As in prior periods, the financial information set forth in this release, including tax-related items, reflects estimates based on information available at this time. While Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes these estimates to be reasonable, these amounts could differ materially from reported amounts in the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2015. Hewlett Packard Enterprise assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

Use of non-GAAP financial measures
To supplement Hewlett Packard Enterprise's consolidated and combined financial statement information presented on a GAAP basis, Hewlett Packard Enterprise provides revenue on a constant currency basis, non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share. Hewlett Packard Enterprise also provides forecasts of non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share.

These non-GAAP financial measures are not computed in accordance with, or as an alternative to, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to revenue on a constant currency basis is revenue. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP operating profit is earnings from operations. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP earnings from operations is earnings from operations. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP operating margin is operating margin. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP net earnings is net earnings. The GAAP measure most directly comparable to non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share is diluted net earnings per share. Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP information are included in this news release.

Use and economic substance of non-GAAP financial measures used by Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Revenue on a constant currency basis assumes no change in the foreign exchange rate from the prior-year period. Non-GAAP operating profit and non-GAAP operating margin are defined to exclude the effects of any charges relating to the amortization of intangible assets, restructuring charges, charges relating to the separation transaction, acquisition-related charges and defined benefit plan settlement charges. Non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share consist of net earnings or diluted net earnings per share excluding those same charges. In addition, non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share are adjusted by the amount of additional taxes or tax benefits associated with each non-GAAP item. Hewlett Packard Enterprise's management uses these non-GAAP financial measures for purposes of evaluating Hewlett Packard Enterprise's historical and prospective financial performance, as well as Hewlett Packard Enterprise's performance relative to its competitors. Hewlett Packard Enterprise's management also uses these non-GAAP measures to further its own understanding of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's segment operating performance. Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that excluding the items mentioned above from these non-GAAP financial measures allows Hewlett Packard Enterprise's management to better understand Hewlett Packard Enterprise's consolidated financial performance in relation to the operating results of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's segments, as Hewlett Packard Enterprise's management does not believe that the excluded items are reflective of ongoing operating results. More specifically, Hewlett Packard Enterprise's management excludes each of those items mentioned above for the following reasons:

• Hewlett Packard Enterprise incurs charges relating to the amortization of intangible assets. Those charges are included in Hewlett Packard Enterprise's GAAP earnings from operations, operating margin, net earnings and diluted net earnings per share. Such charges are significantly impacted by the timing and magnitude of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's acquisitions and any related impairment charges. Consequently, Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these charges for purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures to facilitate a more meaningful evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's current operating performance and comparisons to Hewlett Packard Enterprise's operating performance in other periods.
  
• Restructuring charges are costs associated with a formal restructuring plan and are primarily related to (i) employee termination costs and benefits and (ii) costs to vacate duplicative facilities. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these restructuring costs (and any reversals of charges recorded in prior periods) for purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures because it believes that these historical costs do not reflect expected future operating expenses and do not contribute to a meaningful evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's current operating performance or comparisons to Hewlett Packard Enterprise's operating performance in other periods.
  
• Separation costs are expenses associated with Hewlett Packard Enterprise's plan to separate into two independent publicly-traded companies. The charges are primarily related to third-party consulting, contractor fees, early debt settlement costs and other incremental costs incurred to complete the separation. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these separation costs for purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures to facilitate a more meaningful evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's current operating performance and comparisons to Hewlett Packard Enterprise's operating performance in other periods.
  
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise incurs cost related to its acquisitions, most of which are treated as non-cash or non-capitalized expenses. The charges are direct expenses such as professional fees and retention costs, as well as non-cash adjustments to the fair value of certain acquired assets such as inventory. Because non-cash or non-capitalized acquisition-related expenses are inconsistent in amount and frequency and are significantly impacted by the timing and nature of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's acquisitions, Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that eliminating such expenses for purposes of calculating these non-GAAP measures facilitates a more meaningful evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's current operating performance and comparisons to Hewlett Packard Enterprise's past operating performance.
  
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise incurs impairment charges related to its exit from certain data centers. Such charges are inconsistent in amount and frequency. Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that eliminating these amounts for purposes of calculating non-GAAP operating profit facilitates a more meaningful evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's current operating performance and comparisons to Hewlett Packard Enterprise's operating performance in other periods.
  
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise incurred defined benefit settlement charges relating to the U.S. Hewlett-Packard Company Pension Plan (a Shared plan). The charges are associated with the net settlement and remeasurement resulting from voluntary lump sum payments offered to certain terminated vested participants. Hewlett Packard Enterprise excludes these charges for the purpose of calculating these non-GAAP measures to facilitate a more meaningful evaluation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's current operating performance and comparisons to Hewlett Packard Enterprise's operating performance in other periods.
  

Material limitations associated with use of non-GAAP financial measures
These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and these measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's results as reported under GAAP. Some of the limitations in relying on these non-GAAP financial measures are:

• Items such as amortization of intangible assets, though not directly affecting Hewlett Packard Enterprise's cash position, represent the loss in value of intangible assets over time. The expense associated with this loss in value is not included in non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net earnings or non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share, and therefore does not reflect the full economic effect of the loss in value of those intangible assets.
  
• Items such as restructuring charges and separation costs that are excluded from non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share can have a material impact on the equivalent GAAP earnings measure and cash flows.
  
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise may not be able to immediately liquidate the short-term and long-term investments included in gross cash, which may limit the usefulness of gross cash as a liquidity measure.
  
• Other companies may calculate revenue on a constant currency basis, non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share differently than Hewlett Packard Enterprise does, limiting the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes.
  

Compensation for limitations associated with use of non-GAAP financial measures
Hewlett Packard Enterprise compensates for the limitations on its use of non-GAAP financial measures by relying primarily on its GAAP results and using non-GAAP financial measures only supplementally. Hewlett Packard Enterprise also provides a reconciliation of each non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP measure within this news release and in other written materials that include these non-GAAP financial measures, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise encourages investors to review carefully those reconciliations.

Usefulness of non-GAAP financial measures to investors
Hewlett Packard Enterprise believes that providing revenue on a constant currency basis, non-GAAP operating profit, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net earnings and non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share to investors in addition to the related GAAP measures provides investors with greater transparency to the information used by Hewlett Packard Enterprise's management in its financial and operational decision making and allows investors to see Hewlett Packard Enterprise's results "through the eyes" of management. Hewlett Packard Enterprise further believes that providing this information better enables Hewlett Packard Enterprise's investors to understand Hewlett Packard Enterprise's operating performance and to evaluate the efficacy of the methodology and information used by Hewlett Packard Enterprise's management to evaluate and measure such performance. Disclosure of these non-GAAP financial measures also facilitates comparisons of Hewlett Packard Enterprise's operating performance with the performance of other companies in Hewlett Packard Enterprise's industry that supplement their GAAP results with non-GAAP financial measures that may be calculated in a similar manner.