The Instrument does not define the term “useful”. The term “useful” is intended to reflect how management believes that presentation of the non-GAAP financial measure provides incremental information to investors regarding the issuer’s financial position, financial performance or cash flows. The term “useful” should be considered in the context of what a person making an investment decision would consider useful.
A statement made to satisfy the requirement of clauses 6(1)(e)(ii)(B), 8(c)(iii)(B) and 10(1)(b)(ii)(B) of the Instrument should
- Be clear and understandable;
- Be specific to the specified financial measure used, the issuer, the nature of the business and the industry (i.e., not boilerplate); and
- Specifically explain how the specified financial measure is assessed and applied to decisions made by management, if applicable, and explain the reasons why the specified financial measure is useful to an investor.
Issuers should avoid making inappropriate or potentially misleading statements about the usefulness of a measure. The Instrument does not explicitly prohibit certain adjustments. However, if adjustments are not consistent with the usefulness explanation provided to address clauses 6(1)(e)(ii)(B), 8(c)(iii)(B) and 10(1)(b)(ii)(B) of the Instrument, this may result in a specified financial measure that is inappropriate or misleading.
A specified financial measure may be misleading if it
- Includes positive components of the most directly comparable financial measure but omits negative components (e.g., presenting a specified financial measure that excludes unrealized losses on financial instruments but includes unrealized gains); or
- Excludes from an operating performance measure those operating expenses necessary to operate an issuer’s business.