Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM)
SIC breadcrumb: Manufacturing > Food And Kindred Products > SIC 2070 Fats & Oils
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=7084. Latest filing source: 0000007084-26-000011.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 80,269,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-17 |
| Net income | 1,078,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-17 |
| Assets | 52,389,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-17 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-17. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000007084.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 62,346,000,000 | 60,828,000,000 | 64,341,000,000 | 64,656,000,000 | 64,355,000,000 | 85,249,000,000 | 101,556,000,000 | 93,935,000,000 | 85,530,000,000 | 80,269,000,000 |
| Net income | 1,279,000,000 | 1,595,000,000 | 1,810,000,000 | 1,379,000,000 | 1,772,000,000 | 2,709,000,000 | 4,340,000,000 | 3,483,000,000 | 1,800,000,000 | 1,078,000,000 |
| Gross profit | 3,618,000,000 | 3,518,000,000 | 4,181,000,000 | 4,147,000,000 | 4,453,000,000 | 5,987,000,000 | 7,570,000,000 | 7,513,000,000 | 5,778,000,000 | 5,033,000,000 |
| Diluted EPS | 2.16 | 2.79 | 3.19 | 2.44 | 3.15 | 4.79 | 7.71 | 6.43 | 3.65 | 2.23 |
| Operating cash flow | -6,508,000,000 | -5,966,000,000 | -4,784,000,000 | -5,452,000,000 | -2,386,000,000 | 6,595,000,000 | 3,478,000,000 | 4,460,000,000 | 2,790,000,000 | 5,452,000,000 |
| Capital expenditures | 882,000,000 | 1,049,000,000 | 842,000,000 | 828,000,000 | 823,000,000 | 1,169,000,000 | 1,319,000,000 | 1,494,000,000 | 1,563,000,000 | 1,248,000,000 |
| Dividends paid | 701,000,000 | 730,000,000 | 758,000,000 | 789,000,000 | 809,000,000 | 834,000,000 | 899,000,000 | 977,000,000 | 985,000,000 | 987,000,000 |
| Share buybacks | 1,000,000,000 | 750,000,000 | 77,000,000 | 150,000,000 | 133,000,000 | 0.00 | 1,450,000,000 | 2,673,000,000 | 2,327,000,000 | 0.00 |
| Assets | 39,769,000,000 | 39,963,000,000 | 40,833,000,000 | 43,997,000,000 | 49,719,000,000 | 56,136,000,000 | 59,774,000,000 | 54,631,000,000 | 53,271,000,000 | 52,389,000,000 |
| Stockholders' equity | 17,181,000,000 | 18,322,000,000 | 18,996,000,000 | 19,225,000,000 | 20,022,000,000 | 22,508,000,000 | 24,317,000,000 | 24,145,000,000 | 22,178,000,000 | 22,740,000,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 619,000,000 | 804,000,000 | 1,997,000,000 | 852,000,000 | 666,000,000 | 943,000,000 | 1,037,000,000 | 1,368,000,000 | 611,000,000 | 1,015,000,000 |
| Free cash flow | -7,390,000,000 | -7,015,000,000 | -5,626,000,000 | -6,280,000,000 | -3,209,000,000 | 5,426,000,000 | 2,159,000,000 | 2,966,000,000 | 1,227,000,000 | 4,204,000,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 2.05% | 2.62% | 2.81% | 2.13% | 2.75% | 3.18% | 4.27% | 3.71% | 2.10% | 1.34% |
| Return on equity | 7.44% | 8.71% | 9.53% | 7.17% | 8.85% | 12.04% | 17.85% | 14.43% | 8.12% | 4.74% |
| Return on assets | 3.22% | 3.99% | 4.43% | 3.13% | 3.56% | 4.83% | 7.26% | 6.38% | 3.38% | 2.06% |
| Current ratio | 1.60 | 1.59 | 1.75 | 1.55 | 1.50 | 1.45 | 1.46 | 1.60 | 1.39 | 1.37 |
Financial Charts
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-05. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000007084.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | 2.18 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | 1.83 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 2.12 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 25,190,000,000 | 927,000,000 | 1.70 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 21,695,000,000 | 821,000,000 | 1.52 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 22,978,000,000 | 565,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 21,847,000,000 | 729,000,000 | 1.42 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 22,248,000,000 | 486,000,000 | 0.98 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 19,937,000,000 | 18,000,000 | 0.04 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 21,498,000,000 | 567,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 20,175,000,000 | 295,000,000 | 0.61 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 21,166,000,000 | 219,000,000 | 0.45 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 20,372,000,000 | 108,000,000 | 0.22 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 18,556,000,000 | 456,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 20,490,000,000 | 298,000,000 | 0.62 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0000007084-26-000023.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with the accompanying unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements, which can be found in Part I. Item 1. Consolidated Financial Statements.
Company Overview
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company and its subsidiaries (the "Company" or "ADM") unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. The Company is an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. ADM is also a premier human and animal nutrition provider, as well as a leader in health and well-being products.
Reportable Segments
The Company’s operations are organized, managed, and classified into three reportable segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, and Nutrition. The Company’s remaining operations are not reportable segments, as defined by the applicable accounting standard, and are classified within either Corporate or Other Business.
See Part I. Item 1. Note 12. Segment Information of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for further details on the nature of our business and our reportable operating segments.
2026 Priorities
The Company established the following priorities for 2026 to help achieve its goal to continue to build and sustain long-term value creation for its shareholders and customers:
•Continuing to improve manufacturing costs - Driving manufacturing efficiencies and lower costs through process streamlining, further automation, and improved utilization rates.
•Reducing transaction costs through digitalization and Artificial Intelligence - Targeting reductions in the cost of executing transactions across our global footprint, including further digitizing workflows to reduce manual touchpoints, errors and cycle times, optimizing freight and logistics networks, and enhancing supply chain management.
•Investing in high-growth opportunities - Generating returns in the short-to-medium term and the long-term based on our value creation pathways of advanced nutrition, functional health, biosolutions, precision fermentation and decarbonization.
•Developing talent and capabilities - Ensuring our workforce has the skills and capabilities our business needs for today and for the future, including creating dedicated centers of capability in critical functional areas.
Sustainability
For more than 120 years, ADM has built its business on the strength of agriculture, innovation, and responsible stewardship. Today, sustainability is a core driver of ADM’s growth strategy, powering innovation, improving resilience, and unlocking new value across the global food system. The crops that ADM turns into an expansive array of products depend on healthy soil, water and air, and as the Company looks to the future, it is advancing efforts that enable and support agriculture and farmers, drive innovation and long-term value, and protect and strengthen vital supply chains.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
ADM is focused on scaling regenerative practices in partnership with farmers by supporting them with tools, insights, and financial incentives to help their operations thrive. ADM is innovating to meet growing demand for sustainably sourced, bio-based products, creating new market opportunities for farmers whose crops deliver health, transparency, and environmental benefits. The Company is modernizing its own operations to improve efficiency, enhance competitiveness, reduce emissions, and help build a more resilient supply chain.
Significant Portfolio Actions and Targeted Actions to Deliver Cost Savings
On February 4, 2025, the Company announced targeted actions expected to deliver in excess of $500 million of aggregate cost savings in 3 to 5 years. These include cost optimization and portfolio simplification initiatives designed to help the Company achieve cost efficiencies. See Note 13. Asset Impairment, Exit, and Restructuring Costs of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Item 1. Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding restructuring related charges.
ADM’s recent significant portfolio actions and announcements included:
•The launch of Two Rivers Premium Oils, LLC, a cottonseed joint venture, in January 2026 with Planters Cotton Oil Mill Inc. (“Planters”), a premier cottonseed processor. Planters contributed its crush plant in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, as well as additional origination and storage facilities located in the region, to the joint venture. ADM contributed its Memphis, Tennessee, cottonseed facility.
•The launch of Akralos Holding Company LLC, an animal feed joint venture, in March 2026 with Alltech Inc., a global leader in agriculture, of a North American animal feed joint venture to offer an industry-leading range of products and solutions for livestock, equine, backyard and leisure animals. Alltech and ADM contributed feed mills across the U.S. and Canada, along with respective portions of premix supplies.
Renewable Fuel Standard and Clean Fuel Production Credit
In the three months ended March 31, 2026, the U.S. biofuel market continued to be affected by regulatory developments including issuance by:
•U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of final Renewable Volume Obligations (“RVO”) for 2026 and 2027 under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard that increased certain renewable fuel blending requirements.
•U.S. Treasury and IRS of proposed regulations relating to policy incentives under Section 45Z of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 45Z credits”), the Clean Fuel Production Credit, enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, amended by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. Section 45Z policy incentives provides for credits for clean transportation fuels produced and sold between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2029.
These developments have provided additional visibility into renewable fuel demand and incentive frameworks and are expected to affect renewable fuel blending economics, clean fuel credit values, and demand for certain agricultural feedstocks, which may benefit the Company’s ethanol and biofuel operations, as well as crush and grind margins. However, renewable fuel markets remain subject to ongoing regulatory, legislative, and implementation risks, including the timing and substance of final Section 45Z regulations, future policy actions, changes in credit values and shifts in blending economics which could continue to drive volatility in the Company’s results of operations.
Tariff Uncertainty
On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) does not authorize the imposition of tariffs by the executive branch. While the decision invalidated the presidential administration’s tariffs imposed under IEEPA, it did not establish a refund mechanism, which was subsequently set up by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) in April 2026. The Company is monitoring the refund process and related risks, and expects tariff related risks will not have significant impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Operating Performance Indicators
The Company’s Ag Services and Oilseeds and Carbohydrate Solutions segments are principally agricultural commodity-based businesses where changes in selling prices move in relationship to changes in prices of the commodity-based agricultural raw materials. As a result, changes in agricultural commodity prices have relatively equal impacts on both Revenues and Cost of products sold. Mark-to-market and timing impacts represent changes in agricultural commodity pricing and foreign currency market factors and are not necessarily reflective of the operating performance of our business. Mark-to-market and timing impacts represent the estimated net unrealized gain and loss impacts of market factor changes on the valuation of certain of our merchandisable commodity inventories (including certain commodity inventories valued at the lower of cost or market), forward cash purchase and sales contracts, and futures and foreign currency contracts. The final mark-to-market and timing impacts will be realized when the underlying inventory, forward cash purchase and sales contracts, and futures and foreign currency contracts are settled.
The Company's Nutrition segment primarily utilizes agricultural commodities (or products derived from agricultural commodities) as raw materials. However, in these operations, agricultural commodity market price changes do not necessarily strongly correlate to changes in cost of products sold. As a result, changes in revenues may correspond to changes in margins.
The Company has consolidated subsidiaries in approximately 75 countries. For the majority of the Company’s subsidiaries located outside the United States, the local currency is the functional currency except for certain significant subsidiaries in Switzerland where the Euro is the functional currency, and Brazil and Argentina where the U.S. dollar is the functional currency. Revenues and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the weighted average exchange rates for the applicable periods. For the majority of the Company’s business activities in Brazil and Argentina, the functional currency is the U.S. dollar; however, certain transactions, including taxes, occur in local currency and require remeasurement to the functional currency. Changes in revenues are expected to be correlated to changes in expenses reported by the Company caused by fluctuations in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, and Brazilian real, as compared to the U.S. dollar.
The Company measures its performance using key financial metrics including net earnings, adjusted diluted earnings per share (“EPS”), margins, segment operating profit, total segment operating profit, earnings before interest and taxes (“EBIT”), earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (“EBITDA”), and adjusted EBITDA. Some of these metrics are not defined by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, GAAP financial measures. For further information, see the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below.
The Company’s financial results can vary significantly due to changes in factors such as fluctuations in energy prices, weather conditions, crop plantings, government programs and policies, trade policies, changes in global demand, general global economic conditions, changes in standards of living, global production of similar and competitive crops, and geopolitical developments. Due to the unpredictable nature of these and other factors, the Company undertakes no responsibility for updating any forward-looking information contained within this Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 Compared to Three Months Ended March 31, 2025
Market Factors Influencing Operations and Results in the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026
The Company is subject to a variety of market factors which affect the Company's operating results, including those discussed below related to the three months ended March 31, 2026.
In the Ag Services and Oilseeds segment
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) should be read in conjunction with the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements, which can be found in Part II. Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
This MD&A generally discusses 2025 and 2024 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2025 and 2024. Discussions of 2023 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023 are not included in this Form 10-K and can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II. Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed on February 20, 2025.
Company Overview
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company and its subsidiaries (the "Company" or "ADM") unlocks the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. The Company is an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. ADM is also a premier human and animal nutrition provider, as well as a leader in health and well-being products.
Reportable Segments
The Company’s operations are organized, managed, and classified into three reportable segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, and Nutrition. The Company’s remaining operations are not reportable segments, as defined by the applicable accounting standard, and are classified within either Corporate or Other Business. See Part II. Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. Note 17. Segment and Geographic Information for further information on the nature of our business and our reportable segments.
2025 Strategy
The Company’s goal is to continue to build and sustain long-term value for its shareholders and customers. The Company has established the following priorities to help achieve its goal:
•Focus on execution and cost management – ADM seeks to prioritize operational excellence and drive targeted cost reductions through: (1) boosting plant efficiencies; (2) optimizing operating leverage within the Nutrition segment; and (3) reducing third party spend and selling, general, and administrative expenses.
