SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 10-Q

Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
for the Quarterly Period Ended September 30, 2004

Commission File Number 1-9608

NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

10B Glenlake Parkway, Suite 600
Atlanta, Georgia 30328
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)

(770) 407-3800
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months, and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Number of shares of common stock outstanding (net of treasury shares) as of October 29, 2004: 274.8 million.

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)
(Amounts in millions, except per share data)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited).

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NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in millions)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited).

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NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONT.)
(Amounts in millions, except per share data)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited).

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NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)
(Amounts in millions)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited).

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NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

Note 1 – Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Newell Rubbermaid Inc. (collectively with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and do not include all the information and notes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring accruals, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and the results of operations. It is suggested that these unaudited consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Seasonal Variations: The Company’s product groups are only moderately affected by seasonal trends. The Cleaning & Organization and Other business segments typically have higher sales in the second half of the year due to retail stocking related to the holiday season; the Tools & Hardware and Home Fashions business segments typically have higher sales in the second and third quarters due to an increased level of do-it-yourself projects completed in the summer months; and the Office Products business segment typically has higher sales in the second and third quarters due to the back-to-school season. Because these seasonal trends are moderate, the Company’s consolidated quarterly sales generally do not fluctuate significantly, unless a significant acquisition is made.

Fair Value of Stock Options: The Company’s stock option plans are accounted for under Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25. As a result, the Company grants fixed stock options under which no compensation cost is recognized. Had compensation cost for the plans been determined consistent with Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 123 (FAS 123), “Accounting for Stock Based Compensation,” the Company’s net income and earnings per share would have been reduced to the following pro forma amounts for the three and nine months ended September 30, (in millions, except per share data):

Reclassifications: Certain amounts in prior years have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. See Note 4 for a discussion of discontinued operations.

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Note 2 – Impairment Charges

The following table summarizes the recorded noncash pretax impairment charges (in millions):

The Company conducts its annual test of impairment for goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets in the third quarter. The Company also tests for impairment if events or circumstances occur subsequent to the Company’s annual impairment tests that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. The Company performs the annual impairment testing in the third quarter because it coincides with its annual strategic planning process for all of its businesses.

The annual strategic planning meeting provides a forum for executive management to review changes recommended by division and group management in the long-term strategy of the individual businesses and approve specific initiatives. At the planning session, division management teams present their long-term vision for the business and recommend changes in response to internal and external factors, which may impact the valuation of long-lived assets, including goodwill, other intangible assets, and fixed assets. Additionally, these meetings are used to discuss the current business environment and outlook, as well as overall brand strategy.

Subsequent to the recent planning meetings, the Company performed its impairment testing of indefinite-lived intangible assets, giving consideration to underlying strategic and economic changes in the business. Additionally, the Company tested its other long-lived assets for impairment in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.”

The results of the impairment testing were reviewed and discussed with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, which agreed with management’s recommendations and concluded on October 22, 2004, that the impairment charges described below are required under generally accepted accounting principles.

Testing Approach

Goodwill

The goodwill impairment test requires that a company estimate the fair value of the business enterprise at the reporting unit level, that is, the operating segment or one reporting level below the operating segment. The fair value of a reporting unit was calculated with the assistance of an independent third party valuation specialist using discounted cash flows. The discounted cash flows were estimated utilizing various assumptions regarding future revenue and expenses, working capital, terminal value, and discount rates. The underlying assumptions used were consistent with those used in the strategic plan. If the fair value of the reporting unit was less than its carrying amount at the valuation date, an impairment loss was recognized to the extent that the implied fair value of the goodwill within the reporting unit was less than the recorded amount of goodwill.

