Guarantees, Indemnifications and Warranties

9 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2023

Guarantees [Abstract]

Guarantees, Indemnifications and Warranties

Guarantees, Indemnifications and Warranties

Guarantees

In the ordinary course of business, HP may issue performance guarantees to certain of its clients, customers and other parties pursuant to which HP has guaranteed the performance obligations of third parties. Some of those guarantees may be backed by standby letters of credit or surety bonds. In general, HP would be obligated to perform over the term of the guarantee in the event a specified triggering event occurs as defined by the guarantee. HP believes the likelihood of having to perform under a material guarantee is remote.

Cross-Indemnifications with Hewlett Packard Enterprise

On November 1, 2015, Hewlett-Packard Company completed the separation of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Hewlett-Packard Company’s former enterprise technology infrastructure, software, services and financing businesses. The separation and distribution agreement provides for cross-indemnities between HP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise for liabilities allocated to the respective party pursuant to the terms of such agreement. For information on cross-indemnifications with Hewlett Packard Enterprise for litigation matters, see Note 12, “Litigation and Contingencies”.

Indemnifications  

In the ordinary course of business, HP enters into contractual arrangements under which HP may agree to indemnify a third-party to such arrangement from any losses incurred relating to the services they perform on behalf of HP or for losses arising from certain events as defined within the particular contract, which may include, for example, litigation or claims relating to past performance. HP also provides indemnifications to certain vendors and customers against claims of intellectual property infringement made by third parties arising from the vendors’ and customers’ use of HP’s software products and services and certain other matters. Some indemnifications may not be subject to maximum loss clauses. Historically, payments made related to these indemnifications have been immaterial.

HP records tax indemnification receivables from various third parties for certain tax liabilities that HP is jointly and severally liable for, but for which it is indemnified by those same third parties under existing legal agreements. HP records a tax indemnification payable to various third parties under these agreements when management believes that it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. The actual amount that the third parties pay or may be obligated to pay HP could vary depending on the outcome of certain unresolved tax matters, which may not be resolved for several years.

Warranties

HP accrues the estimated cost of product warranties at the time it recognizes revenue. HP engages in extensive product quality programs and processes, including actively monitoring and evaluating the quality of its component suppliers; however, contractual warranty terms, repair costs, product call rates, average cost per call, current period product shipments and ongoing product failure rates, as well as specific product class failures outside of HP’s baseline experience, affect the estimated warranty obligation.

HP’s aggregate product warranty liabilities and changes were as follows:

	Nine months ended July 31, 2023
	In millions
Balance at beginning of period	$	876
Accruals for warranties issued	513
Adjustments related to pre-existing warranties (including changes in estimates)	24
Settlements made (in cash or in kind)	(660)
Balance at end of period	$	753