•Strategic simplification – ADM seeks to enhance returns on invested capital by executing a pipeline of simplification opportunities to optimize our portfolio and organizational structure, including: (1) addressing performance, demand, and capacity challenges; (2) reducing capital expenditures that do not meet the Company’s return objectives; and (3) reducing capability overlaps through synergies, closures, and divestitures.
•Targeted growth investment – ADM seeks to prioritize organic investment in key strategic initiatives, while also ensuring our businesses are ready for the future, including: (1) plant modernization investments; (2) cost optimization investments; and (3) enterprise system and process enhancements.
•Deploy capital with discipline – ADM seeks to prudently invest in opportunities while continuing to return value to shareholders through dividends.
The successful execution of the above priorities is expected to afford ADM the ability to continue investing in future growth that creates value over the long-term. ADM is investing in several key areas such as enhanced nutrition, biotics, biosolutions, precision fermentation, and decarbonization. Each of these development pathways has a different growth profile and timeline for value creation, and each complements our core business and presents the potential for compelling, enduring returns.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
ADM has refined its digital strategy and has pivoted away from large global implementations and toward prioritizing regional, more agile projects. The Company is accelerating its data journey while continuing to invest in cybersecurity and network and application resilience. As a result of this strategy refinement, during the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recognized an impairment charge of $179 million related to previously capitalized internal-use software. See Part II. Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. Note 18. Asset Impairment, Exit, and Restructuring Costs for further information.
Sustainability
For more than 120 years, ADM has built its business on the strength of agriculture, innovation, and responsible stewardship. Today, sustainability is a core driver of ADM’s growth strategy, powering innovation, improving resilience, and unlocking new value across the global food system. The crops that ADM turns into an expansive array of products depend on healthy soil, water and air, and as the Company looks to the future, it is advancing efforts that enable and support agriculture and farmers, drive innovation and long-term value, and protect and strengthen vital supply chains.
ADM is focused on scaling regenerative practices in partnership with farmers, supporting them with tools, insights, and financial incentives to help their operations thrive. ADM is innovating to meet growing demand for sustainably sourced, bio-based products, creating new market opportunities for farmers whose crops deliver health, transparency, and environmental benefits. The Company is modernizing its own operations to improve efficiency, enhance competitiveness, reduce emissions, and help build a more resilient supply chain.
Targeted Actions to Deliver Cost Savings
On February 4, 2025, the Company announced targeted actions expected to deliver in excess of a $500 million of cumulative cost savings in the next 3 to 5 years. These include cost optimization and portfolio simplification initiatives designed to help the Company achieve cost efficiencies. See Note 18. Asset Impairment, Exit, and Restructuring Costs of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Part II. Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for additional information regarding restructuring related charges.
Recent Significant Portfolio Actions
ADM’s recent significant portfolio actions and announcements included:
•The acquisition in January 2025 of Vandamme Hugaria Kft, a 700 metric ton/day non-genetically modified crush and extraction facility based in Hungary. See Note 3. Acquisitions of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Item 1. Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.
•The closure of the Tres Corações facility based in Brazil, in July 2025. Preparation for the closure resulted in exit and restructuring costs, including impairment of certain assets.
•The launch in September 2025 of a joint venture, Plainsman Company, with PYCO Industries, Inc., a leader in the local agricultural communities it serves, combining its and ADM’s Lubbock, Texas, cottonseed processing capabilities.
•Entered into a definitive agreement in September 2025 with Alltech Inc., a global leader in agriculture, to launch a North American animal feed joint venture to offer an industry-leading range of products and solutions for livestock, equine, backyard and leisure animals.
•Entered into a definitive agreement in December 2025 with Planters Cotton Oil Mill, Inc. (Planters), a premier cottonseed processor, to launch a new cottonseed joint venture. Planters is expected to contribute its crush plant in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, as well as additional origination and storage facilities located in the region, to the joint venture. ADM plans to contribute its Memphis, Tennessee, cottonseed facility. ADM expects to continue operating its Memphis oil refinery as part of the joint venture, while its crushing operations at the Memphis facility are expected to end.
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Table of Contents
ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Operating Performance Indicators
The Company is exposed to certain risks inherent to an agricultural-based commodity business. These risks are further described in Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The Company’s Ag Services and Oilseeds and Carbohydrate Solutions segments are principally agricultural commodity-based businesses where changes in selling prices move in relationship to changes in prices of the commodity-based agricultural raw materials. As a result, changes in agricultural commodity prices have relatively equal impacts on both revenues and cost of products sold.
The Company's Nutrition segment primarily utilizes agricultural commodities (or products derived from agricultural commodities) as raw materials. However, in these operations, agricultural commodity market price changes do not necessarily strongly correlate to changes in cost of products sold. As a result, changes in revenues may correspond to changes in margins.
The Company has consolidated subsidiaries in 75 countries. For the majority of the Company’s subsidiaries located outside the United States, the local currency is the functional currency except for certain significant subsidiaries in Switzerland where Euro is the functional currency, and Brazil and Argentina where U.S. dollar is the functional currency. Revenues and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the average exchange rates for the applicable periods. For the majority of the Company’s business activities in Brazil and Argentina, the functional currency is the U.S. dollar; however, certain transactions, including taxes, occur in local currency and require remeasurement to the functional currency. Changes in revenues are expected to be correlated to changes in expenses reported by the Company caused by fluctuations in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, and Brazilian real, as compared to the U.S. dollar.
The Company measures its performance using key financial metrics including net earnings, adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS), margins, segment operating profit, total segment operating profit, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), and adjusted EBITDA. Some of these metrics are not defined by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) and should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, GAAP financial measures. For more information, see the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below.
The Company’s financial results can vary significantly due to changes in factors such as fluctuations in energy prices, weather conditions, crop plantings, government programs and policies, trade policies, changes in global demand, general global economic conditions, changes in standards of living, global production of similar and competitive crops, and geopolitical developments. Due to the unpredictable nature of these and other factors, the Company undertakes no responsibility for updating any forward-looking information contained within this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2024
Market Factors Influencing Operations and Results in the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2025
The Company is subject to a variety of market factors which affect the Company’s operations and results, including those discussed below related to 2025.
In the Ag Services and Oilseeds segment, increased global supplies of grains and oilseeds, higher projected ending stocks-to-use ratios, the deferral of U.S. biofuel policy, the evolving global trade landscape, and logistical and weather challenges resulted in compressed margins. The Ag Services subsegment in North America was impacted by global trade policy uncertainty, though it benefited from the partial return of soybean exports in the fourth quarter of the current year from North America to China. Further, low water levels slowed execution pace; South America Origination was negatively impacted by slower corn farmer selling, and the Black Sea business was negatively impacted by farmer retention and logistical issues due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalations. In the Crushing and the Refined Products and Other (RPO) subsegments, the postponement of the implementation of European Union Deforestation Regulation and the deferral of U.S. biofuel and trade policy evolution negatively impacted sales volumes and margins.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
In the Carbohydrate Solutions segment, solid domestic and export demand for ethanol, along with lower industry production, helped improve imbalances between production and domestic demand. For the Starches and Sweeteners subsegment, North America saw demand softness in the sweeteners, paper, and corrugated markets. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) was impacted by higher corn costs and increased competition.
In the Nutrition segment, the Human Nutrition subsegment continued to see growth trends in the Flavors market, as high value categories such as energy drinks and ready to drink beverages continued to perform strongly. Similarly, the Dietary Supplements market continued to grow in line with historical rates and shows expansion opportunities as customer acceptance of postbiotics (heat-stable version of probiotics) allows sales in a larger variety of segments (food and beverage). While tariffs and inflation continue to pose challenges to the Human Nutrition subsegment, clean label and healthier categories are outpacing the broader industry. In the Animal Nutrition subsegment, declining commodity prices continued to support feed ration commodities as well as additive markets, while localized volume softness impacted demand.
Processed volumes by product for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 were as follows (in metric tons):
| (In thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilseeds | 36,324 | 35,719 | 605 | ||||
| Corn | 18,525 | 18,541 | (16) |
The Company generally operates its production facilities, on an overall basis, at or near capacity, adjusting facilities individually, as needed, to react to the current margin environment and seasonal local supply and demand conditions. The increase in processed oilseeds volumes in 2025 was primarily related to higher volumes in South America due to improved plant reliability, in addition to improved North America crush volumes driven by improved utilization after the restoration of operations at the Company’s Decatur, Illinois facility. The processed corn volumes were consistent year over year.
Federal Clean Fuel Production Credits and Federal Blenders’ and Producers’ Credits
Biodiesel tax incentives have been provided through various U.S. statutes. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 introduced the Clean Fuel Production Credit (IRC Section 45Z or "45Z"). The 45Z credit is effective for fuel produced and sold between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2029 and replaces prior incentives such as the Blenders’ Tax Credit ("BTC") for qualifying fuels. For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company did not generate significant 45Z credits. The Company estimates that the total benefits available under 45Z will be higher in future periods primarily due to changes enacted in the OBBBA.
The BTC was previously the primary regulation, applicable to qualifying biodiesel. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 extended the BTC through December 31, 2024 and established the 45Z effective January 1, 2025, as discussed above. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recorded benefits of $316 million related to the BTC.
Results of Operations
Earnings before income taxes decreased 44% or $1.0 billion, to $1.3 billion. Results in the current year were primarily driven by lower pricing and execution margins. In 2025, the Company recorded $372 million of impairments driven by revaluation losses related to investments in the alternative protein market and the Company's updated investment strategy around startup and development stage companies, $283 million of asset impairment, exit, contingency, restructuring charges, and impairment charges of $179 million related to previously capitalized software, and Wilmar International Limited (“Wilmar”) equity earnings related impacts reflecting a one time remeasurement gain of $254 million and a $163 million penalty charge. In the prior year period, the Company recorded a $461 million impairment of its investment in Wilmar.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Total segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) in 2025 decreased 23% or $1.0 billion, to $3.2 billion, primarily driven by lower results in the Ag Services and Oilseeds segment and the Carbohydrate Solutions segment. Total segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) in the year ended December 31, 2025 excluded specified items of $236 million that were primarily comprised of asset impairment, exit, and restructuring costs, as well as net impacts related to Wilmar. Total segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) in the year ended December 31, 2024 excluded asset impairment, restructuring, and net settlement contingencies of $490 million.
Total segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) is reconciled to earnings before income taxes, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, in the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section below.
Revenues for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, were as follows (in millions):
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 40,363 | $ | 44,083 | $ | (3,720) | ||||
| Crushing | 10,353 | 11,836 | (1,483) | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 10,855 | 10,597 | 258 | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | 61,571 | 66,516 | (4,945) | |||||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | 7,982 | 8,587 | (605) | |||||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 2,755 | 2,647 | 108 | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | 10,737 | 11,234 | (497) | |||||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | 4,187 | 3,944 | 243 | |||||||
| Animal Nutrition | 3,325 | 3,405 | (80) | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | 7,512 | 7,349 | 163 | |||||||
| Total Segment Revenues | 79,820 | 85,099 | (5,279) | |||||||
| Other Business | 449 | 431 | 18 | |||||||
| Total Revenues | $ | 80,269 | $ | 85,530 | $ | (5,261) |
Revenues and cost of products sold in agricultural merchandising and processing businesses are significantly correlated to the underlying commodity prices and volumes. In periods of significant changes in market prices, the underlying performance of the Company is better evaluated by looking at margins since both revenues and cost of products sold, particularly in the Ag Services and Oilseeds segment, generally have a relatively equal impact from market price changes which generally result in an insignificant impact to gross profit.
Revenues decreased $5.3 billion to $80.3 billion driven by lower sales volumes ($2.9 billion) and lower sales prices ($2.3 billion). Lower sales volumes of soybeans, corn, and sorghum were partially offset by higher sales volumes of meal and oils. Lower sales prices of meal, soybeans, and wheat were partially offset by higher sales prices of corn and oils. Ag Services and Oilseeds revenues decreased 7% to $61.6 billion driven by lower sales volumes ($2.8 billion) and lower sales prices ($2.1 billion). Carbohydrate Solutions revenues decreased 4% to $10.7 billion driven by lower sales prices ($330 million) and lower sales volumes ($167 million). Nutrition revenues increased 2% to $7.5 billion driven by higher sales prices ($68 million) and the benefit of a contract cancellation in Health and Wellness ($55 million).
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Cost of products sold decreased $4.5 billion to $75.2 billion driven by lower sales volumes and lower average commodity costs. Manufacturing expenses increased $209 million primarily driven by higher compensation costs, insurance costs, and EMEA energy costs, partially offset by decreases in maintenance costs.
Gross profit decreased $745 million or 13%, to $5.0 billion driven by a decrease in margins of $865 million in Ag Services and Oilseeds, partially offset by a margin increase of $113 million in Nutrition.
Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased 3% to $3.6 billion primarily driven by decreased third party service costs, due to improved cost management, and lower financing fees related to the Company’s accounts receivable securitization programs, driven by the Company's cash management initiative. The decrease was partially offset by increased compensation costs and provisions for bad debts.
Asset impairment, exit, and restructuring costs decreased $72 million to $473 million. Charges in the current year included $283 million of restructuring charges, primarily driven by $207 million and $46 million of charges within the Nutrition segment and the Ag Services and Oilseeds segment, respectively, and an impairment charge of $179 million, related to previously capitalized software, within Corporate. Charges in the prior year included a $461 million impairment related to the Company's Wilmar equity investment, $43 million of impairments related to customer lists and discontinued trademarks in the Animal Nutrition subsegment, $4 million of reportable segment specific restructuring charges and $23 million of restructuring in Corporate.