Other Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets, primarily Trademarks and Tradenames

The impairment test for other indefinite-lived intangible assets, primarily trademarks and tradenames (intangible assets), requires that a company determine the fair value of the intangible asset. Generally, the fair value of the intangible assets was calculated with the assistance of an independent third party valuation specialist using discounted cash flows associated with the underlying intangible asset. The discounted cash flows were estimated utilizing various assumptions regarding future revenue and expenses, working capital, terminal value, and discount rates. The underlying assumptions used were consistent with those used in the strategic plan. The fair value of the intangible asset was then compared to the carrying value. If the fair value of the intangible asset was less than its carrying amount, an impairment charge was recorded.

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Other Long-Lived Assets, primarily Fixed Assets and Patents

In accordance with SFAS No. 144, the Company evaluated if there were impairment indicators present related to its fixed assets and other long-term assets. If impairment indicators were present, future cash flows related to the asset group was estimated. The sum of the undiscounted future cash flows attributable to the asset group was then compared to the carrying amount of the asset group. The cash flows were estimated utilizing various assumptions regarding future revenue and expenses, working capital, and proceeds from asset disposals on a basis consistent with the strategic plan. If the carrying amount exceeded the sum of the future undiscounted future cash flows, the Company discounted the future cash flows using a risk-free discount rate and recorded an impairment charge as the difference between the discounted cash flows and the carrying value of the asset group. Generally, the Company performed its testing of the asset group at the product-line level, as this is the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are available.

As a result of the impairment testing described above, the Company recorded a noncash $348.9 million ($332.8 million, net of tax) impairment charge in the third quarter as follows:

Cleaning & Organization

The European Cleaning & Organization business was previously classified in the fix portfolio of the Company’s business, as management believed that the restructuring and other investments made in the business would produce favorable returns in the future. These expected returns have not materialized and the Company is currently exploring alternatives for this business. Accordingly, an impairment charge was recorded to write the long-lived assets down to fair value (disposal value). The write-down of fixed assets is expected to decrease depreciation expense in 2005 by approximately $5 million.

Office Products

The impairment charge recorded in the Office Products segment is primarily a result of three factors:

•		Prior year restructuring activity related to a product line in the European business has not resulted in the expected returns, and management is currently exploring alternatives for this product line. Accordingly, an impairment charge was recorded to write the long-lived assets down to fair value (disposal value). The impairment charge recognized on this product line was $80.8 million, of which $8.5 million related to the write-down of fixed assets. The write-down of fixed assets is expected to decrease depreciation expense in 2005 by approximately $1 million.
•		In the European business, the Company has historically promoted and supported several different brands in the everyday writing category. In the third quarter management developed a plan to consolidate certain brands in Europe in this category. This new plan results from several factors:

	•		The Company believes that rationalizing its brands will enable the Company to more effectively allocate capital and other resources. In this regard, the Company is focused on promoting its brands globally and reducing the reliance on local or regional brands.
	•		The brand that is targeted for rationalization has experienced sales declines, especially in the current year, and management believes it has more effective investment opportunities outside of this brand.

		As a result of this plan, the Company recognized an impairment charge of $123.1 million related to this product line.
•		In the third quarter, management decided to rationalize several trademarks and trade names (brands), primarily in the Latin America businesses. The current plan is to reduce the number of brands from 76 to 12 over the next three years.

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As a result of this decision, the Company determined that certain brands that were previously considered to have indefinite lives were impaired. Accordingly, the Company wrote these trademarks and tradenames down to their fair value and will begin amortizing these brands over their remaining useful lives (generally three years). As a result of this reclassification, amortization expense is expected to increase by approximately $3 million in 2005. The total impairment charge recognized as a result of the decision to rationalize brands was $37.2 million.

Home Fashions

Management decided to rationalize certain trademarks and tradenames (brands), primarily in the United Kingdom home fashions business, in order to focus on promoting more effective brands. As a result of this decision the Company determined that these brands became impaired and accordingly, these trademarks and tradenames, as well as certain associated patents, have been written off. The impairment charge associated with this decision was $17.2 million. Additionally, primarily as a result of an increase from the prior year in the discount rate (risk adjusted rate) used in calculating the enterprises’ fair value, an impairment charge of $8.4 million was recorded on goodwill. As of September 30, 2004, there was $23.9 million of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets relating to this business.

