depend on many factors, such as our financial condition, earnings, capital requirements, debt service obligations, covenants associated with certain of our debt service obligations, legal requirements and regulatory constraints. The payment of dividends on our common stock is also subject to the preferential rights of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock and other preferred stock that the Board may create from time to time. We cannot guarantee that we will continue to pay dividends in the future.

Our common stock ranks junior to our Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock with respect to dividends and amounts payable in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs.

Our common stock ranks junior to our Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, with respect to the payment of dividends and amounts payable in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs. This means that, unless accumulated dividends have been paid on all our Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock through the most recently completed dividend period, no dividends may be declared or paid on our common stock and we will not be permitted to repurchase any of our common stock, subject to limited exceptions. Likewise, in the event of our voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs, no distribution of our assets may be made to holders of our common stock until we have paid to holders of our Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock a liquidation preference equal to $100per share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends.

Certain rights of the holders of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock could delay or prevent an otherwise beneficial takeover or takeover attempt of us.

Certain rights of the holders of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock could make it more difficult or more expensive for a third party to acquire us. For example, if a fundamental change were to occur on or prior to January 15, 2022,

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holders of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock may have the right to convert their Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, at an increased conversion rate and will also be entitled to receive a make-whole amount equal to the present value of all remaining dividend payments on their Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock as described in the certificate of designation. These features of the Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock could increase the cost of acquiring us or otherwise discourage a third party from acquiring us or removing incumbent management.

Risk Related to Anti-Takeover Measures

Certain provisions in our amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws, and of Missouri law, may deter or delay an acquisition of Energizer.

Our amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain, and the General and Business Corporation Law of Missouri, which we refer to as “Missouri law,” contains, provisions that are intended to deter coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids by making such practices or bids unacceptably expensive to the bidder and to encourage prospective acquirers to negotiate with our Board of Directors rather than to attempt a hostile takeover by making the replacement of incumbent directors more time-consuming and difficult. These provisions include, among others:

•limitations on the ability of our shareholders to call a special meeting;

•rules regarding how we may present proposals or nominate directors for election at shareholder meetings;

•the right of our Board of Directors to issue preferred stock without shareholder approval;

•a provision that our shareholders may only remove directors “for cause” and with the approval of the holders of two-thirds of our outstanding voting stock at a special meeting of shareholders called expressly for that purpose; and

•the ability of our directors, and not shareholders, to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors.

In addition, because we have not chosen to opt out of coverage of Section 351.459 of Missouri law, which we refer to as the “business combination statute,” these provisions could also deter or delay a change of control. The business combination statute restricts certain business combination transactions between us and an “interested shareholder,” generally any person who, together with his or her affiliates and associates, owns or controls 20% or more of the outstanding shares of our voting stock, for a period of five years after the date of the transaction in which the person becomes an interested shareholder, unless either such transaction or the interested shareholder’s acquisition of stock is approved by our Board on or before the date the interested shareholder obtains such status. The business combination statute also provides that, after the expiration of such five-year period, business combinations are prohibited unless (i) the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting stock, other than the stock owned by the interested shareholder, or any affiliate or associate of such interested shareholder, approve the business combination or (ii) the business combination satisfies certain detailed fairness and procedural requirements.

We believe that these provisions will help to protect our shareholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics by requiring potential acquirers to negotiate with our Board of Directors and by providing our Board of Directors with more time to assess any acquisition proposal. These provisions are not intended to make us immune from takeovers. However, these provisions will apply even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some shareholders and could deter or delay an acquisition that our Board of Directors determines is not in our best interests or the best interests of our shareholders. These provisions may also prevent or discourage attempts to remove and replace incumbent directors.

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1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

Our principal executive office is in St. Louis, Missouri. Below is a list of Energizer's principal plants and facilities as of the date of filing. Management believes that the Company's production facilities are adequate to support the business and the properties and equipment have been well maintained.

Americas

Asheboro, NC (an owned manufacturing plant and an owned packaging facility)

Garrettsville, OH (an owned manufacturing plant)

Marietta, OH (an owned manufacturing plant)

Westlake, OH (an owned research facility)

Dixon, IL (a leased packaging facility)

Dayton, OH (a leased manufacturing and distribution facility)

Fennimore, WI (an owned manufacturing facility)

Portage, WI (an owned manufacturing facility)

Franklin, IN (a leased distribution and packaging facility)

International

Bekasi, Indonesia (an owned manufacturing facility)

Cimanggis, Indonesia (an owned manufacturing facility on leased land)

Jurong, Singapore (an owned manufacturing facility on leased land)

Alexandria, Egypt (an owned manufacturing facility)

Washington, UK (a leased manufacturing facility)

Rassau, UK (a leased manufacturing facility)

Jaboatao, Brazil (an owned manufacturing facility)

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (an owned distribution facility)

In addition to the properties identified above, Energizer and its subsidiaries own or operate sales offices, regional offices, storage facilities, distribution centers and terminals and related properties.

Through our global supply chain and global manufacturing footprint, we strive to meet diverse consumer demands within each of the markets we serve. Our portfolio of household and specialty batteries, and portable lights, automotive fragrance and appearance products is distributed through a global sales force and global distributor model.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

We are parties to a number of legal proceedings in various jurisdictions arising out of our business operations in the normal course of business. Many of these legal matters are in preliminary stages and involve complex issues of law and fact, and may proceed for protracted periods of time. The amount of liability, if any, from these proceedings cannot be determined with certainty. However, based upon present information, we believe that our liability, if any, arising from such pending legal proceedings, asserted legal claims and known potential legal claims which are likely to be asserted, are not reasonably likely to be material to our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows, taking into account established accruals for estimated liabilities.