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates increased $27 million to $648 million driven by higher earnings from the Company’s investments in Wilmar and Olenex, partially offset by lower earnings in Stratas Foods, Terminal de Grãos Ponta da Montanha S.A., and Mid-America Biofuels. Current year Wilmar earnings included the impact of the Company's share of Wilmar's remeasurement gain of the $254 million and penalty charge of $163 million. See Note 8. Investments in and Advances to Affiliates of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Part II. Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for additional information.
Interest and investment income decreased $444 million to $118 million, primarily due to revaluation losses of $372 million, driven by $257 million and $115 million within Corporate and the Nutrition segment, respectively, in addition to lower interest income at ADM Investor Services due to lower interest rates.
Interest expense decreased $94 million to $612 million primarily due to improved cash management, driven by decreased expense within Corporate driven by lower use of the Company’s commercial paper borrowing programs, lower interest rates, and favorable settlements of international tax audits, as well as lower interest rates at ADM Investor Services.
Other income - net of $150 million decreased $101 million, driven by lower third party insurance recoveries related to Decatur East and West.
Income taxes of $182 million decreased $294 million. The Company’s effective tax rate for 2025 was 14.5% compared to 21.1% for 2024. The change in the effective rate was driven primarily by tax treatment of non-recurring items and the Company's geographic mix of earnings.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Segment Operating Profit
Segment operating profit for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 was as follows (in millions):
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment Operating Profit (1) | ||||||||||
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 636 | $ | 715 | $ | (79) | ||||
| Crushing | 159 | 844 | (685) | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 529 | 552 | (23) | |||||||
| Wilmar | 290 | 336 | (46) | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | $ | 1,614 | $ | 2,447 | $ | (833) | ||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | $ | 1,059 | $ | 1,343 | $ | (284) | ||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 152 | 33 | 119 | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | $ | 1,211 | $ | 1,376 | $ | (165) | ||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | $ | 319 | $ | 327 | $ | (8) | ||||
| Animal Nutrition | 98 | 59 | 39 | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | $ | 417 | $ | 386 | $ | 31 |
(1) For the year ended December 31, 2025, segment operating profit for the Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions and Nutrition segments included a positive impact of timing-related adjustments for incentive compensation payouts of $45 million, $12 million, and $20 million, respectively. The offsetting adjustment of $77 million was recorded in Corporate with no net impact to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
In the Ag Services and Oilseeds segment, segment operating profit decreased 34%. Ag Services subsegment had lower results compared to the prior year, primarily driven by lower Global Trade results, driven by lower margins due to negative freight timing and lower trading results, and a decrease in sales volumes, partially offset by productivity actions, leading to decreased expenses, and improved Transportation results. Ag Services subsegment results were further impacted by decreased North American volumes and margins, driven by lower soybean exports and the impact of certain export duties, improved results in South America, driven by lower costs related to logistics take or pay contracts that negatively impacted the prior year, partially offset by the temporary disruption at a key port facility in Brazil and lower investment income in South America. Ag Services had approximately $37 million of net negative mark-to-market timing impacts during the current year, compared to approximately $34 million of net positive impacts in the prior year. The Crushing subsegment had lower results versus the prior year, driven by lower soy and canola crush margins and higher manufacturing costs in North America and EMEA; in addition to a decrease in insurance proceeds in the current year of $32 million, down from $76 million in the prior year, relating to the Decatur East insurance claim. South America Crushing results improved slightly on higher volumes. Crushing had approximately $46 million of net positive mark-to-market timing impacts during the current year, compared to approximately $20 million of net positive impacts in the prior year. Refined Products and Other subsegment results were lower than the prior year, driven by uncertain trade policy and lower demand for vegetable oil and biodiesel, negatively impacting biodiesel and refining margins in Europe and North America. The Refined Products and Other subsegment had approximately $46 million of net positive mark-to-market timing impacts during the current year, compared to approximately $194 million of net negative impacts in the prior year.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
In the Carbohydrate Solutions segment, segment operating profit decreased 12% compared to the prior year. The Starches and Sweeteners subsegment results were lower compared to the prior year driven by lower wet mill ethanol and starch margins and higher manufacturing costs. Prior year results in North America benefitted from the receipt of $84 million of insurance proceeds from the settlement of Decatur West and Decatur East insurance claims compared to $9 million of proceeds received in the current year. In EMEA, results were driven by lower volumes and margins due to the competitive pricing environment and crop quality issues. Global Wheat Milling margins improved due to higher wheat basis gains. The Vantage Corn Processors subsegment results increased compared to the prior year, driven by improved ethanol volumes and margins.
In the Nutrition segment, segment operating profit increased 8%. Human Nutrition subsegment results were lower than the prior year. Flavors results were higher compared to the prior year, driven by higher volumes and margins in North America due to an increase in sales among existing key customers across multiple product categories. Specialty Ingredients results were lower, driven by higher raw material and manufacturing costs due to the resumption of operations at the Decatur East facility. The prior year also benefitted from approximately $71 million of insurance proceeds related to the Decatur East claim as compared to no proceeds in the current year. In Health and Wellness, results were lower as decreased margins, driven by certain negative inventory valuation adjustments and reduced tolling margins due to a contract cancellation, partially offset by higher Biotics margins. Animal Nutrition subsegment results were higher compared to the prior year, driven by cost optimization efforts and improved margins due to higher margin in feed additives and lower raw material costs.
Other Business and Corporate Results
Other Business contribution of operating profit increased 21% from $247 million to $298 million, Captive insurance results improved, driven by lower claim settlements. Current year results included claim payments to segments of $41 million to other segments for the Decatur East and West insurance claims, of which $39 million was from reinsurers, compared to prior year results including partial settlements to segments of $231 million for the Decatur East and West insurance claims, of which $133 million was from reinsurers. ADM Investor Services results were lower due to lower interest rates.
Corporate results were as follows (in millions):
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest expense - net (1) | $ | (408) | $ | (482) | $ | 74 | ||||
| Unallocated corporate function costs (2) | (1,146) | (1,205) | 59 | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | — | (7) | 7 | |||||||
| Revaluation losses, including impairment, contingency and restructuring charges(3) | (495) | (23) | (472) | |||||||
| Other income - net | — | (4) | 4 | |||||||
| Total Corporate | $ | (2,049) | $ | (1,721) | $ | (328) |
(1)Interest expense - net decreased $74 million, driven by reduced short-term borrowings, lower interest rates on the Company’s commercial paper borrowing programs, and favorable settlements of international tax audits.
(2)Unallocated corporate function costs decreased $59 million, driven by decreases in financing fees related to the Company’s accounts receivable securitization programs, due to improved cash management, in addition to lower third party service costs and lower corporate function costs, due to cost management initiatives, partially offset by increased incentive compensation.
(3)Revaluation losses, including impairment, contingency and restructuring charges increased $472 million driven by $257 million of impairment charges related to market dynamics and the Company's updated investment strategy around startup and development stage companies, an impairment charge of $179 million related to previously capitalized software, and $40 million of charges relating to a legal reserve, all presented as specified items.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company uses certain “non-GAAP” financial measures as defined by the SEC. These are measures of performance not defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, and should be considered in addition to, not in lieu of, GAAP reported measures. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in this section.
The Company uses adjusted net earnings, adjusted diluted EPS, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and total segment operating profit, non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the SEC, to evaluate the Company’s financial performance.
Adjusted net earnings is defined as net earnings adjusted for the effects on net earnings of specified items as more fully described in the reconciliation tables. Adjusted diluted EPS is defined as diluted EPS adjusted for the effects on reported diluted EPS of specified items as more fully described in the reconciliation tables.
EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest on borrowings, taxes, and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest on borrowings, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, adjusted to exclude the impact of specified items as more fully described in the reconciliation tables.
Total segment operating profit is defined as ADM’s consolidated earnings before income taxes, adjusted for Other Business, Corporate, and specified items as more fully described in the reconciliation tables.
Management believes that adjusted net earnings, adjusted diluted EPS, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and total segment operating profit are useful measures of the Company’s performance because they provide investors additional information about the Company’s operations allowing better evaluation of underlying business performance and better period-to-period comparability. Adjusted net earnings, adjusted diluted EPS, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and total segment operating profit are not intended to replace or be an alternative to net earnings, diluted EPS, and earnings before income taxes, the most directly comparable amounts reported under GAAP.
The table below provides a reconciliation of net earnings (the most directly comparable GAAP measure) to adjusted net earnings (a non-GAAP measure) and diluted EPS (the most directly comparable GAAP measure) to adjusted diluted EPS (a non-GAAP measure) for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In millions | Per share | In millions | Per share | |||||||||
| Average number of shares outstanding - diluted | 484 | 493 | ||||||||||
| Net earnings and diluted EPS | $ | 1,078 | $ | 2.23 | $ | 1,800 | $ | 3.65 | ||||
| Adjustments: (1) | ||||||||||||
| (Gain) on sale of assets and businesses (net of tax of $9 million in 2025 and $3 million in 2024) | (30) | (0.06) | (8) | (0.02) | ||||||||
| Impairment, exit, restructuring charges, and settlement contingencies (net of tax of $154 million in 2025 and $1 million in 2024) | 776 | 1.60 | 512 | 1.04 | ||||||||
| ADM's share of equity method investment non-recurring (gains) and charges, net | (91) | (0.18) | — | — | ||||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions (net of tax of $2 million in 2024) | — | — | 5 | 0.01 | ||||||||
| (Gain) on contract termination (net of tax of $17 million in 2025) | (52) | (0.11) | — | — | ||||||||
| Certain discrete tax adjustments | (21) | (0.05) | 30 | 0.06 | ||||||||
| Total adjustments | 582 | 1.20 | 539 | 1.09 | ||||||||
| Adjusted net earnings and adjusted diluted EPS | $ | 1,660 | $ | 3.43 | $ | 2,339 | $ | 4.74 |
(1) Tax effected using the U.S. and other applicable tax rates.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The table below provides a reconciliation of net earnings (the most directly comparable GAAP measure) to EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure) and adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure) for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 (in millions).
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net earnings | $ | 1,078 | $ | 1,800 | $ | (722) | ||||
| Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests | (5) | (21) | 16 | |||||||
| Income tax expense | 182 | 476 | (294) | |||||||
| Earnings Before Income Taxes | 1,255 | 2,255 | (1,000) | |||||||
| Interest expense (1) | 446 | 506 | (60) | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization (2) | 1,161 | 1,141 | 20 | |||||||
| EBITDA | 2,862 | 3,902 | (1,040) | |||||||
| (Gains) on sale of assets and businesses | (39) | (11) | (28) | |||||||
| Impairment, exit, restructuring charges, and settlement contingencies | 930 | 513 | 417 | |||||||
| ADM's share of equity method investment non-recurring (gains) and charges, net | (91) | — | (91) | |||||||
| (Gain) on contract termination | (69) | — | (69) | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | — | 7 | (7) | |||||||
| Railroad maintenance expense | 63 | 64 | (1) | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 3,657 | $ | 4,476 | $ | (819) |
(1) Represents interest expense on borrowings and therefore excludes ADM Investor Services related interest expense.
(2) Excludes $20 million of accelerated depreciation recorded within restructuring charges as a specified item for the year ended December 31, 2025.
The table below provides a reconciliation of earnings before income taxes (the most directly comparable GAAP measure) to total segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 (in millions).
| 2025 | 2024 | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Before Income Taxes | $ | 1,255 | $ | 2,255 | $ | (1,000) | ||||
| Other Business (earnings) | (298) | (247) | (51) | |||||||
| Corporate | 2,049 | 1,721 | 328 | |||||||
| Specified Items: | ||||||||||
| (Gains) on sale of assets and businesses | (39) | (10) | (29) | |||||||
| Impairment, exit, restructuring charges, and settlement contingencies | 435 | 490 | (55) | |||||||
| ADM's share of equity method investment non-recurring (gains) and charges, net | (91) | — | $ | (91) | ||||||
| (Gain) on contract termination | (69) | — | $ | (69) | ||||||
| Total Segment Operating Profit | $ | 3,242 | $ | 4,209 | $ | (967) |
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company's objective is to have sufficient liquidity, balance sheet strength, and financial flexibility to fund the operating and capital requirements of a capital intensive agricultural commodity-based business. The Company depends on access to credit markets, which can be impacted by its credit rating and factors outside of the Company’s control, to fund its working capital needs and capital expenditures.
The primary source of funds to finance the Company’s operations, capital expenditures, and advancement of its growth strategy is cash generated by operations and lines of credit, including a commercial paper borrowing facility and accounts receivable securitization programs. In addition, the Company believes it has access to funds from public and private equity and debt capital markets in both U.S. and international markets.
At December 31, 2025, the Company’s capital resources included shareholders’ equity of $22.7 billion and lines of credit, including the accounts receivable securitization programs described below, totaling $12.3 billion, of which $9.4 billion was unused. Of the Company’s total lines of credit, $5.1 billion supported the commercial paper borrowing programs, against which there was $715 million of commercial paper outstanding at December 31, 2025.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $1.0 billion of cash and cash equivalents, $312 million of which is cash held by foreign subsidiaries whose undistributed earnings are considered indefinitely reinvested. Based on the Company’s historical ability to generate sufficient cash flows from its U.S. operations and unused and available U.S. credit capacity of $5.1 billion, the Company has asserted these funds are indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company has total available liquidity of $10.4 billion comprised of cash and cash equivalents and unused lines of credit. The Company believes that cash flows from operations, cash and cash equivalents on hand, and unused lines of credit will be sufficient to meet its ongoing liquidity requirements for at least the next twelve months.
