· operating margin increased 50 basis points to 19.9 % in fiscal year 2015 from 19.4 % in fiscal year 2014 , reflecting a higher gross margin and slightly lower marketing costs , partially offset by higher selling , general and administrative expenses ( “ sg & a ” ) . · during the second quarter , the company settled its previously announced termination of an international pension plan and recorded an $ 8.9 charge in sg & a . · also during the second quarter , the company recorded a $ 17.0 impairment charge associated with its remaining investment in natronx . · the company reported diluted net earnings per share in fiscal year 2015 of $ 3.07 , an increase of approximately 2.0 % from fiscal year 2014 diluted net earnings per share of $ 3.01 . · cash provided by operations was $ 606.1 , a $ 65.8 increase from the prior year , which includes higher cash earnings and improved working capital . 34 church & dwight co. , inc and subsidiaries ( dollars in millions , except share and per share data ) · the company returned $ 538.4 to its stockholders through dividends and share repurchases . strategic goals , challenges and initiatives the company 's ability to generate sales depends on consumer demand for its products and retail customers ' decisions to carry its products , which are , in part , affected by general economic conditions in its markets . in 2015 , many of the markets in which the company operates continued to experience general economic softness and weak or inconsistent consumer demand . although the company 's consumer products generally are consumer staples and less vulnerable to decreases in discretionary spending than other products , the continued economic downturn has reduced demand in many categories , particularly those in personal care , and affected company sales in recent periods . some customers have responded to economic conditions by increasing their private label offerings ( primarily in the dietary supplements , diagnostic kits and oral analgesics categories ) , and consolidating the product selections they offer to the top few leading brands in each category . in addition , an increasing portion of the company 's product categories are being sold by club stores , dollar stores and mass merchandisers . these customer actions have placed downward pressure on the company 's sales and gross margins . the company expects a competitive marketplace in 2016 due to new product introductions by competitors and continuing aggressive competitive pricing pressures . in the u.s. , an improving unemployment rate and higher disposable income due to low gasoline prices are expected to have a positive effect on consumption patterns . to continue to deliver attractive results for stockholders in this environment , the company intends to continue to aggressively pursue several key strategic initiatives : maintain competitive marketing and trade spending , tightly control its cost structure , continue to develop and launch new and differentiated products , and pursue strategic acquisitions . the company also intends to continue to grow its product sales geographically ( in an attempt to mitigate the impact of weakness in any one area ) , and maintain an offering of premium and value brand products ( to appeal to a wide range of consumers ) . the company continues to experience heightened competitive activity in certain product categories from other larger multinational competitors , some of which have greater resources . such activities have included new product introductions , more aggressive product claims and marketing challenges , as well as increased promotional spending . since the introduction in the u.s. of unit dose laundry detergent by various manufacturers , including the company , there has been significant product and price competition in the laundry detergent category . for example , p & g , one of the company 's major competitors and the market leader in laundry detergent markets a lower-priced line of laundry detergents that competes directly with the company 's core value laundry detergents . additionally , henkel has entered the u.s. market with persil , its leading worldwide premium laundry detergent . while it is too early to assess what impact this will have on the premium laundry category or the company 's laundry detergent business , the introduction of persil could precipitate greater price competition in the category and distribution pressure with a potential adverse impact on oxiclean laundry detergent . the company continues to evaluate and vigorously combat the pressures in the laundry detergent category through , among other things , new product introductions and increased marketing spending . while the category grew 1.6 % in 2015 , after experiencing declines in 2013 and 2014 , there is no assurance the category will not decline and that the company will be able to offset any such decline . the company has responded to these competitive pressures by , among other things , focusing on strengthening its key brands , including increased focus on the arm & hammer , oxiclean , trojan and l'il critters and vitafusion mega brands