See also the discussion captioned “Governmental Regulations and Environmental Matters” under Item 1 above.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosure

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None.

Item 4A. Information About Our Executive Officers

A list of the executive officers of Energizer and their business experience follows. Ages shown are as of November 16, 2021. Executive officers are appointed by, and hold office at the discretion of, our Board of Directors.

Mark S. LaVigne - President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. LaVigne has served as President since 2019 and as Chief Executive Officer since January 1, 2021. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer since 2015, and as Executive Vice President from 2015 to 2019. Mr. LaVigne was with our former parent company since 2010. Mr. LaVigne led our Spin-off from our former parent company in 2015, in addition to serving as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. LaVigne was a partner at Bryan Cave LLP from 2007 to 2010, where he advised our former parent company on several strategic acquisitions. Mr. LaVigne holds a J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. Age: 50.

Sue K. Drath - Chief Human Capital Officer. Ms. Drath has served as Chief Human Capital Officer since 2015 and is responsible for Energizer's global human resources function including culture, engagement, diversity, talent acquisition, rewards and development for our global colleagues. Ms. Drath was Vice President, Global Rewards of our former parent company. In this role, Ms. Drath was responsible for the design, development, and implementation of all corporate-driven compensation and benefits programs across Energizer’s businesses and areas. Ms. Drath was with our former parent company since 1992, previously serving as Vice President, Global Compensation and Benefits. Ms. Drath graduated from the University of North Dakota with a B.A. degree in Business Administration. Age: 51.

John J. Drabik - Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Drabik was appointed as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer effective October 1, 2021. Mr. Drabik previously served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller, and was our Chief Accounting Officer, since 2019. Mr. Drabik is responsible for the Company’s global accounting, financial support and information technology functions. Mr. Drabik joined Energizer in 2001 and has held several roles of increasing responsibility, including Vice President, Corporate Development from 2013 to 2017 and Vice President, Corporate Controller and Treasurer from to 2019. Mr. Drabik holds an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and a B.S. degree in Accounting from the University of Missouri at Columbia. Age: 49.

Sara B. Hampton – Vice President, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. Ms. Hampton has served as the Company’s Vice President, Global Controller since April 2021, and was appointed as Chief Accounting Officer effective October 1, 2021. She previously served as the Company’s Assistant Controller since 2015. Prior thereto, Ms. Hampton held other positions of increasing responsibility within the Company’s external reporting and finance organization, including Director, Financial Reporting and Senior Manager, External Reporting. Before joining the Company in 2004, Ms. Hampton held audit roles at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Ms. Hampton earned a B.S. degree in Accounting from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Age: 45.

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Part II.

Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

The Company's Common Stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). As of September 30, 2021, there were approximately 5,269 shareholders of record of the Company's Common Stock under the symbol "ENR".

The Company expects to continue to pay regular quarterly dividends. However, future dividends are dependent on future earnings, capital requirements and the Company's financial condition and are declared at the sole discretion of the Company's Board of Directors. See Item 1A - Risk Factors - Risks Related to Our Common Stock - We cannot guarantee the timing, amount or payment of dividends on our common stock.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities. The following table reports purchases of equity securities during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 by Energizer and any affiliated purchasers pursuant to SEC rules, including any treasury shares withheld to satisfy employee withholding obligations upon vesting of restricted stock and the execution of net exercises.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

(1) 165 shares purchased during the quarter relate to the surrender to the Company of shares of common stock to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock or execution of net exercises.

(2) The Company entered into a $75.0 million accelerated share repurchase (ASR) program in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. Under the terms of the agreement, the 1.5 million shares were delivered in August 2021 with the remainder to be delivered at termination of the agreement, on or before November 18, 2021. The Company expects approximately 1.9 million total shares to be repurchased under the ASR.

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The graph below matches Energizer Holdings, Inc.'s cumulative total shareholder return on common stock with the cumulative total returns of the S&P Midcap 400 index and the S&P Household Products index. The graph tracks the performance of a $100 investment in our common stock and in each index (with the reinvestment of all dividends) from 9/30/2016 to 9/30/2021.

These indices are included only for comparative purposes as required by Securities and Exchange Commission rules and do not necessarily reflect management's opinion that such indices are an appropriate measure of the relative performance of the Common Stock. They are not intended to forecast possible future performance of the Common Stock.

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Item 6. Reserved.

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following discussion is a summary of the key factors management considers necessary in reviewing the Company's results of operations, operating segment results, and liquidity and capital resources. Statements in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) that are not historical may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

You should read the following MD&A in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and corresponding notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This MD&A contains forward-looking statements. The matters discussed in these forward-looking statements are subject to risk, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in the forward-looking statements. Please see Part I. Item 1A “Risk Factors” above and “Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.

All amounts discussed are in millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains both historical and forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead reflect our expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events, including, without limitation, the future sales, gross margins, costs, earnings, cash flows, tax rates and performance of the Company. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as "believe," "expect," "expectation," "anticipate," "may," "could," "intend," "belief," "estimate," "plan," "target," "predict," "likely," "should," "forecast," "outlook," or other similar words or phrases. These statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. We cannot assure you that any of our expectations, estimates or projections will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included in this document are only made as of the date of this document and we disclaim any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. Numerous factors could cause our actual results and events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, those discussed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors," as updated from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company reports its financial results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (GAAP). However, management believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures provide users with additional meaningful comparisons to the corresponding historical or future period. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude items that are not reflective of the Company's on-going operating performance, such as acquisition and integration costs and related items, an acquisition earn out, loss on extinguishment of debt, settlement loss on pension plan termination and the one-time impact of Tax structuring, Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the December 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017 tax reform). In addition, these measures help investors to analyze year over year comparability when excluding currency fluctuations, acquisition activity as well as other company initiatives that are not on-going. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are an enhancement to assist investors in understanding our business and in performing analysis consistent with financial models developed by research analysts. Investors should consider non-GAAP measures in addition to, not as a substitute for, or superior to, the comparable GAAP measures. In addition, these non-GAAP measures may not be the same as similar measures used by other companies due to possible differences in method and in the items being adjusted.