Operating Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities was $5.5 billion, $2.8 billion, and $4.5 billion for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
The increase in cash provided by operating activities in 2025 compared to 2024 was due to changes in net working capital, partially offset by lower earnings in the current year. Changes in net working capital were driven by changes in inventory, payables to brokerage customers and segregated investments, partially offset by changes in accrued expenses and other payables.
Changes in inventories resulted in cash inflow of $1.5 billion in the current year reflecting lower commodity pricing and reductions driven by working capital reduction initiatives, compared to an inflow of $162 million in the prior-year, reflecting lower commodity pricing.
Changes in payables to brokerage customers resulted in cash inflow of $1.1 billion in the current year compared to an outflow of $78 million in the prior year. The inflow in the current year is driven by increased trading activity in the Company’s futures commission and brokerage business.
Change in segregated investments resulted in an outflow of $43 million in the current year compared to an outflow of $693 million in the prior year, driven by brokerage customer trading activity.
Changes in accrued expenses and other payables resulted in an outflow of $823 million in the current year period compared to an outflow of $276 million in the prior year period, primarily driven by the valuation of derivative contracts.
Investing Cash Flows
Net cash used in investing activities was $1.0 billion, $2.7 billion, and $1.5 billion for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2025 primarily included additions to property, plant and equipment of $1.2 billion, business acquisitions, net of cash acquired of $108 million, proceeds from sales of marketable securities of $277 million, and proceeds from sales of assets, businesses and investments of $111 million.
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 included additions to property, plant and equipment of $1.6 billion, businesses acquired, net of cash acquired of $927 million and purchase of marketable securities of $308 million.
Financing Cash Flows
Net cash used in financing activities was $2.9 billion, $1.5 billion, and $4.6 billion for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
In the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company repaid in full €650 million of 1.000% notes, previously included within Current maturities of long-term debt.
Net cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 included net repayments for short-term credit agreements of $1.1 billion and net borrowings of $1.8 billion, respectively.
Dividends paid for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 were $987 million, $985 million, and $977 million, respectively.
No share repurchases were made in the twelve months ended December 31, 2025. Cash paid for share repurchases for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $2.3 billion. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had 115 million shares remaining that may be repurchased under its stock repurchase program until December 31, 2029.
Credit Ratings
As of December 31, 2025, the three major credit rating agencies maintained the Company’s credit ratings at investment grade levels with a negative outlook.
Accounts Receivable Securitization Program
The Company has accounts receivable securitization programs (the “Programs”) with certain commercial paper conduit purchasers and committed purchasers. The Programs provide the Company with up to $3.0 billion in funding against accounts receivable transferred into the Programs and expand the Company’s access to liquidity through efficient use of its balance sheet assets (see Part II. Item 8. Note 19. Sale of Accounts Receivable for more information and disclosures on the Programs). As of December 31, 2025, the Company utilized $2.1 billion of its facility under the Programs.
Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments
In 2026, the Company expects capital expenditures of approximately $1.4 billion and dividend payments of $1.0 billion, subject to other strategic uses of capital and the evolution of operating cash flows and the working capital position throughout the year. The Company’s other material cash requirements within the next 12 months include current maturities of long-term debt of $1.0 billion, interest payments of $527 million, operating lease payments of $357 million, and pension, other postretirement, and defined contribution plan contributions of $119 million.
The Company’s purchase obligations as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 were $13.8 billion and $12.4 billion, respectively. The increase is primarily related to an increase in obligations for commodities. As of December 31, 2025, the Company expects to make payments related to purchase obligations of $12.5 billion within the next twelve months. The Company expects to make payments related to debt and interest, operating leases, purchase obligations and other material cash requirements beyond the next twelve months of approximately $15.3 billion.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The Company’s credit facilities and certain debentures require the Company to comply with specified financial and non-financial covenants including maintenance of minimum tangible net worth as well as limitations related to incurring liens, secured debt, and certain other financing arrangements. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of December 31, 2025.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The process of preparing financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the carrying values of the Company’s assets and liabilities as well as the recognition of revenues and expenses. These estimates and judgments are based on the Company’s historical experience and management’s knowledge and understanding of current facts and circumstances.
Certain of the Company’s accounting estimates are considered critical, as these estimates are important to the depiction of the Company’s financial statements and require significant or complex judgment by management. Critical accounting estimates are those estimates made in accordance with GAAP which involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on ADM’s financial condition and results of operations.
Management has discussed with the Company’s Audit Committee the development, selection, disclosure, and application of these critical accounting estimates. Following are the accounting estimates management considers critical to the Company’s financial statements.
Fair Value Measurements - Inventories and Commodity Derivatives
Description: Certain of the Company’s inventory, inventory-related payables, and commodity derivative assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2025 are valued at estimated fair values, including $6.2 billion of merchandisable agricultural commodity inventories, $822 million of commodity derivative assets, $613 million of commodity derivative liabilities, and $730 million of inventory-related payables. Commodity derivative assets and liabilities include forward purchase and sales contracts for agricultural commodities. Merchandisable agricultural commodities are freely traded, have quoted market prices, and may be sold without significant additional processing.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Management estimates fair value for its commodity-related assets and liabilities based on exchange-quoted prices, adjusted for differences in local markets. The Company’s inventory, inventory-related payables, and commodity derivative fair value measurements are mainly based on observable market quotations without significant adjustments and are therefore reported as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. Level 3 fair value measurements of approximately $3.2 billion of assets and $329 million of liabilities represent fair value estimates where unobservable price components represent 10% or more of the total fair value price. For more information concerning amounts reported as Level 3, see Part II. Item 8. Note 4. Fair Value Measurements.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: Changes in the market values of these inventories and commodity contracts are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings as a component of cost of products sold. If management used different methods or factors to estimate market value, amounts reported could differ materially. Additionally, if market conditions change subsequent to year-end, amounts reported in future periods could differ materially.
Income Taxes
Description: The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the applicable accounting standards which prescribe a minimum threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Deferred taxes are recognized for the estimated taxes ultimately payable or recoverable based on enacted tax law. Changes in enacted tax rates are reflected in the tax provision as they occur.
Judgments and Uncertainties: ADM calculates its provision for income taxes based on the statutory tax rates and tax attributes available to the Company in the various jurisdictions in which it operates. The Company uses judgment in evaluating the Company’s tax positions and determining its annual tax provision.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: While ADM considers all of its tax positions fully supportable, the Company faces challenges from U.S. and foreign tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. The Company recognizes a tax position in its Consolidated Financial Statements when it is determined to be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination, based on its technical merits. The position is then measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.
Business Combinations
Description: The Company’s acquisitions are accounted for in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 805, Business Combinations, as amended. The consideration transferred is allocated to various assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date with the residual allocated to goodwill.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Fair values allocated to assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations require management to make significant judgments, estimates, and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets. Management makes estimates of fair values based upon assumptions it believes to be reasonable. These estimates are based upon historical experience and information obtained from the management of the acquired companies and are inherently uncertain. The estimated fair values related to intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationships, trademarks, and developed technology which are determined primarily using discounted cash flow models. Estimates in the discounted cash flow models include, but are not limited to, certain assumptions that form the basis of the forecasted results (e.g. revenue growth rates, customer attrition rates, and royalty rates). These significant assumptions are forward looking and could be affected by future economic and market conditions.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: During the measurement period, which may take up to one year from the acquisition date, adjustments due to changes in the estimated fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed may be recorded as adjustments to the consideration transferred and related allocations. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or the final determination of the values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any such adjustments are charged to the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.
Goodwill Impairment
Description: Goodwill represents the aggregate of the excess consideration paid for acquired businesses over the fair value of the net assets acquired. At December 31, 2025, the Company had goodwill of $4.8 billion. The Company evaluates goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level annually on October 1 or more frequently whenever there are indicators that the carrying value may not be fully recoverable, utilizing either the qualitative or quantitative testing method. The Company has seven reporting units with goodwill identified at one level below the operating segment using the criteria in ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). Two reporting units do not have any recorded goodwill. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company evaluated goodwill for impairment using a qualitative assessment for six reporting units and using a quantitative assessment for the Animal Nutrition reporting unit. See Part II. Item 8. Note 9. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further information.
Judgments and Uncertainties: The Company has the option to first qualitatively assess factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If the Company elects not to use this option, or it is determined that qualitative factors alone are not sufficient to conclude whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, or it is determined from the qualitative assessment that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then the Company performs the quantitative goodwill impairment test. As part of the Company’s impairment analysis, the fair value of a reporting unit is generally determined using both the income and market approaches. Critical estimates in the determination of the fair value, when using a discounted cash flow analysis, of each reporting unit require management to make assumptions including, but not limited to, future expected cash flows of the reporting unit utilizing appropriate revenue growth, EBITDA margins, and discount rates. A decline in the actual cash flows of a reporting unit in future periods, as compared to the projected cash flows used in the discounted cash flow analysis, could result in the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeding its fair value. Further, a change in the discount rate, as a result of a change in economic conditions or otherwise, could result in the carrying values of the reporting units exceeding their respective fair values. Although the Company believes its estimates of fair value are reasonable, actual financial results could differ from those estimates due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making such estimates.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: The estimated fair value of the Animal Nutrition reporting unit was evaluated to be approximately 15% in excess of its carrying value and no impairment was recorded.
The Company used a combination of the income and market approaches when performing the quantitative assessment of goodwill for the Animal Nutrition reporting unit. The Company weighted the income approach with a probability weight of 75%, as it is based on the future business plans and growth estimates for the Company’s Animal Nutrition business and thus considers short-term and long-term cash flow expectations for the business. The market approach was weighted at 25%, as it represents an estimate of fair value based on market guideline companies for which future growth expectations are not precisely known. The income approach is predicated upon the value of the estimated future cash flows that a business will generate going forward. The Company used the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method under the income approach for the analysis of Animal Nutrition. The market approach assumes that companies operating in the same industry will share similar characteristics and that values will correlate to those characteristics. Therefore, under the market approach, a comparison of the reporting unit to similar companies whose financial information is publicly available may provide a reasonable basis to estimate the fair value of the reporting unit. The two forms of the market approach most commonly applied are the Guideline Public Company (GPC) method and the Guideline Merged and Acquired Company (GMAC) method. The Company utilized the GPC method to estimate the fair value of the Animal Nutrition reporting unit under the market approach. The GMAC method was also considered, but ultimately was not relied upon due to the lack of recent transactions that were directly comparable. In the selection of the appropriate market multiples, the Company considered the performance of the business, the size, risks, opportunities, and a comparison of the margins and growth of the Animal Nutrition business compared to the guideline public companies. The estimated fair value calculated by the GPC method was within 10% of the estimated fair value calculated by the income approach.
The Company performed a sensitivity analysis for the significant assumptions used in the goodwill impairment testing analysis for the Animal Nutrition reporting unit. The sensitivities were calculated in isolation using the income approach and keeping all other assumptions constant. The sensitivities for revenue growth and EBITDA margins do not consider the offsetting impact of a lower discount rate assumption to reflect the reduced risk in estimated future cash flow growth used under the income approach or the related impacts on pricing multiples used under the market approach.
As of December 31, 2025, goodwill allocated to the Animal Nutrition reporting unit totaled $958 million. For Animal Nutrition reporting unit impairment testing, below are certain hypotheticals where a change would result in an impairment:
–Increase to the discount rate of approximately 175 basis points would result in a goodwill impairment of approximately $29 million;
–Decrease to forecasted EBITDA margins of approximately 150 basis points would result in goodwill impairment of approximately $69 million
–Decrease in the forecasted revenue growth rate of approximately 290 basis points would result in goodwill impairment of approximately $1 million.; and
–Increase in the expected capital expenditures as a percentage of revenue over the entire forecast of approximately 100 basis points would result in a goodwill impairment of approximately $181 million.
Investments in Affiliates
Description: The Company applies the equity method of accounting for investments over which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence, including its 22.5% investment in Wilmar. These investments in affiliates are carried at cost plus equity in undistributed earnings and are adjusted, where appropriate, for amortizable basis differences between the investment balance and the underlying net assets of the investee. Generally, the minimum ownership threshold for asserting significant influence is 20% ownership of the investee. However, the Company considers all relevant factors in determining its ability to assert significant influence including but not limited to, ownership percentage, board membership, customer and vendor relationships, and other arrangements.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Judgments and Uncertainties: The Company has evaluated its investments in affiliates as of December 31, 2025 to be appropriately stated at carrying values. The Company also periodically compares the book value of its investment in Wilmar against its market value as determined through quoted market prices, and evaluates for any potential other-than-temporary impairment. The Company’s investment in Wilmar had a carrying value of $4.0 billion as of December 31, 2025, and a market value of $3.4 billion based on the quoted Singapore Exchange market price, converted to U.S. dollars at the applicable exchange rate, at December 31, 2025. The Company evaluated several factors in its determination of whether an other-than-temporary impairment had occurred. This included consideration of the severity and duration of the carrying value being above Wilmar's stock price, the recent performance of Wilmar’s stock price as quoted on the Singapore Exchange, including stock price performance subsequent to the balance sheet date, Wilmar's financial condition and near-term performance prospects, latest consensus analyst forecasts, Wilmar’s long history of earnings and dividends and the Company’s continued representation on Wilmar’s Board. The Company considers its investment in Wilmar a significant and strategic relationship and has the intent and ability to retain its investment in Wilmar for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value. Based on the evaluation of the factors above, the Company does not consider the investment to be other-than temporarily impaired at December 31, 2025.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: The performance of impairment tests involves the use of estimates and assumptions, which may change period to period. If the Company used different assumptions in the evaluation of its equity method investments, including its investment in Wilmar, the Company may conclude that investments are other-than-temporarily impaired.
