Information presented Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business and operates on an international scale selling all types of beverage alcohol. It is one of a small number of premium drinks companies that operate across spirits, beer and wine. Diageo’s brands have broad consumer appeal across geographies; as a result, the business is organised under the business areas of North America, Europe, International and Asia Pacific and the business analysis is presented on this basis. The following discussion is based on Diageo’s IFRS results for the year ended 30 June 2008 compared with the year ended 30 June 2007, and the year ended 30 June 2007 compared with the year ended 30 June 2006.

In the discussion of the performance of the business, net sales, which are defined as sales after deducting excise duties, are presented in addition to sales, since sales reflect significant components of excise duties which are set by external regulators and over which Diageo has no control. Diageo incurs excise duties throughout the world. In some countries, excise duties are based on sales and are separately identified on the face of the invoice to the external customer. In others, it is effectively a production tax, which is incurred when the spirit is removed from bonded warehouses. In these countries it is part of the cost of goods sold and is not separately identified on the sales invoice. Changes in the level of excise duties can significantly affect the level of reported sales and cost of sales, without directly reflecting changes in volume, mix or profitability that are the variables which impact on the element of sales retained by the group.

The underlying performance on a constant currency basis and excluding exceptional items and the impact of acquisitions and disposals is referred to as ‘organic’ performance, and further information on the calculation of organic measures as used in the discussion of the business is included in the organic movements calculation and in the notes to that calculation.

Presentation of information in relation to the business In addition to describing the significant factors impacting on the income statement compared to the prior year for both of the years ended 30 June 2008 and 30 June 2007, additional information is also presented on the operating performance and cash flows of the group.

There are eight principal key performance indicators (which are non-GAAP measures) used by the group’s management to assess the performance of the group in addition to income statement measures of performance. These are volume, the organic movements in volume, sales, net sales and operating profit, return on average total invested capital, economic profit and free cash flow. These key performance indicators are described below:

Volume has been measured on an equivalent units basis to nine litre cases of spirits. An equivalent unit represents one nine litre case of spirits, which is approximately 272 servings. A serving comprises 33ml of spirits, 165ml of wine, or 330ml of ready to drink or beer. Therefore, to convert volume of products, other than spirits, to equivalent units, the following guide has been used: beer in hectolitres divide by 0.9, wine in nine litre cases divide by five, ready to drink in nine litre cases divide by 10 and certain pre-mixed products that are classified as ready to drink divide by five.

Organic movements in volume, sales, net sales, operating profit and operating margin are measures not specifically used in the consolidated financial statements themselves (non-GAAP measures). The performance of the group is discussed using these measures.

In the discussion of the performance of the business, organic information is presented using pounds sterling amounts on a constant currency basis. This strips out the effect of exchange rate movements and enables an understanding of the underlying performance of the market that is most closely influenced by the actions of that market’s management. The risk from exchange rate movements is managed centrally and is not a factor over which local managers have any control.

Exceptional items, acquisitions and disposals also impact on the reported performance and therefore the reported movement in any period in which they arise. Management adjusts for the impact of such transactions in assessing the performance of the underlying business.

Diageo’s strategic planning and budgeting process is based on organic movements in volume, sales, net sales and operating profit, and these measures closely reflect the way in which operating targets are defined and performance is monitored by the group’s management.

These measures are chosen for planning, budgeting, reporting and incentive purposes since they represent those measures which local managers are most directly able to influence and they enable consideration of the underlying business performance without the distortion caused by fluctuating exchange rates, exceptional items and acquisitions and disposals.

The group’s management believes these measures provide valuable additional information for users of the financial statements in understanding the group’s performance since they provide information on those elements of performance which local managers are most directly able to influence and they focus on that element of the core brand portfolio which is common to both periods. They should be viewed as complementary to, and not replacements for, the comparable GAAP measures.

Return on average total invested capital is a non-GAAP measure that is used by management to assess the return obtained from the group’s asset base. This measure is not specifically used in the consolidated financial statements, but is calculated to aid comparison of the performance of the business.

The profit used in assessing the return on total invested capital reflects the operating performance of the business after applying the underlying effective tax rate for the period stated before exceptional items and interest. Average total invested capital is calculated using the average derived from the consolidated balance sheets at the beginning, middle and the end of the period. Capital employed comprises net assets for the period, excluding post employment benefit liabilities (net of deferred tax) and net borrowings. This average capital employed is then aggregated with the average restructuring and integration costs net of tax, and goodwill written off to reserves at 1 July 2004, the date of transition to IFRS, to obtain the average total invested capital.

Underlying effective tax rate is a non-GAAP measure that reflects the adjusted tax charge on profit from continuing businesses before exceptional items as a percentage of profit from continuing businesses before exceptional items. The underlying effective tax rate is also used by management for their own planning, budgeting, reporting and incentive purposes since it provides information on those elements of performance which management is most directly able to influence.

The group's management believe the measure assists users of the financial statements in understanding the group's effective tax rate as it reflects the tax arising on the profits from the ongoing business.

The components of the reported tax charge which do not form part of the adjusted tax charge, as defined by the group's management, relate to tax on items reported as exceptional, movement on deferred tax assets arising from intra group reorganisations which are due to changes in estimates in expected future utilisation, any other tax charge or credit that arises from intra group reorganisations and items which are offset by credits or debits in discontinued operations.

In the year ended 30 June 2008, the reported tax rate was 24.9% (2007 – 32.4%) and the underlying tax rate was 24.5% (2007 – 25.1%).

Economic profit is a non-GAAP measure that is used by management to assess the group’s return from its asset base compared to a standard cost of capital charge.The measure is not specifically used in the consolidated financial statements, but is calculated to aid comparison of the performance of the business.

The profit used in assessing the return from the group’s asset base and the asset base itself are the same as those used in the calculation for the return on average total invested capital (see above).The standard capital charge applied to the average total invested capital is currently 9%, being management’s assessment of a constant minimum level of return that the group expects to generate from its asset base. Economic profit is calculated as the difference between the standard capital charge on the average invested assets and the actual return achieved by the group on those assets.

Free cash flow is a non-GAAP measure that comprises the net cash flow from operating activities as well as the net purchase and disposal of investments and property, plant and equipment that form part of net cash flow from investing activities. The group’s management believes the measure assists users of the financial statements in understanding the group’s cash generating performance as it comprises items which arise from the running of the ongoing business.

The remaining components of net cash flow from investing activities that do not form part of free cash flow, as defined by the group’s management, are in respect of the purchase and disposal of subsidiaries, associates and businesses. The group’s management regards the purchase and disposal of property, plant and equipment as ultimately non-discretionary since ongoing investment in plant and machinery is required to support the day-to-day operations, whereas acquisitions and disposals of businesses are discretionary. However, free cash flow does not necessarily reflect all amounts which the group either has a constructive or legal obligation to incur. Where appropriate, separate discussion is given for the impacts of acquisitions and disposals of businesses, equity dividends paid and the purchase of own shares – each of which arises from decisions that are independent from the running of the ongoing underlying business.

The free cash flow measure is also used by management for their own planning, budgeting, reporting and incentive purposes since it provides information on those elements of performance which local managers are most directly able to influence.