Tools & Hardware / Other

The impairment charge recorded in the Tools & Hardware and Other segments primarily relates to patents that the Company will allow to expire and fixed assets that are currently held for sale, and accordingly, have been written down to fair value.

In the second quarter of 2004, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $25.1 million as follows:

	•		In the first quarter of 2004, the Company began exploring various options for certain businesses and product lines in the Home Fashions and Tools & Hardware reportable segments, including evaluating those businesses for potential sale. As this process progressed, the Company determined that the businesses had a net book value in excess of their fair value. Due to the apparent decline in value, the Company conducted an impairment test in the second quarter and recorded an impairment loss to write the net assets of these businesses and product lines to fair value.
	•		In 2004, the Company made the decision to exit certain product lines, which resulted in the impairment of fixed assets, primarily in the Cleaning & Organization segment. The Company determined the fair value of the fixed assets by estimating the future cash flows attributable to these fixed assets, including an estimate of the ultimate sale proceeds. Accordingly, the Company recorded a charge to write the assets to their estimated fair value.

The Company cannot predict whether certain events might occur that would adversely affect the reported value of the remaining goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. Such events may include, but are not limited to, strategic decisions made in response to economic and competitive conditions, the impact of the economic environment on the Company’s customer base, or a material adverse change in its relationship with significant customers. Additionally, increases in the risk adjusted rate could result in additional impairment charges.

Note 3 — Restructuring Costs

In the second quarter of 2004, the Company completed its accounting charges associated with its strategic restructuring plan (the “Plan”) announced on May 3, 2001. The specific objectives of the Plan were to streamline the Company’s supply chain to become the best-cost global provider throughout the Company’s portfolio by reducing worldwide headcount and consolidating duplicative manufacturing facilities. The Company recorded $462 million in restructuring charges under the Plan, including $84.2 million on discontinued operations. The following analysis excludes the restructuring amounts related to discontinued operations.

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Pre-tax restructuring costs consisted of the following (in millions):

Restructuring provisions were determined based on estimates prepared at the time the restructuring actions were approved by management, and also include amounts recognized as incurred. In the second quarter, the Company reduced its restructuring reserve by approximately $10.0 million, primarily as a result of higher proceeds received from fixed asset disposals. Cash paid for restructuring activities was $28.1 million and $16.3 million for the third quarters of 2004 and 2003, respectively. Cash paid for restructuring activities was $68.6 million and $63.4 million in the first nine months of 2004 and 2003, respectively.

A summary of the Company’s restructuring plan reserves is as follows (in millions):

The facility and other exit cost reserves are primarily related to future minimum lease payments on vacated facilities and other closure costs. The remaining restructuring reserve will require cash payments to settle the liabilities.

Under the Plan, the Company exited 84 facilities and reduced headcount by approximately 12,000. The Company expects total annual savings of between $125 and $150 million ($105 to $115 million related to the reduced headcount, $10 to $20 million related to reduced depreciation, and $10 to $15 million related to other cash savings). The following table depicts the changes in accrued restructuring reserves for the nine months ended September 30, aggregated by reportable business segment (in millions):

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Note 4 – Discontinued Operations

On January 31, 2004, the Company completed the sale of its Panex Brazilian low-end cookware division (previously reported in the Other operating segment) and European picture frames businesses (previously reported in the Home Fashions operating segment).

On April 13, 2004, the Company sold substantially all of its U.S. picture frame business (Burnes), its Anchor Hocking glassware business and its Mirro cookware business. Under the terms of the agreement and final adjustments relating to the transaction, the Company retained the accounts receivable of the businesses, and total proceeds, including the retained receivables, as a result of the transaction were $304 million. The Burnes picture frame business was previously reported in the Home Fashions operating segment, while the Anchor Hocking and Mirro businesses were previously reported in the Other operating segment. In September 2004, as part of the final adjustments relating to the transaction, the Company recorded an additional loss of approximately $1.0 million on this sale.