Recent accounting pronouncements
See “New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted” within Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II. Item 8 for information regarding recent accounting pronouncements.
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000007084-25-000011.
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) should be read in conjunction with the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements, which can be found in Part II. Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
This MD&A generally discusses 2024 and 2023 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023. Discussions of 2022 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022 are not included in this Form 10-K and can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II. Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed on November 18, 2024.
Company Overview
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company and its subsidiaries (the "Company" or "ADM") unlock the power of nature to enrich the quality of life. The Company is an essential global agricultural supply chain manager and processor, providing food security by connecting local needs with global capabilities. ADM is a premier human and animal nutrition provider, offering one of the industry's broadest portfolios of ingredients and solutions from nature. The Company is a trailblazer in health and well-being, with an industry-leading range of products for consumers looking for new ways to live healthier lives. ADM is a cutting-edge innovator, guiding the way to a future of new consumer and industrial solutions. ADM is a leader in sustainability, scaling across entire value chains to help decarbonize the multiple industries it serves. Around the globe, the Company's innovation and expertise are meeting critical needs while nourishing quality of life and supporting a healthier planet.
Reportable Segments
The Company’s operations are organized, managed, and classified into three reportable segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, and Nutrition. See Part II. Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 17. Segment and Geographic Information for further details on the nature of our business and our reportable operating segments.
Strategy
The Company’s strategic transformation is focused on three strategic pillars: Productivity, Innovation, and Culture.
The Productivity pillar includes (1) partnering across various global teams including procurement, supply chain, operations, and commercial to optimize costs and improve both production volumes and demand fulfillment across the enterprise; (2) implementation of improved standardized business processes and aggressive management of selling, general, and administrative expenses and Corporate costs; (3) portfolio simplification to improve operational performance; and (4) increased use of technology, data analytics, and automation at production facilities, in offices, and with customers to improve efficiencies and customer service.
The Innovation pillar includes expansions and investments in (1) the modernization and digitization of our operations network; (2) sustainability-driven innovation, which encompasses the full range of products, solutions, capabilities, and commitments to serve both customer needs and farmer resilience; and (3) growth initiatives, including organic growth with additional capacity to meet growing market demand and strategic objectives.
The Culture pillar focuses on building capabilities and enabling collaboration, teamwork, and agility from process standardization and digitalization, and bringing new perspectives and expertise to the Company’s decision-making.
ADM plans to support the three pillars with investments in technology, which include expanding digital capabilities and investing further in research and development.
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OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Sustainability
Sustainability is a key driver in ADM’s expanding portfolio of environmentally responsible, plant-derived products. Consumers today increasingly expect their food and drink to come from sustainable ingredients, produced by companies that share their values, and ADM is continually finding new ways to meet those needs through its portfolio actions.
Significant Portfolio Actions
The Company’s significant portfolio actions and announcements during 2024 include the following acquisitions:
•Revela Foods, a Wisconsin-based developer and manufacturer of innovative dairy flavor ingredients and solutions;
•FDL, a UK-based leading developer and producer of premium flavor and functional ingredient systems;
•PT Trouw Nutrition Indonesia, a leading provider of functional and nutritional solutions for livestock farming in Indonesia; and
•Totally Natural Solutions Ltd., a UK-based hops flavoring producer.
See Part II. Item 8. Note 3. Acquisitions of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for further information.
Internal and Government Investigation
The Company has historically disclosed in the footnotes to its financial statements that intersegment sales have been recorded at amounts approximating market. In connection with the Company’s previously disclosed internal investigation regarding certain accounting practices and procedures with respect to its Nutrition reporting segment, including as related to certain intersegment sales (the “Investigation”) the Company identified certain intersegment sales that occurred between the Company’s Nutrition reporting segment and the Company’s Ag Services and Oilseeds and Carbohydrate Solutions reporting segments that were not recorded at amounts approximating market. The Company corrected those errors in its fiscal year 2023 Form 10-K, along with subsequently identified errors that the Company corrected in an amendment to its Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (the “FY2023 10-K/A”), and its Form 10-Qs for the first and second quarters of 2024, all of which were filed on November 18, 2024, to restate the segment information disclosure included in those filings.
As previously disclosed, the Company is under investigation by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) relating to, among other things, intersegment sales between the Company’s Nutrition reporting segment and the Company’s Ag Services and Oilseeds and Carbohydrate Solutions reporting segments. The Company is continuing to cooperate with the SEC and DOJ investigations and is unable to predict the outcome of these investigations.
Material Weakness
In connection with the Investigation, the Company identified a material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting related to its accounting practices and procedures for segment disclosures. For more information, see “Controls and Procedures” in Part II, Item 9A herein.
Operating Performance Indicators
The Company is exposed to certain risks inherent to an agricultural-based commodity business. These risks are further described in Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The Company’s Ag Services and Oilseeds and Carbohydrate Solutions segments are principally agricultural commodity-based businesses where changes in selling prices move in relationship to changes in prices of the commodity-based agricultural raw materials. As a result, changes in agricultural commodity prices have relatively equal impacts on both revenues and cost of products sold. Therefore, margins per volume or metric ton generally are meaningful as a performance indicator in these businesses.
The Company's Nutrition segment also utilizes agricultural commodities (or products derived from agricultural commodities) as raw materials. However, in these operations, agricultural commodity market price changes do not necessarily correlate to changes in cost of products sold. As a result, changes in revenues of these businesses may correspond to changes in margins. Therefore margin rates generally are meaningful as a performance indicator in these businesses.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The Company has consolidated subsidiaries in approximately 80 countries. For the majority of the Company’s subsidiaries located outside the United States, the local currency is the functional currency except for certain significant subsidiaries in Switzerland where Euro is the functional currency, and Brazil and Argentina where U.S. dollar is the functional currency. Revenues and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the weighted average exchange rates for the applicable periods. For the majority of the Company’s business activities in Brazil and Argentina, the functional currency is the U.S. dollar; however, certain transactions, including taxes, occur in local currency and require remeasurement to the functional currency. Changes in revenues are expected to be correlated to changes in expenses reported by the Company caused by fluctuations in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, and Brazilian real, as compared to the U.S. dollar.
The Company measures its performance using key financial metrics including net earnings, adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS), margins, segment operating profit, total segment operating profit, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted EBITDA, return on invested capital, adjusted economic value added, and operating cash flows before working capital. Some of these metrics are not defined by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) and should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, GAAP financial measures. For more information, see the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section below.
The Company’s financial results can vary significantly due to changes in factors such as fluctuations in energy prices, weather conditions, crop plantings, government programs and policies, trade policies, changes in global demand, general global economic conditions, changes in standards of living, global production of similar and competitive crops, and geopolitical developments. Due to the unpredictable nature of these and other factors, the Company undertakes no responsibility for updating any forward-looking information contained within this “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023
Market Factors Influencing Operations or Results in the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2024
The Company is subject to a variety of market factors which affect the Company’s operating results, including those discussed below related to 2024.
In the Ag Services and Oilseeds segment, following two years of very favorable market conditions, several headwinds in the agriculture cycle, including fewer market dislocations and high cost inflation, led to more normalized results throughout the entire value chain. Ag Services benefited from improved river conditions and an excellent crop in North America, which improved export volumes, while South America Origination margins were negatively impacted by take or pay contracts with railroads. Global Trade market conditions were driven by solid trading and continued structured trade finance opportunities. Crushing saw depressed vegetable oil demand and lower prices primarily driven by increased market supply, imports of used cooking oil, uncertainty with the Producer Tax Credit policy change, and the delay of the European Union's Deforestation Regulation requirements. In Refined Products and Other, North America margins were pressured by an increase in the supply of low carbon intensity feedstock and limited forward sales opportunities caused by the uncertainty around Producers Tax Credit policy transition.
In the Carbohydrate Solutions segment, demand for starches and sweeteners remained solid with margins remaining steady across the entire portfolio. Strong export demand for ethanol helped offset higher industry production to minimize the imbalance between supply and demand.
In the Nutrition segment, demand was mixed in a few food and beverage product categories driven by shifts in consumer discretionary spend and preferences. Human Nutrition was impacted by inflation, which drove lower demand and decreased volumes for alternative proteins in some regions. Demand started to recover in the food, beverage, and dietary supplement categories. In Animal Nutrition, a soft amino acids market driven by price weakness in North America was partially offset by an improved market in EMEA. The global feed market saw some modest improvement with continued price weakness of main feed ration commodities, while key livestock prices remained steady. The feed additives market was impacted by volatility on vitamins due to supply disruptions, however overall it modestly improved, following the improvement in the feed sector.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Processed volumes by product for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 are as follows (in metric tons):
| (In thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilseeds | 35,719 | 34,899 | 820 | ||||
| Corn | 18,541 | 18,067 | 474 | ||||
| Total | 54,260 | 52,966 | 1,294 |
The Company generally operates its production facilities, on an overall basis, at or near capacity, adjusting facilities individually, as needed, to react to the current margin environment and seasonal local supply and demand conditions. The overall increase in oilseeds processed volumes was primarily related to improved crush capacity in North America, driven by the Company's new facility in Spiritwood, North Dakota, and in EMEA in 2024 compared to lower crush rates in the previous year due to inclement weather, unplanned downtime, and reduced capacity due to the Russian-Ukraine war. The overall increase in corn processed volumes was related to increased plant reliability in 2024 compared to lower volumes in the previous year driven by unplanned downtime at the Decatur, Illinois plant.
Federal Blenders’ and Producers’ Credits
Biodiesel tax incentives have been provided through various U.S. statutes. The Blenders' Tax Credit (BTC) is the primary regulation, applicable to qualifying biodiesel. The BTC has lapsed and been reinstated numerous times over the last decade. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 extended the BTC through December 31, 2024 and established a new Clean Fuel Production Credit (CFPC) effective January 1, 2025. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recorded a benefit of $316 million related to the BTC. The Company estimates a significant decrease in the CFPC available in the year ending December 31, 2025 compared with the BTC claimed during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Analysis of Results of Operations
Earnings before income taxes decreased 47% or $2.0 billion, to $2.3 billion, primarily driven by lower pricing and execution margins, as well as a $461 million impairment charge related to the Company’s investment in Wilmar, partially offset by increased sales volumes.
Total segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) in 2024 decreased 28% or $1.7 billion, to $4.2 billion, driven by lower results in the Ag Services and Oilseeds segment and the Nutrition segment. Total segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) in 2024 excluded asset impairment, restructuring and net settlement contingencies of $490 million, and a gain on the sale of certain assets of $10 million. Total segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) in 2023 excluded asset impairment, restructuring, and net settlement contingencies of $361 million, and a gain on the sale of certain assets of $17 million.
Total segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) is reconciled to earnings before income taxes, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, in the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section below.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Revenues for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, were as follows (in millions):
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 44,083 | $ | 47,420 | $ | (3,337) | ||||
| Crushing | 11,836 | 14,020 | (2,184) | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 10,597 | 11,986 | (1,389) | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | 66,516 | 73,426 | (6,910) | |||||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | 8,587 | 9,885 | (1,298) | |||||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 2,647 | 2,989 | (342) | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | 11,234 | 12,874 | (1,640) | |||||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | 3,944 | 3,634 | 310 | |||||||
| Animal Nutrition | 3,405 | 3,577 | (172) | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | 7,349 | 7,211 | 138 | |||||||
| Total Segment Revenues | 85,099 | 93,511 | (8,412) | |||||||
| Other Business | 431 | 424 | 7 | |||||||
| Total Revenues | $ | 85,530 | $ | 93,935 | $ | (8,405) |
Revenues and cost of products sold in agricultural merchandising and processing businesses are significantly correlated to the underlying commodity prices and volumes. In periods of significant changes in market prices, the underlying performance of the Company is better evaluated by looking at margins since both revenues and cost of products sold, particularly in the Ag Services and Oilseeds segment, generally have a relatively equal impact from market price changes which generally result in an insignificant impact to gross profit.
Revenues decreased $8.4 billion to $85.5 billion driven by lower sales prices ($16.0 billion), partially offset by higher sales volumes ($7.6 billion). Lower sales prices of soybeans, corn, meal, oils, wheat and alcohol, were partially offset by higher sales volumes of soybeans, corn, oils, wheat, alcohol, and flavors. Ag Services and Oilseeds revenues decreased 9% to $66.5 billion driven by lower sales prices ($13.5 billion), partially offset by higher sales volumes ($6.6 billion). Carbohydrate Solutions revenues decreased 13% to $11.2 billion driven by lower sales prices ($2.3 billion), partially offset by higher sales volumes ($612 million). Nutrition revenues increased 2% to $7.3 billion driven by higher sales volumes ($386 million), partially offset by lower sales prices ($248 million).
Cost of products sold decreased $6.7 billion to $79.8 billion driven primarily by lower average commodity costs. Manufacturing expenses increased $288 million primarily driven by increased salaries and benefits driven by salary increases, higher depreciation expenses, increased legal, professional, and other fees, increased maintenance expenses due to work performed at Ag Services and Oilseeds facilities in Decatur, Illinois and the Company's new facility in Spiritwood, North Dakota, among others, partially offset by decreases in energy costs, particularly driven by lower energy pricing in North America and EMEA.
