Hubbell Incorporated (herein referred to as “Hubbell”, the “Company”, the “registrant”, “we”, “our” or “us”, which references shall include its divisions and subsidiaries as the context may require) was founded as a proprietorship in 1888, and was incorporated in Connecticut in 1905. Hubbell is primarily engaged in the design, manufacture and sale of quality electrical and electronic products for a broad range of non-residential and residential construction, industrial and utility applications. Products are either sourced complete, manufactured or assembled by subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the People’s Republic of China (“China”), Italy, the United Kingdom (“UK”), Brazil, Australia, Spain and Ireland. Hubbell also participates in joint ventures in Taiwan, and Hong Kong and the Philippines, and maintains offices in Singapore, Italy, China, India, Mexico, South Korea, Chile, and countries in the Middle East.

The Electrical segment (70%(59% of consolidated revenues in 2015,2018 , 69% in 2017 and 71%70% in 2014 and 2013)2016) is comprised of businesses that sell stock and custom products including standard and special application wiring device products, rough-in electrical products, connector and grounding products, lighting fixtures and controls, components and assemblies for the natural gas distribution market, as well as other electrical equipment. The products

Products of the Electrical segment are typically used in and around industrial, commercial and institutional facilities by electrical contractors, maintenance personnel, electricians, utilities, and telecommunications companies. In addition, certain businesses design and manufacture a variety of high voltage test and measurement equipment, industrial controls and communication systems used in the non-residential and industrial markets. Many of these products are designed such that they can also be used in harsh and hazardous locations where a potential for fire and explosion exists due to the presence of flammable gasses and vapors. Harsh and hazardous products are primarily used in the oil and gas (onshore and offshore) and mining industries. There are also a variety of lighting fixtures, wiring devices and electrical products that have residential and utility applications.applications, including residential products with Internet-of-Things ("IoT") enabled technologies.

There are no family relationships betweenamong any of the above-named executive officers.officers and directors. For information related to our Board of Directors, refer to Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

Various countries, and regions, including, without limitation, China, Mexico, Canada and Europe, have announced plans or intentions to impose or have imposed tariffs on a wide range of U.S. products in retaliation for new U.S. tariffs. These actions could, in turn, result in additional tariffs being adopted by the U.S. These conditions and future actions could have a significant adverse effect on world trade and the world economy. To the extent that trade tariffs and other restrictions imposed by the United States increase the price of, or limit the amount of, raw materials and finished goods imported into the United States, the costs of our raw materials may be adversely affected and the demand from our customers for products and services may be diminished, which could adversely affect our existing businesses as well asrevenues and profitability.

We cannot predict future trade policy or the terms of any renegotiated trade agreements and their impacts on our resultsbusiness. The adoption and expansion of operations,trade restrictions, the occurrence of a trade war, or other governmental action related to tariffs or trade agreements or policies has the potential to adversely impact demand for our products, our costs, our customers, our suppliers, and the U.S. economy, which in turn could adversely impact our business, financial condition and cash flows.results of operations.

We are subjectOur ability to risks surroundingsustain and grow our information systems.

We cannot provide absolute assurance that our internal controls and compliance systems will always protect us from acts committed by our employees, agents or business partners that would violate U.S. and/or non-U.S. laws, including the laws governing payments to government officials, bribery, fraud, anti-kickback and false claims rules, competition, export and import compliance, money laundering and data privacy. In particular, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act, and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business, and we operate in parts of the world that have experienced governmental corruption to some degree. Despite meaningful measures that we undertake to facilitate lawful conduct, which include training and internal control policies, these measures may not always prevent reckless or criminal acts by our employees or agents. Any such improper actions could damage our reputation and subject us to civil or criminal investigation in the United States and in other jurisdictions, could lead to substantial civil and criminal,

We are a party to a number of legal proceedings and claims, including those involving product liability, intellectual property and environmental matters, which could be significant. It is not possible to predict with certainty the outcome of every claim and lawsuit. In the future, we could incur judgments or enter into settlements of lawsuits and claims that could have a materially adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows.flows, and financial condition. In addition, while we maintain insurance coverage with respect to certain claims, such insurance may not provide adequate coverage against such claims. We establish reserves based on our assessment of contingencies, including contingencies related to legal claims asserted against us. Subsequent developments in legal proceedings may affect our assessment and estimates of the loss contingency recorded as a reserve and require us to make additional payments, which could have a materially adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flow.

We are also subject to various laws and regulations relating to environmental protection and the discharge of materials into the environment, and we could incur substantial costs as a result of the noncompliance with or liability for clean up or other costs or damages under environmental laws. In addition, we could be affected by future laws or regulations, including those imposed in response to climate change concerns. Compliance with any future laws and regulations could result in a materially adverse affecteffect on our business and financial results. See Item 3 “Legal Proceedings” for a discussion of our legal proceedings.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act contains provisions to improve transparency and accountability regarding the use of “conflict” minerals mined from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries (“DRC”). In August 2012 theThe SEC has established annual disclosure and reporting requirements for those companies who use “conflict” minerals sourced from the DRC in their products. These new requirements could limit the pool of suppliers who can provide conflict-free minerals and as a result, we cannot ensure that we will be able to obtain these conflict-free minerals at competitive prices. Compliance with these new requirements may also increase our costs. In addition, we may face challenges with our customers if we are unable to sufficiently verify the origins of the minerals used in our products.

As a portionpercentage of net sales, cost of goods sold increased by 250 basis points to 71.0% of net sales in 2018 as compared to 68.5% in 2017. The increase was primarily driven by acquisitions, as 2018 includes $29.5 million of Aclara acquisition-related costs as well as the effect of adding the operating results of Aclara, which carries a relatively higher cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales (and lower gross margin) as compared to the legacy Hubbell business. The increase also reflects an unfavorable net impact of price and material costs, as rising material costs and the impact of Tariffs outpaced favorable price realization.

The effective tax deductible.rate was 21.6% in 2018 as compared to 43.6% in 2017. The decrease is primarily attributable to the absence of the $56.5 million provisional income tax expense associated with the TCJA recognized in the 2017 financial statements, the reduction of the federal income tax rate from 35% to 21% and net favorable adjustments to the 2017 provisional income tax expense associated with TCJA recognized in the current year.