On July 1, 2004, the Company completed the sale of Little Tikes Commercial Playground Systems Inc. (“LTCPS”) to PlayPower, Inc. for approximately $41 million. LTCPS was previously reported in the Other operating segment, as a unit of the Company’s Little Tikes division. LTCPS is a manufacturer of commercial playground systems and contained playground environments. The Company will retain the consumer portion of its Little Tikes division. The Company recognized a gain on the sale of LTCPS of $14.3 million ($9.6 million, net of tax) in the third quarter of 2004. For the year ended December 31, 2003, LTCPS contributed approximately $60 million of sales to the Company.

The following table summarizes the results of the discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 (in millions):

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No amounts related to interest expense have been allocated to discontinued operations.

The following table presents summarized balance sheet information of the discontinued operations as of December 31, 2003 (in millions):

There were no assets or liabilities attributable to discontinued operations as of September 30, 2004.

Note 5 – Income Taxes

During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, the statute of limitations on certain transactions for which the Company had provided tax reserves, in whole or in part, expired resulting in the reversal of the provisions and interest accrued thereon in the amount of $37.4 million. Accordingly, the impact was recorded in income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 2004.

In addition, due to significant restructuring activity and certain changes in the Company’s business model affecting the utilization of net operating loss carryovers, particularly in certain European countries, the valuation allowance on certain net operating losses previously tax-benefited has been increased by $31.0 million. This amount was recorded in income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 2004.

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In the three months ended September 30, 2004, the Company received notification from the Internal Revenue Service that it would receive a refund of $2.9 million relating to amounts previously paid. Accordingly, this amount has been recorded in income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004.

Note 6 – Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market value. The components of inventories, net of LIFO reserve, were as follows (in millions):

Note 7 – Long-term Debt

The following is a summary of long-term debt (in millions):

Effective March 9, 2004, the Company terminated an interest rate swap agreement prior to the scheduled maturity date and received cash of $9.2 million. Of this amount $5.5 million represents the fair value of the swap that was terminated and the remainder represents net interest receivable on the swap. The cash received relating to the fair value of the swap has been included in Other as an operating activity in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The unamortized gain on the terminated interest rate swap is accounted for as long-term debt (of which $0.7 million is classified as current). On March 9, 2004, the Company entered into a fixed to floating rate swap that effectively replaced the terminated swap.

Note 8 – Employee Benefit and Retirement Plans

The following table presents the components of the Company’s pension expense for the three months ended September 30, (in millions):

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The following table presents the components of the Company’s pension expense for the nine months ended September 30, (in millions):

The following table presents the components of the Company’s other postretirement benefits expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, (in millions):

In the third quarter of 2004, the Company made a voluntary $50.0 million cash contribution to fund the Company’s pension plan.

Note 9 — Earnings per Share

The calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, is shown below (in millions, except per share data):

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Note 10 – Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Accumulated other comprehensive loss encompasses foreign currency translation adjustments, net losses on derivative instruments and net minimum pension liability adjustments and is recorded within stockholders’ equity.

The following table displays the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss (in millions):

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Total comprehensive (loss) income amounted to the following (in millions):

Note 11 — Industry Segments

The Company’s reporting segments reflect the Company’s focus on building large consumer brands, promoting organizational integration, achieving operating efficiencies and aligning the businesses with the Company’s strategic account management strategy. The Company reports its results in five reportable segments as follows:

The Company’s segment results are as follows (in millions):

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Geographic Area Information

Note 12 – Contingencies

The Company is involved in legal proceedings in the ordinary course of its business. These proceedings include claims for damages arising out of use of the Company’s products, allegations of infringement of intellectual property, commercial disputes and employment related matters, as well as environmental matters. Some of the legal proceedings include claims for punitive as well as compensatory damages, and a few proceedings purport to be class actions.