Foreign currency translation impacts decreased revenues by $335 million and cost of goods sold by $290 million, decreasing gross profit by $45 million.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Gross profit decreased $1.7 billion or 23%, to $5.8 billion driven by lower margins in Ag Services, which decreased by $300 million to $1.2 billion, Crushing, which decreased $518 million to $991 million, Refined Products and Other, which decreased $709 million to $554 million, Starches and Sweeteners, which decreased by $112 million to $1.4 billion, and Human Nutrition, which decreased by $77 million to $941 million, partially offset by higher margins in Animal Nutrition, which increased $62 million to $509 million.
Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased 7% to $3.7 billion driven by higher legal and financing fees, higher salary and benefit costs, and increased amortization of intangibles, driven by the Company’s investment in computer software and intangibles acquired in business combinations, partially offset by decreased incentive compensation reflecting lower Company performance and reduced provisions for bad debt.
Asset impairment, exit, and restructuring costs increased $203 million to $545 million. Charges in 2024 included a $461 million impairment related to the Company's Wilmar equity investment, $43 million of impairments related to customer lists and discontinued trademarks in the Animal Nutrition subsegment, $4 million of reportable segment specific restructuring charges and $23 million of restructuring in Corporate. Charges in 2023 consisted of $137 million of impairments related to goodwill in the Animal Nutrition reporting unit, $108 million of impairments related to property, plant, and equipment and an equity method investment, $64 million of impairments related to customer list and discontinued Animal Nutrition trademarks, $27 million of reportable segment specific restructuring charges, and $6 million of restructuring in Corporate.
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates increased $70 million to $621 million due primarily to higher earnings from the Company’s investments in Almidones Mexicanos S.A., Wilmar, Skyland Grain, LLC, and Hungrana Ltd., partially offset by lower earnings from the Company’s investment in Olenex Sarl and SoyVen. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had sold its interest in Skyland Grain, LLC.
Interest and investment income increased $63 million to $562 million driven by lower investment valuation losses in 2024 of $16 million, a decrease of $60 million when compared to the prior year, and higher interest income within Ag Services and Oilseeds ($30 million, compared to the prior year of $0), driven by bond investments within South America, partially offset by lower net interest income (decrease of $36 million) for ADM Investor Services due to lower customer balances.
Interest expense increased $59 million to $706 million driven by increased use of the Company’s commercial paper borrowing programs.
Other income - net of $251 million increased $75 million. Current year income included third party insurance recoveries of $133 million, foreign exchange gains of $46 million, and net gains on disposals of individually insignificant assets in the ordinary course of business of $16 million. Prior year income included net gains on disposals of individually insignificant assets in the ordinary course of business of $38 million, the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $18 million, net foreign exchange gains of $85 million, and net other income.
Income taxes of $476 million decreased $352 million. The Company’s effective tax rate for 2024 was 21.1% compared to 19.3% for 2023. The increase in the effective rate was driven primarily by the impairment of the Company’s investment in Wilmar and changes in the Company's geographic mix of earnings.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Segment Operating Profit
Segment operating profit for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was as follows (in millions):
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment Operating Profit | ||||||||||
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 715 | $ | 1,168 | $ | (453) | ||||
| Crushing | 844 | 1,290 | (446) | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 552 | 1,306 | (754) | |||||||
| Wilmar | 336 | 303 | 33 | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | $ | 2,447 | $ | 4,067 | $ | (1,620) | ||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | $ | 1,343 | $ | 1,329 | $ | 14 | ||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 33 | 46 | (13) | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | $ | 1,376 | $ | 1,375 | $ | 1 | ||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | $ | 327 | $ | 417 | $ | (90) | ||||
| Animal Nutrition | 59 | 10 | 49 | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | $ | 386 | $ | 427 | $ | (41) |
In the Ag Services and Oilseeds segment, segment operating profit decreased 40%. The Ag Services subsegment operating profit was lower than 2023. South America Origination margins decreased driven by lower origination volumes and margin compression due to slow farmer selling and higher industry rail freight take or pay agreements. North America grain exports were not competitive with South America, leading to weak exports and costs from a carry market contributed to slow farmer selling, limiting trade opportunities in the first half of the year. Execution in destination marketing as well as effective risk management continued to deliver strong Global Trade results in 2024, though lower than 2023. The Crushing subsegment operating profit was lower than 2023, particularly in North America. Increased industry capacity pressured Crushing margins and an increased supply of competing low carbon intensity feedstocks, and the European Union's Deforestation Regulation delay negatively affected margins. For 2024, there were approximately $20 million of net positive mark-to-market timing effects, compared to approximately $185 million of net positive impacts in 2023. The Crushing subsegment current year operating results also included $76 million of insurance proceeds for the partial settlement of the Decatur East and West insurance claims related to incidents in 2023. The Refined Products and Other (RPO) subsegment operating profit was lower than 2023 as increased pre-treatment capacity at renewable diesel facilities, higher imports of used cooking oil, aggressive competition among food suppliers to serve customer demand, and biofuel policy uncertainty negatively impacted margins. There were net negative timing impact of approximately $430 million year-over-year.
In the Carbohydrate Solutions segment, segment operating profit was flat compared to the prior year. The Starches and Sweeteners subsegment operating profit was higher year-over-year driven by improved cost position on higher utilization rates, higher joint-venture earnings, and $84 million of insurance proceeds for the partial settlement of the Decatur East and Decatur West insurance claims related to an incident that occurred in 2023. Strong margins and volumes in North America were offset by weaker domestic ethanol margins, co-product values, and margins in EMEA. The Vantage Corn Processors subsegment results decreased year-over-year driven by lower margins, due to higher industry production and inventory levels, partially offset by higher volumes driven by increased exports.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
In the Nutrition segment, segment operating profit decreased 9%. Human Nutrition results were lower than the prior year. Specialty Ingredients was impacted by unplanned downtime at Decatur East, higher costs of goods sold associated with the termination of an unfavorable supply agreement, and a normalizing texturants market negatively impacted margins, partially offset by $71 million of insurance proceeds for the partial settlement of the 2023 Decatur East incident insurance claims and changes in inventory adjustments compared to the prior year. In Health and Wellness, lower profits were driven by inventory reserve adjustments due primarily to changes in customer demand fulfillment, non-recurring benefits in the prior year, and softer margins within Vitamins, offset by stronger growth in biotics and botanicals. The prior year was impacted by a revaluation loss of $19 million related to an investment in precision fermentation. Flavors results were higher than the prior year driven by current year acquisitions, and a prior year $45 million negative impact primarily related to the deconsolidation and write-down of a joint venture. Animal Nutrition results were higher compared to the prior year, as amino acids market recovery, cost optimization efforts and lower input costs bolstered margins.
Other Business and Corporate Results
Other Business contribution of operating profit decreased 34% from $375 million to $247 million. Lower net interest income from reduced trading activity levels drove decreased earnings in ADM Investor Services. Captive insurance results decreased, driven by higher claim settlements, which included partial settlements of $231 million for the Decatur East and West insurance claims, of which $133 million was from reinsurers during the fourth quarter.
Corporate results were as follows (in millions):
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest expense - net (1) | $ | (482) | $ | (431) | $ | (51) | ||||
| Unallocated corporate costs (2) | (1,205) | (1,144) | (61) | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | (7) | (7) | — | |||||||
| Gain on debt conversion option | — | 6 | (6) | |||||||
| Restructuring charges (3) | (23) | (6) | (17) | |||||||
| Other expense - net (4) | (4) | (24) | 20 | |||||||
| Total Corporate | $ | (1,721) | $ | (1,606) | $ | (115) |
(1)Interest expense-net increased $51 million driven by increased borrowings and higher interest rates on the Company’s commercial paper borrowing programs and increased interest expense relating to uncertain tax positions.
(2)Unallocated corporate costs increased $61 million driven by increases in legal and professional fees and securitization fees, offset by decreased incentive compensation driven by lower Company performance.
(3)Restructuring charges increased $17 million driven by $10 million relating to foreign restructuring charges.
(4)Other expense in the current year included railroad maintenance expenses of $64 million and net valuation losses of approximately $16 million in the Company’s ADM Ventures portfolio. Other income in the current year also included foreign exchange gains of $78 million and the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $18 million. Other expense in the prior year included the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $18 million and foreign exchange gains, partially offset by railroad maintenance expenses of $67 million and investment revaluation losses of $57 million.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company uses certain “Non-GAAP” financial measures as defined by the SEC. These are measures of performance not defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, and should be considered in addition to, not in lieu of, GAAP reported measures. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in this section.
The Company uses adjusted net earnings, adjusted diluted EPS, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and total segment operating profit, non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the SEC, to evaluate the Company’s financial performance.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Adjusted net earnings is defined as net earnings adjusted for the effects on net earnings of specified items as more fully described in the reconciliation tables. Adjusted diluted EPS is defined as diluted EPS adjusted for the effects on reported diluted EPS of specified items as more fully described in the reconciliation tables.
EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest on borrowings, taxes, and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest on borrowings, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, adjusted to exclude the impact of specified items as more fully described in the reconciliation tables.
Total segment operating profit is defined as ADM’s consolidated earnings before income taxes, adjusted for Other Business, Corporate, and specified items as more fully described in the reconciliation tables.
Management believes that adjusted net earnings, adjusted diluted EPS, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and total segment operating profit are useful measures of the Company’s performance because they provide investors additional information about the Company’s operations allowing better evaluation of underlying business performance and better period-to-period comparability.
Adjusted net earnings, adjusted diluted EPS, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, and total segment operating profit are not intended to replace or be an alternative to net earnings, diluted EPS, and earnings before income taxes, the most directly comparable amounts reported under GAAP.
The table below provides a reconciliation of net earnings (the most directly comparable GAAP measure) to adjusted net earnings (a non-GAAP measure) and diluted EPS to adjusted diluted EPS (a non-GAAP measure) for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In millions | Per share | In millions | Per share | |||||||||
| Average number of shares outstanding - diluted | 493 | 542 | ||||||||||
| Net earnings and reported EPS (fully diluted) | $ | 1,800 | $ | 3.65 | $ | 3,483 | $ | 6.43 | ||||
| Adjustments: | ||||||||||||
| Gains on sale of assets (net of tax of $3 million in 2024 and $5 million in 2023) (1) | (8) | (0.02) | (12) | (0.03) | ||||||||
| Asset impairment, restructuring, and net settlement contingencies (net of tax of $1 million in 2024 and $57 million in 2023) (1) | 512 | 1.04 | 310 | 0.57 | ||||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions (net of tax of $2 million in 2024 and $1 million in 2023) (1) | 5 | 0.01 | 6 | 0.01 | ||||||||
| Gain on debt conversion option (net of tax of $0) (1) | — | — | (6) | (0.01) | ||||||||
| Certain discrete tax adjustments (2) | 30 | 0.06 | 4 | 0.01 | ||||||||
| Adjusted net earnings and adjusted diluted EPS | $ | 2,339 | $ | 4.74 | $ | 3,785 | $ | 6.98 |
(1) Tax effected using the U.S. and applicable tax rates.
(2) Includes impact of changes in tax law, valuation allowances, and the Company's indefinite reinvestment of foreign earnings. Management believes these adjustments are helpful to understand distortion in GAAP effective tax rates created by non-recurring items.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The table below provides a reconciliation of net earnings (the most directly comparable GAAP measure) to EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure) and adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure) for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in millions).
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net earnings | $ | 1,800 | $ | 3,483 | $ | (1,683) | ||||
| Net earnings (losses) attributable to non-controlling interests | (21) | (17) | (4) | |||||||
| Income tax expense | 476 | 828 | (352) | |||||||
| Earnings Before Income Taxes | 2,255 | 4,294 | (2,039) | |||||||
| Interest expense | 506 | 430 | 76 | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 1,141 | 1,059 | 82 | |||||||
| EBITDA | 3,902 | 5,783 | (1,881) | |||||||
| Gains on sale of assets | (11) | (17) | 6 | |||||||
| Asset impairment, restructuring, and contingency provisions | 513 | 367 | 146 | |||||||
| Railroad maintenance expense | 64 | 67 | (3) | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | 7 | 7 | — | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 4,476 | $ | 6,207 | $ | (1,731) |
The table below provides a reconciliation of earnings before income taxes (the most directly comparable GAAP measure) to total segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in millions).
| 2024 | 2023 | Change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Before Income Taxes | $ | 2,255 | $ | 4,294 | $ | (2,039) | ||||
| Other Business (earnings) loss | (247) | (375) | 128 | |||||||
| Corporate | 1,721 | 1,606 | 115 | |||||||
| Specified Items: | ||||||||||
| Gains on sale of assets | (10) | (17) | 7 | |||||||
| Impairment, restructuring, and net settlement contingencies | 490 | 361 | 129 | |||||||
| Total Segment Operating Profit | $ | 4,209 | $ | 5,869 | $ | (1,660) |
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company's objective is to have sufficient liquidity, balance sheet strength, and financial flexibility to fund the operating and capital requirements of a capital intensive agricultural commodity-based business. The Company depends on access to credit markets, which can be impacted by its credit rating and factors outside of the Company’s control, to fund its working capital needs and capital expenditures.
The primary source of funds to finance the Company’s operations, capital expenditures, and advancement of its growth strategy is cash generated by operations and lines of credit, including a commercial paper borrowing facility and accounts receivable securitization programs. In addition, the Company believes it has access to funds from public and private equity and debt capital markets in both U.S. and international markets.