We provide the following non-GAAP measures and calculations, as well as the corresponding reconciliation to the closest GAAP measure:

Segment Profit. This amount represents the operations of our two reportable segments including allocations for shared support functions. General corporate and other expenses, global marketing expenses, R&D expenses, amortization expense, interest expense, loss on extinguishment of debt, other items, net, charges related to acquisition and integration, acquisition earn out and settlement loss on pension plan termination have all been excluded from segment profit.

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Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations and Adjusted Diluted net earnings per common share - continuing operations (EPS). These measures exclude the impact of the costs related to acquisition and integration, an acquisition earn out, loss on extinguishment of debt, the settlement loss on pension plan terminations, and the one-time impact of tax structuring, the CARES Act and 2017 tax reform.

Non-GAAP Tax Rate. This is the tax rate when excluding the after tax impact of acquisition and integration, acquisition earn out, the loss on extinguishment of debt and the settlement loss on pension plan terminations calculated utilizing the statutory rate for where the impact was incurred, as well as the one-time impact of the tax structuring, CARES Act and 2017 tax reform.

Organic. This is the non-GAAP financial measurement of the change in revenue or segment profit that excludes or otherwise adjusts for the impact of acquisitions, change in Argentina operations and the impact of currency from the changes in foreign currency exchange rates as defined below:

Impact of acquisitions. Energizer completed two acquisitions in the first fiscal quarter of 2021, a battery plant in Indonesia on October 1, 2020 and a formulation company in the United States on December 1, 2020 (Formulations Acquisition), the Auto Care Acquisition on January 28, 2019, the Battery Acquisition on January 2, 2019, and the Nu Finish Acquisition on July 2, 2018. These adjustments include the impact each acquisition's on-going operations contributed to each respective income statement caption for the first year's operations directly after the acquisition date. This does not include the impact of acquisition and integration costs or the one-time inventory fair value step up costs associated with the acquisitions.

Change in Argentina Operations. The Company is presenting separately all changes in sales and segment profit from our Argentina affiliate due to the designation of the economy as highly inflationary as of July 1, 2018.

Impact of currency. The Company evaluates the operating performance of our Company on a currency neutral basis. The impact of currency is the difference between the value of current year foreign operations at the current period ending USD exchange rate, compared to the value of the current year foreign operations at the prior period ending USD exchange rate.

Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted Gross Margin and adjusted Selling, General & Administrative (SG&A) as a percent of sales. Details for adjusted gross margin and adjusted SG&A as a percent of sales are also supplemental non-GAAP measure disclosures. These measures exclude the impact of costs related to acquisition and integration, acquisition earn outs and inventory step up from purchase accounting.

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. The COVID-19 health crisis poses significant and widespread risks to the Company’s business as well as to the business environment and the markets in which the Company operates.

During these challenging times, the Company is operating with two enduring principles - ensuring the health and safety of our colleagues and business continuity. We are following the guidelines issued by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization and have instituted work from home for our office locations. We have also instituted additional measures at our production facilities, including temperature monitoring, enhanced facility cleaning, visual cues to aid in social distancing, and staggered shifts to minimize the number of colleagues on-site at any given time. We encourage colleagues to stay home if they or their family members are ill.

During natural disasters and other crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, our battery products are needed not only by consumers who have purchased devices for working at home and entertaining their families, but as well as healthcare professionals and others who are directly combatting COVID-19, including doctors, nurses and first responders. This has been evident in the increased demand for our battery products in the U.S. across nearly all retail channels. Energizer provides batteries that power medical devices, including touchless thermometers, blood pressure, heart and fall monitors and pulse oximeters, and other products that are critical during the COVID-19 outbreak. Energizer’s batteries also power devices and equipment that enable consumers to work, study as well as for entertainment at home, such as computer accessories, smart doorbells, and security cameras, toys, games, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

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Initially, auto care products were negatively impacted by COVID-19 due to shelter in place orders that negatively impacted auto travel. However, as countries and states began to reopen, the use of automobiles increased as consumers avoided public transportation, including turning to car travel versus air for vacations. During this time, consumers turned their focus to Do It Yourself versus Do It for Me with strong demand for wipes and cleaning products as the year progressed. If countries return to shelter-in-place orders, work and travel restrictions or other similar measures in order to contain the virus, this could have a negative impact on our auto care products.

Our core batteries and auto care businesses had strong organic net sales growth in fiscal 2021. However, we also experience higher operating costs due to the global supply chain constraints, and higher input costs, including labor shortages and higher transportation and commodity costs. Higher tariffs have also been impacting our margins. Although our direct incremental costs of COVID-19 have gone down from last year, our operating costs are continuing to rise in the current operating environment. In order to serve our customers, we have taken a proactive approach to invest in incremental safety stock given the continued volatility of the global supply network-including uncertainty around product sourcing, transportation challenges and labor availability.