through the launch of innovative new products , which span various product categories , including premium and value household products supported by increased marketing and trade spending . together , they represented approximately 60 % of the company 's sales and profits in 2015. these mega brands have advantages over other power brands , including the ability to leverage research and development and marketing investments and lower overhead costs across mega brand categories . for example , the company 's 2014 responsive product introductions include the simultaneous launch of oxiclean branded products into the mid/premium tier laundry detergent segment , and auto dish detergent category and bleach alternatives with continued support of , and innovation in , the company 's base arm & hammer and oxiclean businesses , to create scale and maximize marketing efforts . story_separator_special_tag the company 's operating units are consistent with its reportable segments . consolidated results 2015 compared to 2014 replace_table_token_10_th net sales net sales for the year ended december 31 , 2015 were $ 3,394.8 , an increase of $ 97.2 , or approximately 2.9 % compared to 2014 net sales . the components of the net sales increase are as follows : net sales - consolidated december 31 , 2015 product volumes sold 3.1 % pricing/product mix 0.5 % foreign exchange rate fluctuations / other ( 2.7 % ) acquired product lines ( 1 ) 2.0 % net sales increase 2.9 % ( 1 ) on september 19 , 2014 , the company acquired certain brands in the lil ' drug store brands acquisition ( the ( “ lil ' drug store brands acquisition ” ) and on january 2 , 2015 , the company acquired certain assets of varied industries corporation ( the “ vi-cor acquisition ” ) . net sales of these acquisitions are included in the company 's results since the date of acquisition . all three segments reported volume increases and favorable price/mix for the year ended december 31 , 2015. gross profit the company 's gross profit for 2015 was $ 1,511.8 , a $ 58.9 increase compared to 2014. gross margin was 44.5 % in 2015 compared to 44.1 % in 2014 , a 40 basis points ( “ bps ” ) increase . the increase is due to 30 bps associated with higher volume , price and mix , favorable impact associated with the lil ' drug store brands and vi-cor acquisitions of 40 bps , lower commodity costs of 70 bps , partially offset by higher manufacturing costs ( net of productivity programs and including higher than anticipated start-up costs associated with the company 's new vitamin manufacturing facility ) of 70 bps and unfavorable foreign exchange rates of 30 bps . the higher volume , price and mix favorability included higher trade promotion and couponing to continue to support proven consumer trial generating activities for the oxiclean megabrand . operating costs marketing expenses for 2015 were $ 417.5 , an increase of $ 0.6 compared to 2014. the reason the increase was small was due to shifting some marketing funds to trade promotion and couponing to continue to support proven consumer trial generating activities for the oxiclean megabrand . marketing expenses as a percentage of net sales decreased 30 bps to 12.3 % in 2015 compared to 12.6 % in 2014. this is due to 30 bps from leverage of expenses on higher sales . 39 church & dwight co. , inc and subsidiaries ( dollars in millions , except share and per share data ) selling , general and administrative expenses ( “ sg & a ” ) expenses for 2015 were $ 420.1 , a n in crease of $ 25.3 or 6.4 % compared to 201 4 due primarily to both on-going and one-time costs associated with the lil ' drug store brands and vi-cor acquisitions , higher compensation related costs , higher legal and research and development expenses and an $ 8.9 pension settlement charge in the second quarter of 2015. the increase was partially offset by lower foreign exchange rates . sg & a as a percentage of net sales increased 20 bps to 12.3 % in 2015 compared to 12 . 1 % in 2014. the increase is due to higher costs of 50 bps , including 25 bps associated with the pension charge , partially offset by 30 bps of leverage associated with higher sales . other income and expenses equity in earnings of affiliates for 2015 was a loss of $ 5.8 compared to earnings of $ 11.6 in 2014. the decrease in earnings was primarily due to a $ 17.0 impairment charge associated with the company 's remaining investment in natronx recorded in the second quarter of 2015. this charge is primarily a result of lower than expected demand for the joint venture 's products as a result of a shift in the electric utility industry from coal-fired to natural gas-supplied power plants , continued delays in the implementation of updated federal regulations , and indirectly , the recent u.s. supreme court ruling against the environmental protection agency ( “ epa ” ) where the court stated that the epa failed to properly consider the costs to implement the regulations . we believe that the foregoing factors will likely further delay the demand for these products . interest expense in 2015 was $ 30.5 , an increase of $ 3.1 compared to 2014 due to a higher amount of average debt outstanding . taxation the 2015 tax rate was 35.4 % compared to 33.8 % in 2014. the 2015 tax rate was negatively impacted by a valuation allowance recorded in connection with the natronx impairment charge . the tax rate for 2014 was favorably impacted by discrete adjustments related to uncertain income tax positions . 