At December 31, 2024, the Company’s capital resources included shareholders’ equity of $22.2 billion and lines of credit, including the accounts receivable securitization programs described below, totaling $13.0 billion, of which $9.1 billion was unused. Of the Company’s total lines of credit, $5.1 billion supported the commercial paper borrowing programs, against which there was $1.7 billion of commercial paper outstanding at December 31, 2024.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $611 million of cash and cash equivalents, $354 million of which is cash held by foreign subsidiaries whose undistributed earnings are considered indefinitely reinvested. Based on the Company’s historical ability to generate sufficient cash flows from its U.S. operations and unused and available U.S. credit capacity of $4.5 billion, the Company has asserted these funds are indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company has total available liquidity of $9.7 billion comprised of cash and cash equivalents and unused lines of credit. The Company believes that cash flows from operations, cash and cash equivalents on hand, and unused lines of credit will be sufficient to meet its ongoing liquidity requirements for at least the next twelve months.
Operating Cash Flows
Net cash provided by operating activities was $2.8 billion, $4.5 billion, and $3.5 billion for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively.
The decrease in cash provided by operating activities in 2024 compared to 2023 was primarily driven by lower earnings in the current year and changes in net working capital. Changes in net working capital were driven by changes in segregated investments, changes in inventory, changes in trade payables and changes in payables to brokerage customers. Segregated investments increased $693 million in the current year compared to an increase of $194 million in the prior year, driven by higher interest rates. Inventories decreased $162 million in the current year reflecting lower commodity pricing, offset by increased volumes of on-hand inventories compared to a decrease of $2.9 billion in the prior-year, reflecting lower commodity pricing. Trade payables decreased $719 million in the current year compared to a decrease of $1.5 billion in the prior year, reflecting lower commodity pricing. Brokerage payables decreased $78 million in the current year compared to a decrease of $2.1 billion in the prior year which was driven by decreased trading activity in the Company’s futures commission and brokerage business.
Investing Cash Flows
Net cash used in investing activities was $2.7 billion, $1.5 billion, and $1.4 billion for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively.
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 included additions to property, plant and equipment of $1.6 billion, business acquisitions, net of cash acquired of $927 million, and purchases of short-term investments, primarily driven by purchases within South America, of $308 million.
Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 included additions to property, plant and equipment of $1.5 billion.
Financing Cash Flows
Net cash used in financing activities was $1.5 billion, $4.6 billion, and $2.5 billion for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively.
Net cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 included net borrowings on short-term credit agreements of $1.8 billion.
Net cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023, was driven by net borrowings of short-term credit agreements of $390 million, corporate bond repayments of $963 million, which consisted of the €600 million aggregate principal amount of 1.750% Notes due 2023 and $300 million aggregate principal amount of zero coupon exchangeable bonds due 2023, partially offset by proceeds from debt of $501 million.
Cash paid for share repurchases for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 were $2.3 billion, $2.7 billion, and $1.5 billion, respectively.
Dividends paid for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 were $985 million, $977 million, and $899 million, respectively.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Financial Ratios
At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had a current ratio, defined as current assets divided by current liabilities, of 1.4 to 1 and 1.6 to 1, respectively. Included in working capital was $7.0 billion of readily marketable commodity inventories at each of December 31, 2024 and 2023.
The Company’s ratio of long-term debt to total capital (the sum of long-term debt of $7.6 billion and shareholders’ equity of $22.2 billion in 2024 and the sum of long-term debt of $8.3 billion and shareholders’ equity of $24.1 billion in 2023) was 25% at each of December 31, 2024 and 2023.
The Company’s ratio of net debt (the sum of short-term debt of $1.9 billion, current maturities of long-term debt of $674 million, and long-term debt of $7.6 billion less the sum of cash and cash equivalents of $611 million and short-term marketable securities of $246 million in 2024, and the sum of short-term debt of $105 million, current maturities of long-term debt of $1 million, and long-term debt of $8.3 billion less the sum of cash and cash equivalents of $1.4 billion and short-term marketable securities of none in 2023) to capital (the sum of net debt of $9.3 billion and shareholders’ equity of $22.2 billion in 2024 and the sum of net debt of $7.0 billion and shareholders' equity of $24.1 billion in 2023) was 30% and 22% at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Credit Ratings
As of December 31, 2024, the three major credit rating agencies maintained the Company’s credit ratings at investment grade levels with a negative outlook.
Stock Repurchase Program
On March 12, 2024, the Company entered into an accelerated share repurchase (“ASR”) transaction agreement with Merrill Lynch International, an affiliate of BofA Securities, Inc., to repurchase $1.0 billion of ADM common stock as part of ADM’s existing share repurchase program to repurchase up to 200 million shares through December 31, 2024.
On March 28, 2024, the Company received an interim delivery of 8,880,986 shares at an average share price of $60.596, or $538 million in aggregate. On April 15, 2024, the Company received a final delivery of 7,325,733 shares at an average share price of $63.045, or $462 million in aggregate, as final settlement of the ASR transaction.
On December 11, 2024, the Company's Board of Directors approved a second extension of the stock repurchase program through December 31, 2029 and the repurchase of up to an additional 100,000,000 shares under the extended program. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had 115 million shares remaining that may be repurchased under its stock repurchase program until December 31, 2029.
Accounts Receivable Securitization Program
The Company has accounts receivable securitization programs (the “Programs”) with certain commercial paper conduit purchasers and committed purchasers. The Programs provide the Company with up to $2.8 billion in funding against accounts receivable transferred into the Programs and expand the Company’s access to liquidity through efficient use of its balance sheet assets (see Part II. Item 8. Note 19 Sale of Accounts Receivable for more information and disclosures on the Programs). As of December 31, 2024, the Company utilized $2.0 billion of its facility under the Programs.
Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments
In 2025, the Company expects capital expenditures of $1.5 billion and additional cash outlays of approximately $1.0 billion in dividends and up to $155 million in share repurchases, subject to other strategic uses of capital and the evolution of operating cash flows and the working capital position throughout the year.
The Company’s purchase obligations as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 were $12.4 billion and $14.0 billion, respectively. The decrease is primarily related to a decrease in obligations to energy commitments.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
As of December 31, 2024, the Company expects to make payments related to purchase obligations of $11.8 billion within the next twelve months. The Company’s other material cash requirements within the next 12 months include current maturities of long-term debt of $674 million, interest payments of $325 million, operating lease payments of $377 million, transition tax liability of $61 million, and pension, other postretirement, and defined contribution plan contributions of $114 million.
The Company expects to make payments related to purchase obligations and other material cash requirements beyond the next twelve months of $15.9 billion.
The Company’s credit facilities and certain debentures require the Company to comply with specified financial and non-financial covenants including maintenance of minimum tangible net worth as well as limitations related to incurring liens, secured debt, and certain other financing arrangements. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of December 31, 2024.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The process of preparing financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the carrying values of the Company’s assets and liabilities as well as the recognition of revenues and expenses. These estimates and judgments are based on the Company’s historical experience and management’s knowledge and understanding of current facts and circumstances. Certain of the Company’s accounting estimates are considered critical, as these estimates are important to the depiction of the Company’s financial statements and require significant or complex judgment by management. Critical accounting estimates are those estimates made in accordance with GAAP which involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on ADM’s financial condition and results of operations. Management has discussed with the Company’s Audit Committee the development, selection, disclosure, and application of these critical accounting estimates. Following are the accounting estimates management considers critical to the Company’s financial statements.
Fair Value Measurements - Inventories and Commodity Derivatives
Description: Certain of the Company’s inventory, inventory-related payables, and commodity derivative assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2024 are valued at estimated fair values, including $7.0 billion of merchandisable agricultural commodity inventories, $0.8 billion of commodity derivative assets, $0.8 billion of commodity derivative liabilities, and $0.7 billion of inventory-related payables. Commodity derivative assets and liabilities include forward purchase and sales contracts for agricultural commodities. Merchandisable agricultural commodities are freely traded, have quoted market prices, and may be sold without significant additional processing.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Management estimates fair value for its commodity-related assets and liabilities based on exchange-quoted prices, adjusted for differences in local markets. The Company’s inventory, inventory-related payables, and commodity derivative fair value measurements are mainly based on observable market quotations without significant adjustments and are therefore reported as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. Level 3 fair value measurements of approximately $3.5 billion of assets and $0.5 billion of liabilities represent fair value estimates where unobservable price components represent 10% or more of the total fair value price. For more information concerning amounts reported as Level 3, see Part II. Item 8. Note 4 Fair Value Measurements.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: Changes in the market values of these inventories and commodity contracts are recognized in the statement of earnings as a component of cost of products sold. If management used different methods or factors to estimate market value, amounts reported could differ materially. Additionally, if market conditions change subsequent to year-end, amounts reported in future periods could differ materially.
Income Taxes
Description: The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the applicable accounting standards which prescribe a minimum threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Deferred taxes are recognized for the estimated taxes ultimately payable or recoverable based on enacted tax law. Changes in enacted tax rates are reflected in the tax provision as they occur.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Judgments and Uncertainties: ADM calculates its provision for income taxes based on the statutory tax rates and tax attributes available to the Company in the various jurisdictions in which it operates. The Company uses judgment in evaluating the Company’s tax positions and determining its annual tax provision.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: While ADM considers all of its tax positions fully supportable, the Company faces challenges from U.S. and foreign tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. The Company recognizes a tax position in its Consolidated Financial Statements when it is determined to be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination, based on its technical merits. The position is then measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.
Business Combinations
Description: The Company’s acquisitions are accounted for in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 805, Business Combinations, as amended. The consideration transferred is allocated to various assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date with the residual allocated to goodwill. The Company accounts for any redeemable non-controlling interest in temporary equity - redeemable non-controlling interest at redemption value with periodic changes recorded in retained earnings.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Fair values allocated to assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations require management to make significant judgments, estimates, and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets. Management makes estimates of fair values based upon assumptions it believes to be reasonable. These estimates are based upon historical experience and information obtained from the management of the acquired companies and are inherently uncertain. The estimated fair values related to intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationships, trademarks, and developed technology which are determined primarily using discounted cash flow models. Estimates in the discounted cash flow models include, but are not limited to, certain assumptions that form the basis of the forecasted results (e.g. revenue growth rates, customer attrition rates, and royalty rates). These significant assumptions are forward looking and could be affected by future economic and market conditions.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: During the measurement period, which may take up to one year from the acquisition date, adjustments due to changes in the estimated fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed may be recorded as adjustments to the consideration transferred and related allocations. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or the final determination of the values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any such adjustments are charged to the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.
Goodwill Impairment
Description: Goodwill represents the aggregate of the excess consideration paid for acquired businesses over the fair value of the net assets acquired. At December 31, 2024, the Company had goodwill of $4.5 billion. The Company evaluates goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level annually on October 1 or more frequently whenever there are indicators that the carrying value may not be fully recoverable, utilizing either the qualitative or quantitative method. The Company has seven reporting units with goodwill identified at one level below the operating segment using the criteria in ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). Two reporting units do not have any recorded goodwill. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company evaluated goodwill for impairment using a qualitative assessment for two reporting units and using a quantitative assessment for five reporting units. See Part II. Item 8. Note 9. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further information.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Judgments and Uncertainties: The Company has the option to first qualitatively assess factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If the Company elects not to use this option, or it is determined that qualitative factors alone are not sufficient to conclude whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, or it is determined from the qualitative assessment that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then the Company performs the quantitative goodwill impairment test. As part of the Company’s impairment analysis, the fair value of a reporting unit is generally determined using both the income and market approaches. Critical estimates in the determination of the fair value, when using a discounted cash flow analysis, of each reporting unit require management to make assumptions including, but not limited to, future expected cash flows of the reporting unit utilizing appropriate revenue growth, EBITDA margins, and discount rates. A decline in the actual cash flows of a reporting unit in future periods, as compared to the projected cash flows used in the discounted cash flow analysis, could result in the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeding its fair value. Further, a change in the discount rate, as a result of a change in economic conditions or otherwise, could result in the carrying values of the reporting units exceeding their respective fair values. Although the Company believes its estimates of fair value are reasonable, actual financial results could differ from those estimates due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making such estimates.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: Per the results of the impairment testing within the Ag Services and Oilseeds (AS&O) reportable segment for the year ended December 31, 2024, the estimated fair value of the Ag Services, Crushing, and RPO reporting units evaluated for impairment using a quantitative assessment was in excess of 128%, 191% and 209% of its carrying value, respectively, and no impairment was recorded for any of the AS&O reporting units. Per the results of the impairment testing within the Nutrition reportable segment for the year ended December 31, 2024, the estimated fair value of the Animal Nutrition and Human Nutrition reporting units evaluated for impairment using a quantitative assessment was in excess of 7% and 32% of its carrying value, respectively, and no impairment was recorded for either of the Nutrition reporting units.
The Company used a combination of the income and market approaches when performing the quantitative assessment of goodwill for the Animal Nutrition reporting unit. The Company weighted the income approach with a probability weight of 75%, as it is based on the future business plans and growth estimates for the Company’s Animal Nutrition business and thus considers short-term and long-term cash flow expectations for the business. The market approach was weighted less heavily at 25%, as it represents an estimate of fair value based on market guideline companies for which future growth expectations are not precisely known.
The income approach is predicated upon the value of the estimated future cash flows that a business will generate going forward. The Company used the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method under the income approach for the analysis of Animal Nutrition.