While the full impact of COVID-19 is uncertain as new variations continue to develop, we believe we have multiple options to further mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and preserve our financial flexibility in light of current uncertainty in the global markets, including the deferral or reduction of capital expenditures and reduction or delay of overhead expenses and other expenditures. Such delays could slow future growth or impact our business plan. The full impact of COVID-19 on our financial and operating performance will depend significantly on the duration and severity of the outbreak, the actions taken to contain or mitigate its impact, including the administration of approved vaccines, disruption to our global supply chain (including the ability of suppliers to keep pace with any demand increases), and the pace with which customers and consumers return to more normalized purchasing behavior, among others factors beyond our knowledge or control. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this Report for further considerations.

Fiscal Year 2021 Acquisitions

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company entered into an agreement with FDK Corporation to acquire its subsidiary PT FDK Indonesia, a battery manufacturing facility (FDK Acquisition). On October 1, 2020, the Company completed the acquisition for a contractual purchase price of $18.2. After contractual and working capital adjustments, the Company paid cash of $16.9 and a working capital adjustment of $0.7 during fiscal 2021. The acquisition of the FDK Indonesia facility increased the Company's alkaline battery production capacity and allows us to avoid future planned capital expenditures.

On December 1, 2020 the Company acquired a North Carolina-based company that specializes in developing formulations for cleaning tasks. Their products are both sold to customers directly and licensed to manufacturers. This acquisition is expected to bring significant innovation capabilities in formulations to our organization. The purchase price and total cash paid for the acquisition was $51.2. Subsequent to year-end, the working capital settlement was finalized, reducing the purchase price by $0.4 that will be paid to Energizer and the Company will finalize the purchase price accounting with this adjustment in the first fiscal quarter of 2022.

For fiscal year 2021, the incremental revenues and segment profit from these acquisitions was $27.0 and $2.5, respectively.

Battery Acquisition

On January 2, 2019, the Company acquired Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.'s (Spectrum) global battery, lighting and portable power business (Battery Acquisition) including the brands Rayovac® and Varta® (Acquired Battery Business). The acquisition expanded our battery portfolio globally with the addition of a strong value brand. For the twelve months ended September 30, 2020, the revenue and segment profit from the Acquired Battery Business was $125.5 and $27.9, respectively, relating to the three months of activity for which they were not owned in the comparable periods in fiscal 2019. For the twelve months ended September 30, 2019, the revenue and segment profit from the Acquired Battery Business was $338.9 and $62.7, respectively.

On January 2, 2020, the Company sold the Varta® consumer battery business in the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, including manufacturing and distribution facilities in Germany (Varta Divestiture or Divestment Business) to VARTA Aktiengesellschaft (VARTA AG). These operations were included as discontinued operations for all periods presented.

Auto Care Acquisition

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On January 28, 2019, the Company acquired Spectrum’s global auto care business, including Armor All®, STP®, and A/C PRO® brands (Auto Care Acquisition). For the twelve months ended September 30, 2020, the revenue and segment profit associated with the Auto Care Acquisition was $85.1 and $17.1, respectively, relating to the four months of activity for which they were not owned in the comparable periods in fiscal 2019. For the twelve months ended September 30, 2019, the revenue and segment profit associated with the Auto Care Acquisition was $315.8 and $76.8, respectively.

Nu Finish Acquisition

On July 2, 2018, the Company acquired all of the assets of Reed-Union Corporation's automotive appearance business, including Nu Finish Car Polish® and Scratch Doctor® brands (Nu Finish Acquisition). The revenue in the first nine months of fiscal 2019 associated with the Nu Finish acquisition was $5.9 and segment profit was $2.0, respectively.

Acquisition and Integration Costs

The Company incurred pre-tax acquisition and integration costs related to the above acquisitions of $68.9, $68.0 and $188.4 in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.

Pre-tax costs recorded in Costs of products sold were $33.7 and $32.0 for the twelve months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, which primarily related to the integration restructuring costs of $31.9 and $29.3 as discussed in Note 6, Restructuring. Pre-tax costs recorded in Costs of products sold for the twelve months ended September 30, 2019 were $58.7, which primarily related to the inventory fair value adjustment of $36.2 and integration restructuring costs of $12.1.

Pre-tax acquisition and integration costs recorded in SG&A were $40.0, $38.8 and $82.3 for the twelve months ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. In fiscal 2021 and 2020 these expenses primarily related to costs of integrating the information technology systems of the Battery and Auto Care Acquisition businesses, consulting fees for the 2020 restructuring program, and success incentives. In fiscal 2019 these expenses primarily related to acquisition success fees and legal, consulting and advisory fees to assist with obtaining regulatory approval around the globe and to plan for the closing and integration of the Battery Acquisition and Auto Care Acquisition.

For the twelve months ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019 the Company recorded $1.1, $1.3 and $1.1 in research and development, respectively.

Also included in the pre-tax acquisition costs for the twelve months ended September 30, 2019 was $65.6 of interest expense, including ticking fees, related to the escrowed debt for the Battery Acquisition and the financing fees incurred related to amending and issuing the debt for the Battery and Auto Care Acquisitions.

Included in Other items, net was pre-tax income of $5.9, $4.1, and $19.3 in the twelve months ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The pre-tax income recorded in fiscal 2021 was primarily driven by a gain on the sale of assets of $3.3, which was part of the 2019 restructuring program discussed in Note 6.

The pre-tax income recorded in fiscal 2020 was primarily driven by pre-acquisition insurance proceeds of $4.9, a $1.0 gain on the sale of assets and $0.9 of transition services income, offset by a $2.2 loss related to the hedge contract on the proceeds from the Varta Divestiture and $0.5 of other items.