2014 compared to 2013 net sales net sales for the year ended december 31 , 2014 were $ 3,297.6 , an increase of $ 103.3 , or approximately 3.2 % compared to 2013 net sales . the components of the net sales increase are as follows : replace_table_token_11_th ( 1 ) on september 19 , 2014 , the company acquired certain feminine care brands from lil ' drug store products inc. net sales of the brands acquired in the lil ' drug store brands acquisition are included in the company 's results since the date of acquisition . all three segments reported volume increases for the year ended december 31 , 2014. the unfavorable price/mix in the consumer domestic segment , primarily due to new product introductory costs and a higher level of trade and coupon promotion for existing products was partially offset by favorable price/mix in spd . gross profit the company 's gross profit for 2014 was $ 1,452.9 , a $ 14.9 increase compared

liquidity and capital resources on december 4 , 2015 , the company replaced its former $ 600.0 unsecured revolving credit facility with a $ 1,000.0 unsecured revolving credit facility ( as amended from time to time , the “ credit agreement ” ) . under the credit agreement , the company has the ability to increase its borrowing up to an additional $ 600.0 , subject to lender commitments and certain conditions as described in the credit agreement . borrowings under the credit agreement are available for general corporate purposes and are used to support the company 's $ 500.0 commercial paper program ( the “ program ” ) . total combined borrowing for both the credit agreement and the program may not exceed $ 1,000.0. unless extended , the credit agreement will terminate and all amounts outstanding thereunder will be due and payable on december 4 , 2020. as of december 31 , 2015 , the company had $ 330.0 in cash and cash equivalents , approximately $ 641.0 available through the revolving facility under its credit agreement and its commercial paper program , and a commitment increase feature under the credit agreement that enables the company to borrow up to an additional $ 600.0 , subject to lending commitments of the participating lenders and certain conditions as described in the credit agreement . to preserve its liquidity , the company invests its cash primarily in prime money market funds and short term bank deposits . during the second quarter of 2015 , the company liquidated its subsidiary in the netherlands and decided that the earnings of its subsidiary in france would no longer be permanently reinvested outside of the u.s. as a result , the company repatriated cash of $ 93.0. the funds repatriated were used to reduce outstanding commercial paper .


 Write a concise suspicious activity report of the following text delimited by triple backquotes. Return your response as a formal report which covers the key points highlighting the location,dates,entity names and account holder information in chronological order of the text.
     ```liquidity and capital resources on december 4 , 2015 , the company replaced its former $ 600.0 unsecured revolving credit facility with a $ 1,000.0 unsecured revolving credit facility ( as amended from time to time , the “ credit agreement ” ) . under the credit agreement , the company has the ability to increase its borrowing up to an additional $ 600.0 , subject to lender commitments and certain conditions as described in the credit agreement . borrowings under the credit agreement are available for general corporate purposes and are used to support the company 's $ 500.0 commercial paper program ( the “ program ” ) . total combined borrowing for both the credit agreement and the program may not exceed $ 1,000.0. unless extended , the credit agreement will terminate and all amounts outstanding thereunder will be due and payable on december 4 , 2020. as of december 31 , 2015 , the company had $ 330.0 in cash and cash equivalents , approximately $ 641.0 available through the revolving facility under its credit agreement and its commercial paper program , and a commitment increase feature under the credit agreement that enables the company to borrow up to an additional $ 600.0 , subject to lending commitments of the participating lenders and certain conditions as described in the credit agreement . to preserve its liquidity , the company invests its cash primarily in prime money market funds and short term bank deposits . during the second quarter of 2015 , the company liquidated its subsidiary in the netherlands and decided that the earnings of its subsidiary in france would no longer be permanently reinvested outside of the u.s. as a result , the company repatriated cash of $ 93.0. the funds repatriated were used to reduce outstanding commercial paper .