Although management of the Company cannot predict the ultimate outcome of these legal proceedings with certainty, it believes that the ultimate resolution of the Company’s legal proceedings, including any amounts it may be required to pay in excess of amounts reserved, will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

In the normal course of business and as part of its acquisition and divestiture strategy, the Company may provide certain representations and indemnifications related to legal, environmental, product liability, tax or other types of issues. Based on the nature of these representations and indemnifications, it is not possible to predict the maximum potential payments under all of these agreements due to the conditional nature of the Company’s obligations and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Historically, payments made by the Company under these agreements did not have a material effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operation.

Note 13 – Subsequent Event

On October 12, 2004, the Company purchased 825,000 shares of its Preferred Securities from a holder for $43.6875 per share. The Company paid a total of $36 million.

On November 4, 2004, the Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.21 per share on the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable December 3, 2004 to common stockholders of record on November 16, 2004.

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Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Overview

The Company made significant progress in the first nine months of 2004 toward achieving its previously announced 2004 key objectives. The Company’s key objectives for 2004, and the progress made in the first nine months of 2004 toward achieving such priorities, are highlighted below:

1. Continue to divest non-strategic businesses: The Company has completed its previously announced plan to divest certain under-performing, non-strategic businesses in order to concentrate on leveraging brand strength and product innovation in its core portfolio of businesses. In January 2004, the Company completed the sale of its Panex Brazilian low-end cookware division and European picture frames businesses. In April 2004, the Company sold substantially all of its U.S. picture frames business (Burnes), its Anchor Hocking glassware business and its Mirro cookware business for total proceeds of approximately $304 million (after final negotiations). On July 1, 2004, the Company completed the sale of Little Tikes Commercial Playground Systems Inc. (“LTCPS”) to PlayPower, Inc. for approximately $41 million. LTCPS is a manufacturer of commercial playground systems and contained playground environments. The Company will retain the consumer portion of its Little Tikes division.

In connection with these divestitures, the Company recorded an after-tax loss on the sale of these businesses of approximately $91 million in the nine months ending September 30, 2004. Total 2003 sales of the divested businesses were $851.0 million. The divestitures of these businesses are expected to reduce 2004 earnings per share by approximately $0.11 to $0.13, exclusive of the loss to be recognized in 2004. In addition, the divestitures are expected to reduce operating cash flow by $40 to $45 million, annually.

2. Complete the 2001 restructuring plan: In the second quarter of 2004, the Company completed the accounting charges associated with its 2001 restructuring plan. The 2001 restructuring plan resulted in total charges of $462 million, including previously recognized charges on discontinued operations of $84.2 million. In total, the Company exited 84 facilities and reduced headcount by approximately 12,000. The Company expects total annual savings to be approximately $125 to $150 million as a result of this restructuring program.

3. Continue to rationalize low-margin product lines: In the first nine months of 2004, the Company exited approximately $200 million in sales of low-margin product lines. The Company will continue to rationalize low-margin product lines throughout 2004. The completion of this program is expected to reduce annual sales by $275 million.

4. Deploy Newell Operational Excellence (NWL OPEX): The Company is committed to reducing costs by at least 5% annually. In connection with this goal, the Company is committed to deploying and implementing NWL OPEX, which is a methodical process focused on lean manufacturing. It includes installing the right manufacturing and distribution metrics and driving improvement quarter after quarter. In addition to cost reduction, other key components of NWL OPEX are improved quality and service levels and the reduction of inventory and lead times. The Company’s program for driving productivity throughout its manufacturing network gained traction in the first nine months of 2004. The Company delivered approximately $86 million of gross productivity savings during the first nine months of 2004.

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Results of Operations

The following table sets forth for the periods indicated items from the Consolidated Statements of Operations as a percentage of net sales (in millions, except percentages):