The pre-tax income of $19.3 recorded in fiscal 2019 was primarily driven by the escrowed debt funds held in restricted cash prior to the closing of the Battery Acquisition. The Company recorded a pre-tax gain of $9.0 related to the favorable movement in the escrowed USD restricted cash held in our European Euro functional entity. The Company also recorded interest income of $5.8 earned on the Restricted cash funds held in escrow associated with the Battery Acquisition. The Company recorded a gain of $4.6 related to the hedge contract on the expected proceeds from the anticipated Varta Divestiture and recorded income on transition services agreements of $1.4 for the twelve months ended September 30, 2019. These income items were offset by $1.5 of expense to settle hedge contracts of the acquired business.

Restructuring Costs

In the fourth fiscal quarter of 2019, the Company began implementing restructuring related integration plans for our manufacturing and distribution networks. These plans include the closure and combination of distribution and manufacturing facilities in order to reduce complexity and realize greater efficiencies in our manufacturing, packaging and distribution processes. All activities within this plan are expected to be substantially complete by December 31, 2021.

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In the fourth fiscal quarter of 2020, the Company initiated a new restructuring program with a primary focus on reorganizing our global end-to-end supply chain network and ensuring accountability by category. This program includes streamlining the Company’s end-to-end supply chain model to enable rapid response to category specific demands and enhancing our ability to better serve our customers. Planning and execution of this program began in fiscal year 2021, with completion of activities by December 31, 2021.

The total pre-tax expense related to these restructuring plans for the twelve months ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019 were $36.8, $30.3, and $12.1, respectively. These consisted of charges for employee severance, retention, related benefit costs, accelerated depreciation, asset write-offs, relocation, environmental investigatory and mitigation costs, consulting costs and other exit costs, partially offset by a gain on sale of fixed assets. The costs were reflected in Cost of products sold, Selling, general and administrative expense, Research and development, and Other items, net on the Consolidated Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Income. The restructuring costs for fiscal year 2021 were included within the Americas and International segments in the amount of $34.7 and $2.1, respectively. The restructuring costs for fiscal year 2020 were included within the Americas and International segments in the amount of $27.5 and $2.8, respectively. The restructuring costs for fiscal year 2019, were incurred within the Americas and International segments in the amount of $6.0 and $6.1, respectively.

Total pre-tax charges relating to the 2019 restructuring program since inception were $61.2. We expect to incur additional severance and related benefit costs and other exit-related costs associated with these plans of approximately $6 through the end of calendar 2021. Total pre-tax charges relating to the 2020 restructuring program since inception are $18.0. We expect to incur an additional approximately $2 in the first quarter of fiscal 2022.

These programs are expected to generate approximately $55 to $60 of total cost savings annually by the end of fiscal 2022, primarily within Cost of products sold. The Company has already begun realizing cost savings from the 2019 restructuring program (approximately $34 program to date), and began realizing cost savings from the 2020 restructuring program in fiscal 2021 (approximately $2.6 program to date). The Company believes it is on track to achieve the planned program savings.

Refer to Note 6 Restructuring for further detail.

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Overview

General

Energizer, through its operating subsidiaries, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers, marketers and distributors of household batteries, specialty batteries and lighting products, and a leading designer and marketer of automotive appearance, performance, refrigerant, and freshener products. Energizer manufactures, markets and/or licenses one of the most extensive product portfolios of household batteries, specialty batteries, auto care products and portable lights. Energizer is the beneficiary of over 100 years of expertise in the battery and portable lighting products industries. Its brand names, Energizer, Eveready and Rayovac, have worldwide recognition for innovation, quality and dependability, and are marketed and sold around the world.

Energizer has a long history of innovation within our categories. Since our commercialization of the first dry-cell battery in 1893 and the first flashlight in 1899, we have been committed to developing and marketing new products to meet evolving consumer needs and consistently advancing battery technology as the universe of devices powered by batteries has evolved. Over the past 100+ years we have developed or brought to market:

•the first flashlight;

•the first dry cell alkaline battery;

•the first mercury-free alkaline battery; and

•Energizer Ultimate Lithium®, the world’s longest-lasting AA and AAA battery for high-tech devices.

Energizer offers batteries using many technologies including lithium, alkaline, carbon zinc, nickel metal hydride, zinc air, and silver oxide. These products are sold globally under the Energizer, Eveready and Rayovac brands, including hearing aid batteries, and the Varta brand in Latin America and Asia Pacific. These products include primary, rechargeable, specialty and hearing aid batteries and are offered in the performance, premium and price segments.

In addition, we offer auto care products in the appearance, fragrance, performance and air conditioning recharge product categories. The appearance and fragrance categories include protectants, wipes, tire and wheel care products, glass cleaners, leather care products, air fresheners and washes designed to clean, shine, refresh and protect interior and exterior automobile surfaces under the brand names Armor All, Nu Finish, Refresh Your Car!, LEXOL, Eagle One, California Scents, Driven and Bahama & Co.

The performance product category includes STP branded fuel and oil additives, functional fluids and other performance chemical products that benefit from a rich heritage in the car enthusiast and racing scenes, characterized by a commitment to technology, performance and motor sports partnerships for over 60 years. The brand equity of STP also provides for attractive licensing opportunities that augment our presence in our core performance categories.

The air conditioning recharge product category includes do-it-yourself automotive air conditioning recharge products led by the A/C PRO brand name, along with other refrigerant and recharge kits, sealants and accessories.

In addition, we offer an extensive line of lighting products designed to meet a variety of consumer needs. We distribute and market lighting products including handheld, headlights, lanterns, and area lights. In addition to the Energizer, Eveready and Rayovac brands, we market our flashlights under the Hard Case, Dolphin, and WeatherReady® sub-brands. In addition to batteries and portable lights, Energizer licenses the Energizer, Eveready and Rayovac brands to companies developing consumer solutions in solar, automotive batteries, portable power for critical devices (like smart phones), generators, power tools, household light bulbs and other lighting products.

