Risk Management Activities |
(6) Risk Management Activities Many commodities we use in the production and distribution of our products are exposed to market price risks. We utilize derivatives to manage price risk for our principal ingredients and energy costs, including grains (oats, wheat, and corn), oils (principally soybean), dairy products, natural gas, and diesel fuel. Our primary objective when entering into these derivative contracts is to achieve certainty with regard to the future price of commodities purchased for use in our supply chain. We manage our exposures through a combination of purchase orders, long-term contracts with suppliers, exchange-traded futures and options, and over-the-counter options and swaps. We offset our exposures based on current and projected market conditions and generally seek to acquire the inputs at as close as possible to or below our planned cost. We use derivatives to manage our exposure to changes in commodity prices. We do not perform the assessments required to achieve hedge accounting for commodity derivative positions. Accordingly, the changes in the values of these derivatives are recorded currently in cost of sales in our Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Although we do not meet the criteria for cash flow hedge accounting, we believe that these instruments are effective in achieving our objective of providing certainty in the future price of commodities purchased for use in our supply chain. Accordingly, for purposes of measuring segment operating performance, these gains and losses are reported in unallocated corporate items outside of segment operating results until such time that the exposure we are managing affects earnings. At that time, we reclassify the gain or loss from unallocated corporate items to segment operating profit, allowing our operating segments to realize the economic effects of the derivative without experiencing any resulting mark-to-market volatility, which remains in unallocated corporate items. Unallocated corporate items for the quarters and six-month periods ended November 24, 2024, and November 26, 2023, included: Quarter Ended Six-Month Period Ended In Millions Nov. 24, 2024 Nov. 26, 2023 Nov. 24, 2024 Nov. 26, 2023 Net gain (loss) on mark-to-market valuation of certain $ 3.4 $ (38.2) $ (34.3) $ (9.8) Net loss on commodity positions reclassified from unallocated corporate items to segment operating profit 19.1 14.6 36.3 17.8 Net mark-to-market revaluation of certain grain inventories 6.9 (1.5) (1.4) 11.8 Net mark-to-market valuation of certain commodity positions recognized in unallocated corporate items $ 29.4 $ (25.1) $ 0.6 $ 19.8 As of November 24, 2024, the net notional value of commodity derivatives was $ 264.5 157.4 agricultural inputs and $ 107.1 million related to energy inputs. These contracts relate to inputs that generally will be utilized within the next 12 We also have net investments in foreign subsidiaries that are denominated in euros. As of November 24, 2024, we hedged a portion of these investments with € 3,986.5 million of euro-denominated bonds. During the second quarter of fiscal 2025, in advance of planned debt financing, we entered into $ 350.0 million of treasury locks. The treasury locks were terminated during the second quarter of fiscal 2025, in conjunction with the Company’s issuance of $ 750.0 January 30, 2035 . Upon termination, a gain of $ 0.1 million was recognized in AOCI and will be amortized through interest expense over the respective term of the debt. During the second quarter of fiscal 2025, we entered into a $ 750.0 million notional amount interest rate swap to convert our $ 750.0 million of fixed-rate notes due January 30, 2030, to a floating rate. During the second quarter of fiscal 2025, our $ 500.0 million notional amount interest rate swap to convert our $ 500.0 rate notes due November 18, 2025 to a floating rate was called by the counterparty prior to the maturity date. The previously existing swap was designated as a fair value hedge, and concurrent with the swap being called, we ceased recording market value adjustments to the associated hedged debt. The fair values of the derivative positions used in our risk management activities and other assets recorded at fair value were not material as of November 24, 2024, and were Level 1 or Level 2 assets and liabilities in the fair value hierarchy. We did not significantly change our valuation techniques from prior periods. We offer certain suppliers access to third-party services that allow them to view our scheduled payments online. The third-party services also allow suppliers to finance advances on our scheduled payments at the sole discretion of the supplier and the third party. We have no economic interest in these financing arrangements and no direct relationship with the suppliers, the third parties, or any financial institutions concerning these services, including not providing any form of guarantee and not pledging assets as security to the third parties or financial institutions. All of our accounts payable remain as obligations to our suppliers as stated in our supplier agreements. As of November 24, 2024, $ 1,555.2 million of our total accounts payable were payable to suppliers who utilize these third-party services. As of May 26, 2024, $ 1,404.4 million of our total accounts payable were payable to suppliers who utilize these third-party services.
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