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 Suspicious Activity Report : · operating margin increased 50 basis points to 19.9 % in fiscal year 2015 from 19.4 % in fiscal year 2014 , reflecting a higher gross margin and slightly lower marketing costs , partially offset by higher selling , general and administrative expenses ( “ sg & a ” ) . · during the second quarter , the company settled its previously announced termination of an international pension plan and recorded an $ 8.9 charge in sg & a . · also during the second quarter , the company recorded a $ 17.0 impairment charge associated with its remaining investment in natronx . · the company reported diluted net earnings per share in fiscal year 2015 of $ 3.07 , an increase of approximately 2.0 % from fiscal year 2014 diluted net earnings per share of $ 3.01 . · cash provided by operations was $ 606.1 , a $ 65.8 increase from the prior year , which includes higher cash earnings and improved working capital . 34 church & dwight co. , inc and subsidiaries ( dollars in millions , except share and per share data ) · the company returned $ 538.4 to its stockholders through dividends and share repurchases . strategic goals , challenges and initiatives the company 's ability to generate sales depends on consumer demand for its products and retail customers ' decisions to carry its products , which are , in part , affected by general economic conditions in its markets . in 2015 , many of the markets in which the company operates continued to experience general economic softness and weak or inconsistent consumer demand . although the company 's consumer products generally are consumer staples and less vulnerable to decreases in discretionary spending than other products , the continued economic downturn has reduced demand in many categories , particularly those in personal care , and affected company sales in recent periods . some customers have responded to economic conditions by increasing their private label offerings ( primarily in the dietary supplements , diagnostic kits and oral analgesics categories ) , and consolidating the product selections they offer to the top few leading brands in each category . in addition , an increasing portion of the company 's product categories are being sold by club stores , dollar stores and mass merchandisers . these customer actions have placed downward pressure on the company 's sales and gross margins . the company expects a competitive marketplace in 2016 due to new product introductions by competitors and continuing aggressive competitive pricing pressures . in the u.s. , an improving unemployment rate and higher disposable income due to low gasoline prices are expected to have a positive effect on consumption patterns . to continue to deliver attractive results for stockholders in this environment , the company intends to continue to aggressively pursue several key strategic initiatives : maintain competitive marketing and trade spending , tightly control its cost structure , continue to develop and launch new and differentiated products , and pursue strategic acquisitions . the company also intends to continue to grow its product sales geographically ( in an attempt to mitigate the impact of weakness in any one area ) , and maintain an offering of premium and value brand products ( to appeal to a wide range of consumers ) . the company continues to experience heightened competitive activity in certain product categories from other larger multinational competitors , some of which have greater resources . such activities have included new product introductions , more aggressive product claims and marketing challenges , as well as increased promotional spending . since the introduction in the u.s. of unit dose laundry detergent by various manufacturers , including the company , there has been significant product and price competition in the laundry detergent category . for example , p & g , one of the company 's major competitors and the market leader in laundry detergent markets a lower-priced line of laundry detergents that competes directly with the company 's core value laundry detergents . additionally , henkel has entered the u.s. market with persil , its leading worldwide premium laundry detergent . while it is too early to assess what impact this will have on the premium laundry category or the company 's laundry detergent business , the introduction of persil could precipitate greater price competition in the category and distribution pressure with a potential adverse impact on oxiclean laundry detergent . the company continues to evaluate and vigorously combat the pressures in the laundry detergent category through , among other things , new product introductions and increased marketing spending . while the category grew 1.6 % in 2015 , after experiencing declines in 2013 and 2014 , there is no assurance the category will not decline and that the company will be able to offset any such decline . the company has responded to these competitive pressures by , among other things , focusing on strengthening its key brands , including increased focus on the arm & hammer , oxiclean , trojan and l'il critters and vitafusion mega brands through the launch of innovative new products , which span various product categories , including premium and value household products supported by increased marketing and trade spending . together , they represented approximately 60 % of the company 's sales and profits in 2015. these mega brands have advantages over other power brands , including the ability to leverage research and development and marketing investments and lower overhead costs across mega brand categories . for example , the company 's 2014 responsive product introductions include the simultaneous launch of oxiclean branded