Through our global supply chain, global manufacturing footprint and seasoned commercial organization, we seek to meet diverse customer demands within each of the markets we serve. Energizer distributes its portfolio of batteries, auto care and lighting products through a global sales force and global distributor model. We sell our products in multiple retail and business-to-business channels, including: mass merchandisers, club, electronics, food, home improvement, dollar store, auto, drug, hardware, e-commerce, convenience, sporting goods, hobby/craft, office, industrial, medical and catalog.

We use the Energizer name and logo as our trademark as well as those of our subsidiaries. Product names appearing throughout are trademarks of Energizer. This MD&A also may refer to brand names, trademarks, service marks and trade names of other companies and organizations, and these brand names, trademarks, service marks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

Operations for Energizer are managed via two major geographic reportable segments: Americas and International.

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Financial Results

Net earnings from continuing operations for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 was $160.9, or $2.11 per diluted common share, compared to $46.8, or $0.44 per diluted common share, and $64.7, or $0.78 per diluted common share, for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Net earnings from continuing operations and diluted net earnings from continuing operations per common share for the time periods presented were impacted by certain items related to acquisition and integration costs, an acquisition earn out, loss on extinguishment of debt, settlement loss on pension plan termination, and the one-time impact of the Tax structuring, CARES Act and 2017 tax reform as described in the tables below. The impact of these items on reported net earnings from continuing operations and reported diluted net earnings from continuing operations per common share are provided below as a reconciliation to arrive at respective non-GAAP measures. See disclosure under Non-GAAP Financial Measures above.

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For the Twelve Months Ended September 30,

Net earnings/(loss) attributable to common shareholders $ 144.7 $ (109.5) $ 39.1

Mandatory preferred stock dividends (16.2) (16.2) (12.0)

Net loss from discontinued operations, net of tax — (140.1) (13.6)

Net earnings from continuing operations $ 160.9 $ 46.8 $ 64.7

Pre-tax adjustments

Acquisition earn out (2) 3.4 — —

Loss on extinguishment of debt 103.3 94.9 —

Settlement loss on pension plan terminations (3) — — 3.7

After tax adjustments

Acquisition earn out 2.6 — —

Loss on extinguishment of debt 76.1 73.0 —

Settlement loss on pension terminations — — 3.7

Tax structuring (4) (38.5) — —

One-time impact of the CARES Act — 1.8 —

One-time impact of 2017 tax reform — — (0.4)

Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations (5) $ 255.4 $ 176.8 $ 216.1

For the Twelve Months Ended September 30,

Adjustments

Acquisition earn out 0.03 — —

Loss on extinguishment of debt 1.11 1.05 —

Settlement loss on pension terminations — — 0.05

Tax structuring (0.56) — —

One-time impact of the CARES Act — 0.03 —

One-time impact of 2017 tax reform — — (0.01)

Impact for diluted share calculation — — 0.12

Weighted average shares of common stock - Diluted 68.7 69.5 67.3

Adjusted weighted average shares of common stock - Diluted (6) 68.7 69.5 72.0

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(1) Acquisition and integration costs were included in the following lines in the Consolidated Statement of Earnings and Comprehensive Income:

Twelve Months Ended September 30,

Selling, general and administrative expense 40.0 38.8 82.3

Research and development expense 1.1 1.3 1.1

Interest expense — — 65.6

Total acquisition and integration costs $ 68.9 $ 68.0 $ 188.4

(2) This represents the estimated earn out achieved through September 30, 2021 under the incentive agreements entered into with the Formulations Acquisition and is recorded in Selling, general and administrative expense on the Consolidated Statement of Earnings and Comprehensive Income.

(3) Represents the actuarial losses that were previously recorded to Other comprehensive loss, and then recognized to Other items, net upon the termination of the Ireland pension plan in 2019.

(4) Represents the impact of a reduction to deferred tax liabilities due to tax structuring activities.

(5) The effective tax rate for the Adjusted - Non-GAAP Net earnings from continuing operations and Diluted net earnings from continuing operations per common share was 22.6%, 23.3% and 18.5% for the years ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, as calculated utilizing the statutory rate for where the costs were incurred.

(6) For the twelve months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the conversion of the mandatory convertible preferred stock is not dilutive and the mandatory preferred stock dividends are included in the adjusted dilution calculation. For the twelve month ended September 30, 2019 calculation, the Adjusted Weighted average shares of common stock - Diluted assumes conversion of the preferred shares as those results are more dilutive. The shares have been adjusted for the 4.7 million share conversion and the preferred dividend has been excluded from the net earnings.

Operating Results

Net Sales

For the Years Ended September 30,

Impact of FY21 Acquisitions 27.0 1.0 % — — % —

Impact of Battery Acquisition — — % 125.5 5.0 % 338.9

Impact of Auto Care Acquisition — — % 85.1 3.4 % 315.8

Impact of Nu Finish Acquisition — — % — — % 5.9

Change in Argentina operations 6.8 0.2 % 1.6 0.1 % (4.5)

Net sales for the year ended September 30, 2021 increased 10.1%. The increase was driven by the increase in organic sales of $200.5, or 7.3%, the favorable impact of currency of $42.4, or 1.6%, the impact of the FY21 Acquisitions which added $27.0, or 1.0% and favorable change in Argentina's operations of $6.8, or 0.2%.

Organic net sales increased 7.3% primarily due to:

•New distribution in both segments and across all categories, contributed approximately 3.9% of the increase;

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•Increased year over year global demand contributed approximately 2.6%, driven by higher battery sales earlier in the fiscal year and increased auto care sales throughout the fiscal year; and

•Favorable pricing contributed approximately 0.8% to the organic increase.

Net sales for the year ended September 30, 2020 increased 10.0%. The increase was driven by the impact of the

acquisitions which added $210.6, or 8.4%, the increase in organic sales of $61.4, or 2.5%, and favorable change in Argentina's

operations of $1.6, or 0.1%. These increases were partially offset by the unfavorable impact of currency of $23.3, or 1.0%.

Organic net sales increased 2.5% primarily due to:

•Distribution gains contributed 2.7% of the increase;

•Favorable carryover impact of the fiscal 2019 price increases, together with the net COVID-19 pandemic impact driven by North America battery, contributed 1.0% of the increase; and

•Lower replenishment volume early in the year, and the year-over-year impact of lower storm activity partially offset the increases.

For further discussion regarding net sales in each of our geographic segments, including a summary of reported versus organic changes, please see the section titled “Segment Results” provided below.

Gross Profit

Gross profit dollars were $1,161.4 in fiscal 2021 versus $1,081.9 in fiscal 2020. Excluding the current and prior year acquisition and integration costs of $33.7 and $32.0, respectively, gross profit dollars were $1,195.1 in fiscal 2021 versus $1,113.9 in fiscal 2020. The increase in gross profit dollars was due to the organic revenue growth discussed above, impact of FY21 acquisitions and approximately $50 of synergies achieved during the year, partially offset by the higher input costs, including labor, commodities, tariffs and transportation costs, consistent with ongoing inflationary trends.

Gross margin as a percent of net sales for fiscal 2021 was 38.4% versus 39.4% in the prior year. Excluding the current and prior year acquisition and integration costs, gross margin was 39.6%, down 100 basis points from prior year. The decrease was driven by the higher product input cost impacts (280 basis points), unfavorable mix (60 basis points), lower margin rate profile of the FY21 acquisitions (20 basis points), partially offset by synergy realization (180 basis points), a net reduction in incremental COVID-19 costs over prior year (60 basis points) and favorable currency (20 basis points).

Gross profit dollars were $1,081.9 in fiscal 2020 versus $1,003.8 in fiscal 2019. Excluding the current and prior year

acquisition and integration costs of $32.0 and $22.5, respectively, and the fiscal year 2019 inventory step up resulting from purchase accounting of $36.2, gross profit dollars were $1,113.9 in fiscal 2020 versus $1,062.5 in fiscal 2019. The increase in gross profit dollars was due to the impact of our acquisitions and synergies achieved during the year, as well as the increase in net sales mentioned earlier, partially offset by incremental COVID-19 costs and unfavorable movement in foreign currencies and tariffs.

Gross margin as a percent of net sales for fiscal 2020 was 39.4% versus 40.2% in the prior year. Excluding the current

and prior year acquisition and integration costs and prior year inventory step up resulting from purchase accounting, gross

margin was 40.6%, down 200 basis points from prior year. The decrease was driven by the lower margin rate profile of the

Battery and Auto Care Acquisitions, which accounted for 80 basis points, unfavorable movement in foreign currencies and tariffs (60 basis points) and a shift in market, customer and product mix as well as $29 of incremental costs to serve, both of which were driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and decreased margin by 190 basis points. Partially offsetting these impacts was the realization of synergies, which contributed 130 basis points.

Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A)

SG&A expenses were $487.2 in fiscal 2021, or 16.1% of net sales as compared to $483.3, or 17.6% of net sales for fiscal 2020 and $515.7, or 20.7% of net sales for fiscal 2019. Included in SG&A in fiscal 2021, 2020 and 2019 were acquisition and integration costs of $40.0, $38.8 and $82.3, respectively. Fiscal 2021 also included an acquisition earn out of $3.4 related to the Formulations Acquisition. Excluding the impacts of these items, SG&A as a percent of net sales was 14.7% in fiscal 2021 as compared to 16.2% in fiscal 2020 and 17.4% in fiscal 2019.

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In fiscal 2021, SG&A excluding acquisition and integration costs was $443.8 compared to fiscal 2020 of $444.5. The decrease, as a percent of Net sales, was driven by synergy realization and higher net sales while SG&A expense remained consistent with prior year.

In fiscal 2020, SG&A excluding acquisition and integration costs was $444.5 compared to fiscal 2019 of $433.4. The changes were due to incremental SG&A of approximately $26 due to the Battery and Auto Care Acquisitions partially offset by synergy realization and reduced spending.

Advertising and Sales Promotion (A&P)

A&P was $162.1 in fiscal 2021, up $15.0 as compared to fiscal 2020. A&P as a percent of net sales was 5.4%, 5.4% and 5.1% in fiscal years 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The increase in absolute dollars in the current year was due to planned incremental investment in our product portfolio as we continue to invest in support of our brands and innovation.

A&P was 5.4% of sales for fiscal 2020, an increase of 30 basis points, or $19.8 as compared to fiscal 2019. The increase over prior year is driven by incremental spending of $3.5 due to the Battery and Auto Care Acquisitions, which was primarily for product and packaging innovation and promotional support for our auto care brands, in addition to planned incremental investment in our branded product portfolio.

Research and Development

R&D expense was $34.5 in fiscal 2021, $35.4 in fiscal 2020, $32.8 in fiscal 2019. As a percent of net sales, R&D expense was consistent as a percentage of sales at 1.1% in fiscal 2021, 1.3% in fiscal 2020, and 1.3% in fiscal 2019.