products into the mid/premium tier laundry detergent segment , and auto dish detergent category and bleach alternatives with continued support of , and innovation in , the company 's base arm & hammer and oxiclean businesses , to create scale and maximize marketing efforts . story_separator_special_tag the company 's operating units are consistent with its reportable segments . consolidated results 2015 compared to 2014 replace_table_token_10_th net sales net sales for the year ended december 31 , 2015 were $ 3,394.8 , an increase of $ 97.2 , or approximately 2.9 % compared to 2014 net sales . the components of the net sales increase are as follows : net sales - consolidated december 31 , 2015 product volumes sold 3.1 % pricing/product mix 0.5 % foreign exchange rate fluctuations / other ( 2.7 % ) acquired product lines ( 1 ) 2.0 % net sales increase 2.9 % ( 1 ) on september 19 , 2014 , the company acquired certain brands in the lil ' drug store brands acquisition ( the ( “ lil ' drug store brands acquisition ” ) and on january 2 , 2015 , the company acquired certain assets of varied industries corporation ( the “ vi-cor acquisition ” ) . net sales of these acquisitions are included in the company 's results since the date of acquisition . all three segments reported volume increases and favorable price/mix for the year ended december 31 , 2015. gross profit the company 's gross profit for 2015 was $ 1,511.8 , a $ 58.9 increase compared to 2014. gross margin was 44.5 % in 2015 compared to 44.1 % in 2014 , a 40 basis points ( “ bps ” ) increase . the increase is due to 30 bps associated with higher volume , price and mix , favorable impact associated with the lil ' drug store brands and vi-cor acquisitions of 40 bps , lower commodity costs of 70 bps , partially offset by higher manufacturing costs ( net of productivity programs and including higher than anticipated start-up costs associated with the company 's new vitamin manufacturing facility ) of 70 bps and unfavorable foreign exchange rates of 30 bps . the higher volume , price and mix favorability included higher trade promotion and couponing to continue to support proven consumer trial generating activities for the oxiclean megabrand . operating costs marketing expenses for 2015 were $ 417.5 , an increase of $ 0.6 compared to 2014. the reason the increase was small was due to shifting some marketing funds to trade promotion and couponing to continue to support proven consumer trial generating activities for the oxiclean megabrand . marketing expenses as a percentage of net sales decreased 30 bps to 12.3 % in 2015 compared to 12.6 % in 2014. this is due to 30 bps from leverage of expenses on higher sales . 39 church & dwight co. , inc and subsidiaries ( dollars in millions , except share and per share data ) selling , general and administrative expenses ( “ sg & a ” ) expenses for 2015 were $ 420.1 , a n in crease of $ 25.3 or 6.4 % compared to 201 4 due primarily to both on-going and one-time costs associated with the lil ' drug store brands and vi-cor acquisitions , higher compensation related costs , higher legal and research and development expenses and an $ 8.9 pension settlement charge in the second quarter of 2015. the increase was partially offset by lower foreign exchange rates . sg & a as a percentage of net sales increased 20 bps to 12.3 % in 2015 compared to 12 . 1 % in 2014. the increase is due to higher costs of 50 bps , including 25 bps associated with the pension charge , partially offset by 30 bps of leverage associated with higher sales . other income and expenses equity in earnings of affiliates for 2015 was a loss of $ 5.8 compared to earnings of $ 11.6 in 2014. the decrease in earnings was primarily due to a $ 17.0 impairment charge associated with the company 's remaining investment in natronx recorded in the second quarter of 2015. this charge is primarily a result of lower than expected demand for the joint venture 's products as a result of a shift in the electric utility industry from coal-fired to natural gas-supplied power plants , continued delays in the implementation of updated federal regulations , and indirectly , the recent u.s. supreme court ruling against the environmental protection agency ( “ epa ” ) where the court stated that the epa failed to properly consider the costs to implement the regulations . we believe that the foregoing factors will likely further delay the demand for these products . interest expense in 2015 was $ 30.5 , an increase of $ 3.1 compared to 2014 due to a higher amount of average debt outstanding . taxation the 2015 tax rate was 35.4 % compared to 33.8 % in 2014. the 2015 tax rate was negatively impacted by a valuation allowance recorded in connection with the natronx impairment charge . the tax rate for 2014 was favorably impacted by discrete adjustments related to uncertain income tax positions . 2014 compared to 2013 net sales net sales for the year ended december 31 , 2014 were $ 3,297.6 , an increase of $ 103.3 , or approximately 3.2 % compared to 2013 net sales . the components of the net sales increase are as follows : replace_table_token_11_th ( 1 ) on september 19 , 2014 , the company acquired certain feminine care brands from lil ' drug store products inc. net sales of the brands acquired in the lil ' drug store brands acquisition are included in the company 's results since the date of acquisition . all three segments reported volume increases for the year ended december 31 , 2014. the unfavorable price/mix in the consumer domestic segment , primarily due to new product introductory costs and a higher level of trade and coupon promotion for existing products was partially offset by favorable price/mix in spd . gross profit the company 's gross profit for 2014 was $ 1,452.9 , a $ 14.9 increase compared