Amortization Expense

Amortization expense for fiscal 2021 was $61.2 compared to $56.5 in fiscal 2020 and $43.2 in fiscal 2019. The fiscal 2021 results included the full year of amortization on the Custom Accessories Europe (CAE) acquisition, as well as amortization for the Formulations Acquisition, discussed in Note 4. The fiscal 2020 results included the full year of amortization on the Acquired Battery and Auto Care businesses, as well as a partial year of amortization for the CAE acquisition, discussed in Note 4.

Interest expense

Interest expense for fiscal 2021 was $161.8, as compared to fiscal 2020 expense of $195.0 and $226.0 in fiscal 2019. The Company took advantage of favorable debt markets in fiscal 2021 and 2020 and refinanced its long-term debt resulting in a decline of interest expense of $33.2 in fiscal 2021 compared to fiscal 2020.

Interest expense for fiscal 2019 included $65.6 for ticking and debt commitment fees related to the Battery and Auto Care acquisitions. Excluding the fiscal 2019 acquisition costs of $65.6, fiscal 2020 interest expense increased $34.6 attributable to higher debt associated with the acquisitions, which was outstanding the full fiscal year 2020.

Loss on extinguishment of debt

The Loss on extinguishment of debt was $103.3 for fiscal year 2021 and relates to the Company's refinancing of its €650.0 Senior Notes due in 2026 in June 2021, the redemption of the $600.0 Senior Notes due in 2027 in January 2021 and the term loan refinancing in December 2020. The Company also amended certain covenants in its credit agreement, which created additional capacity and flexibility.

The Loss on the extinguishment of debt was $94.9 for fiscal year 2020 and relates to the Company's July 2020 redemption of its $600.0 Senior Notes due in 2025 and the redemption of the $750.0 Senior Notes due in 2026, which were redeemed subsequent to year-end on October 16, 2020. The loss also includes the write off of deferred financing fees related to the term loan refinancing in December 2019.

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Other Items, Net

Other items, net was income of $2.9, expense of $2.0 and income of $14.3 in fiscal 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and is summarized below:

For the Years Ended September 30,

Other items, net

Interest income $ (0.7) $ (0.6) $ (7.7)

Interest income on restricted cash (1) — — (5.8)

Foreign currency exchange loss 5.5 8.7 5.2

Pension benefit other than service costs (1.9) (1.7) (2.3)

Settlement loss on pension plan terminations (2) — — 3.7

Acquisition foreign currency loss/(gain) (3) — 2.2 (13.6)

Pre-acquisition insurance proceeds (4) — (4.9) —

Settlement of acquired business hedging contracts (5) — — 1.5

Transition services agreement income — (0.9) (1.4)

Gain on sale of assets (3.3) (1.0) —

Total Other items, net $ (2.9) $ 2.0 $ (14.3)

(1) Represents the interest income earned on the restricted cash held for the Battery Acquisition.

(2) Represents the actuarial losses that were previously recorded to Other comprehensive income, and then recognized to Other items, net upon the termination of the Ireland pension plan in 2019.

(3) The loss for the twelve months ended September 30, 2020 related to the hedge contract on the proceeds from the Varta Divestiture. The gain for the twelve months ended September 30, 2019, includes $9.0 related to currency movement in the escrowed USD funds held in our European Euro functional currency entity and $4.6 related to the gain on our hedge contract for the expected proceeds from the anticipated sale of the Divestment Business.

(4) The pre-acquisition insurance proceeds are related to assets from the Battery Acquisition that were damaged after signing the acquisition agreement, but prior to closing on the acquisition.

(5) Settlement of acquired business hedging contracts that were terminated upon the Company's request at the acquisition date.

Income Taxes

For fiscal 2021, the effective tax rate was a benefit of 4.3%. The current year rate was favorably impacted by tax structuring resulting in a reduction to a deferred tax liability and the favorable tax impact resulting from the refinancing of the €650.0 Senior Notes due in 2026 in June 2021. Excluding the impact of our non-GAAP adjustments, the year to date adjusted effective tax rate was 22.6% as compared to 23.3% in the prior year. The decrease in the rate versus prior year is due to the favorable return to provision adjustments and decreases in certain limited expenses.

For fiscal 2020, the effective tax rate was 30.9%. The current year rate includes costs related to acquisition and integration in addition to the unfavorable impact of $1.8 for the CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020 and provides, among other things, increased interest deduction limitations to companies which can decrease overall cash taxes paid. Excluding the impact of these non-GAAP adjustments, the year to date adjusted effective tax rate was 23.3% as compared to 18.5% in the prior year. The increase in the rate versus prior year is due to the country mix of earnings which drove a higher foreign tax rate as well as the expiration of certain tax holidays in foreign jurisdictions.

For fiscal 2019, the effective tax rate was 11.5%. The current year rate was favorably impacted by lower overall foreign tax rates and a return to provision benefit slightly offset by disallowed transaction costs. Excluding the impact of all of our non-GAAP adjustments, the adjusted effective tax rate for fiscal 2019 was 18.5% as compared to 23.1% in the prior year. The decrease in the rate is driven primarily by the new 21% statutory U.S. rate that is now effective for all of fiscal year 2019

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compared to the statutory rate of 24.5% in fiscal year 2018 as well as more favorable return to provision adjustments in the current fiscal year.

Energizer’s effective tax rate is highly sensitive to the mix of countries from which earnings or losses are derived. Declines in earnings in lower tax rate countries, earnings increases in higher tax rate countries, repatriation of foreign earnings or foreign operating losses in the future could increase future tax rates. In addition, the enactment of legislation implementing changes in the U.S. on the taxation of international business activities or the adoption of other U.S. tax reform could impact our effective tax rate in the future.

Argentina Hyperinflation