The market approach assumes that companies operating in the same industry will share similar characteristics and that values will correlate to those characteristics. Therefore, under the market approach, a comparison of the reporting unit to similar companies whose financial information is publicly available may provide a reasonable basis to estimate the fair value of the reporting unit. The two forms of the market approach most commonly applied are the Guideline Public Company (GPC) method and the Guideline Merged and Acquired Company (GMAC) method. The Company utilized the GPC method to estimate the fair value of the Animal Nutrition reporting unit under the market approach. The GMAC method was also considered, but ultimately was not relied upon due to the lack of recent transactions that were directly comparable. In the selection of the appropriate market multiples, the Company considered the performance of the business, the size, risks, opportunities, and a comparison of the margins and growth of the Animal Nutrition business compared to the guideline public companies. The estimated fair value calculated by the GPC method was within 5% of the estimated fair value calculated by the income approach.
The Company performed a sensitivity analysis for the significant assumptions used in the goodwill impairment testing analysis for the Animal Nutrition reporting unit. The sensitivities were calculated in isolation using the income approach and keeping all other assumptions constant. The sensitivities for revenue growth and EBITDA growth do not consider the offsetting impact of a lower discount rate assumption to reflect the reduced risk in estimated future cash flow growth used under the income approach or the related impacts on pricing multiples used under the market approach.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
As of December 31, 2024, goodwill allocated to the Animal Nutrition reporting unit totaled $887 million. For Animal Nutrition impairment testing, certain hypotheticals would have the following results:
–A hypothetical increase to the discount rate of approximately 100 basis points would result in a goodwill impairment of approximately $68 million;
–A hypothetical decrease to forecasted EBITDA margins of approximately 50 basis points would result in goodwill impairment of approximately $5 million; and
–A hypothetical decrease in the expected annual revenue growth rate over the entire forecast of approximately 250 basis points would result in a goodwill impairment of approximately $69 million.
Investments in Affiliates
Description: The Company applies the equity method of accounting for investments over which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence, including its 22.5% investment in Wilmar. These investments in affiliates are carried at cost plus equity in undistributed earnings and are adjusted, where appropriate, for amortizable basis differences between the investment balance and the underlying net assets of the investee. Generally, the minimum ownership threshold for asserting significant influence is 20% ownership of the investee. However, the Company considers all relevant factors in determining its ability to assert significant influence including but not limited to, ownership percentage, board membership, customer and vendor relationships, and other arrangements.
Judgments and Uncertainties: The Company has evaluated its investments in affiliates as of December 31, 2024 to be appropriately stated at carrying values. The Company also periodically compares the book value of its investment in Wilmar against its market value as determined through quoted market prices, and evaluates any potential other-than-temporary impairment. The Company’s investment in Wilmar had a carrying value of $3.9 billion as of December 31, 2024, and a market value of $3.2 billion based on the quoted Singapore Exchange market price, converted to U.S. dollars at the applicable exchange rate, at December 31, 2024. The Company evaluated several factors in its determination of whether an other-than-temporary impairment had occurred. This included consideration of the short duration of the carrying value being above Wilmar's stock price, the recent performance of Wilmar’s stock price as quoted on the Singapore Exchange, latest consensus analyst forecasts, Wilmar’s long history of earnings and dividends and the Company’s continued representation on Wilmar’s Board. The Company considers its investment in Wilmar a significant and strategic relationship and has the intent and ability to retain its investment in Wilmar for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value. Based on the evaluation of the factors above, the Company does not consider the investment to be other-than temporarily impaired at December 31, 2024.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: The performance of impairment tests involves the use of estimates and assumptions, which may change period to period. If the Company management used different assumptions in the evaluation of its equity method investments, including its investment in Wilmar, the Company may conclude that the investment is other-than-temporarily impaired.
Recent accounting pronouncements
See “New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted” within Note 1. Summary of significant accounting policies, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II. Item 8 for information regarding recent accounting pronouncements.
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ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000007084-24-000009.
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
The Company’s significant portfolio actions and announcements during 2023 include:
•the opening in February 2023 of a new production facility in Valencia, Spain to help meet rising global demand for probiotics, postbiotics, and other products that support health and well-being;
•the announcement in March 2023 of the signing of a joint venture agreement with Marel, a leading provider of advanced food processing solutions, to build an innovation center in the heart of the Netherlands food valley at the Wageningen Campus, subject to regulatory approvals;
•the announcement in May 2023 of a Strategic Development Agreement with Air Protein, a pioneer in air-based nutritional protein that requires no agriculture or farmland, decoupling protein production from traditional supply chain risks, to collaborate on research and development to advance new and novel proteins for nutrition;
•the announcement in June 2023 of the opening of a new Customer Creation and Innovation Center in Manchester, England, serving as a United Kingdom (UK) hub for food innovation and building upon ADM’s strong presence in the UK;
•the launch in July 2023 of a growth initiative of its re:generations™ regenerative agriculture program that will drive expansion to cover 2 million acres across 18 U.S. states and Canada in 2023, and 4 million acres globally by 2025;
•the announcement in October 2023 of a strategic partnership with Solugen, a rapidly scaling climate technology company that is reimagining the chemistry of everyday to scale a range of innovative, plant-based specialty chemicals and bio-based building block molecules in a new manufacturing facility in Marshall, Minnesota.;
•the opening in November 2023 of Green Bison Soy Processing, a joint venture with Marathon Petroleum Corp, a leading, integrated, downstream energy company headquartered in Findlay, Ohio;
•the announcement in November 2023 of an expansion of the Company’s global regenerative agriculture efforts with the launch of the Brazil program that aims to promote and support sustainable agricultural production with a focus on soil health, biodiversity protection, improved soil fertility and resilience, and increased farm productivity;
•the announcement in November 2023 to expand crush capacity in Brazil and the acquisition of a controlling stake in Buckminster Química, a Macatuba, São Paulo-based producer of refined glycerin; and
•the acquisition in December 2023 of D.C.A. Finance B.V., a commodity derivative brokerage service provider.
Sustainability is a key driver in ADM’s expanding portfolio of environmentally responsible, plant-derived products. Consumers today increasingly expect their food and drink to come from sustainable ingredients, produced by companies that share their values, and ADM is continually finding new ways to meet those needs through its portfolio actions.
The Company’s strategic transformation is focused on three strategic pillars: Productivity, Innovation, and Culture.
The Productivity pillar includes (1) partnering across various global teams including procurement, supply chain, operations, and commercial to optimize costs and improve production volumes across the enterprise; (2) continued roll out of the 1ADM business transformation program and implementation of improved standardized business processes; and (3) increased use of technology, data analytics, and automation at production facilities, in offices, and with customers to improve efficiencies and customer service.
The Innovation pillar includes expansions and investments in (1) improving the customer experience by leveraging producer relationships and enhancing the use of state-of-the-art digital technology; (2) sustainability-driven innovation, which encompasses the full range of products, solutions, capabilities, and commitments to serve customers’ needs; and (3) growth initiatives, including organic growth with additional capacity to meet growing market demand and strategic objectives.
The Culture pillar focuses on building capabilities and enabling collaboration, teamwork, and agility from process standardization and digitalization and ADM’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, which bring new perspectives and expertise to the Company’s decision-making.
ADM plans to support the three pillars with investments in technology, which include expanding digital capabilities and investing further in research and development.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Operating Performance Indicators
The Company’s Ag Services and Oilseeds operations are principally agricultural commodity-based businesses where changes in selling prices move in relationship to changes in prices of the commodity-based agricultural raw materials. As a result, changes in agricultural commodity prices have relatively equal impacts on both revenues and cost of products sold. Therefore, changes in revenues of these businesses do not necessarily correspond to the changes in margins or gross profit. Thus, gross margins per volume or metric ton are more meaningful than gross margins as percentage of revenues.
The Company’s Carbohydrate Solutions operations and Nutrition businesses also utilize agricultural commodities (or products derived from agricultural commodities) as raw materials. However, in these operations, agricultural commodity market price changes do not necessarily correlate to changes in cost of products sold. Therefore, changes in revenues of these businesses may correspond to changes in margins or gross profit. Thus, gross margin rates are more meaningful as a performance indicator in these businesses.
The Company has consolidated subsidiaries in more than 70 countries. For the majority of the Company’s subsidiaries located outside the United States, the local currency is the functional currency except certain significant subsidiaries in Switzerland where Euro is the functional currency, and Brazil and Argentina where U.S. dollar is the functional currency. Revenues and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the weighted average exchange rates for the applicable periods. For the majority of the Company’s business activities in Brazil and Argentina, the functional currency is the U.S. dollar; however, certain transactions, including taxes, occur in local currency and require remeasurement to the functional currency. Changes in revenues are expected to be correlated to changes in expenses reported by the Company caused by fluctuations in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, and Brazilian real, as compared to the U.S. dollar.
The Company measures its performance using key financial metrics including net earnings, gross margins, constant currency revenue and operating profit, segment operating profit, adjusted segment operating profit, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted EBITDA, manufacturing expenses, selling, general, and administrative expenses, return on invested capital, economic value added, and operating cash flows before working capital. The Company’s financial results can vary significantly due to changes in factors such as fluctuations in energy prices, weather conditions, crop plantings, government programs and policies, trade policies, changes in global demand, general global economic conditions, changes in standards of living, and global production of similar and competitive crops. Due to these unpredictable factors, the Company undertakes no responsibility for updating any forward-looking information contained within “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Intersegment Sales
Background
As previously disclosed, the Company received a voluntary document request from the SEC relating to intersegment sales between the Company’s Nutrition reporting segment and the Company’s Ag Services and Oilseeds and Carbohydrate Solutions reporting segments. In response, the Company engaged external counsel, assisted by a forensic accounting firm, to conduct an internal investigation, overseen by the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, which is separately advised by external counsel (the Investigation). As previously disclosed on January 21, 2024, the Company placed Vikram Luthar, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, on administrative leave.
Correction of Certain Segment-Specific Historical Financial Information
Based on the Investigation, the Company is correcting certain segment-specific historical financial information for the years ended December 31, 2021 through 2023 to reflect immaterial error corrections to certain intersegment sales as further described and set forth in Note 17, Segment and Geographic Information of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Part II, Item 8 herein.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The Company has historically disclosed in the footnotes to its financial statements that intersegment sales have been recorded at amounts approximating market. In connection with the Investigation, the Company identified certain intersegment sales that were not recorded at amounts approximating market. The immaterial error corrections generally arise from the measurement of intersegment sales pricing or rebates relating to products sold to the Nutrition reporting segment by the Ag Services and Oilseeds and Carbohydrate Solutions reporting segments.
Because each sale to be adjusted occurred between the Company’s reporting segments, the adjustments have no impact on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and statements of earnings, comprehensive income (loss), or cash flows. The Company determined that the adjustments are not material to the Company’s consolidated financial statements taken as a whole for any period.
For more information, see Note 17, Segment and Geographic Information of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Part II, Item 8 herein.
In addition, because the Investigation covers the period between January 2018 and September 2023, the Company is providing below information with respect to the adjustments effected to operating profit for each of the Company’s reporting segments for each of the years ended December 31, 2018 through 2023.
Impact of the Adjustments on Ag Services and Oilseeds Segment on Segment Operating Profit
| Years Ended December 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In millions) | 2023(1) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | ||||||||||||||||
| Segment operating profit, as originally reported for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 | $ | 4,066 | $ | 4,386 | $ | 2,775 | $ | 2,105 | $ | 1,935 | $ | 2,020 | ||||||||||
| Adjustments | 1 | 15 | 24 | 1 | 1 | — | ||||||||||||||||
| Segment operating profit, as revised | $ | 4,067 | $ | 4,401 | $ | 2,799 | $ | 2,106 | $ | 1,936 | $ | 2,020 |
(1) The adjustments set forth in the tables above for the year ended December 31, 2023 reflect adjustments effected for the period January 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Given the timing of the Investigation, no adjustments were effected in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Impact of the Adjustments on Carbohydrate Solutions Segment Operating Profit
| Years Ended December 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In millions) | 2023(1) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | ||||||||||||||||
| Segment operating profit, as originally reported for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 | $ | 1,345 | $ | 1,360 | $ | 1,283 | $ | 717 | $ | 644 | $ | 945 | ||||||||||
| Adjustments | 30 | 53 | 35 | 15 | 26 | 27 | ||||||||||||||||
| Segment operating profit, as revised | $ | 1,375 | $ | 1,413 | $ | 1,318 | $ | 732 | $ | 670 | $ | 972 |
(1) The adjustments set forth in the tables above for the year ended December 31, 2023 reflect adjustments effected for the period January 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Given the timing of the Investigation, no adjustments were effected in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Impact of the Adjustments on Nutrition Segment Operating Profit
| Years Ended December 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In millions) | 2023(1) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | ||||||||||||||||
| Segment operating profit, as originally reported for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 | $ | 458 | $ | 736 | $ | 691 | $ | 574 | $ | 418 | $ | 339 | ||||||||||
| Adjustments | (31) | (68) | (59) | (16) | (27) | (27) | ||||||||||||||||
| Segment operating profit, as revised | $ | 427 | $ | 668 | $ | 632 | $ | 558 | $ | 391 | $ | 312 |
(1) The adjustments set forth in the tables above for the year ended December 31, 2023 reflect adjustments effected for the period January 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Given the timing of the Investigation, no adjustments were effected in the fourth quarter of 2023.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
As further described in Note 17, Segment and Geographic Information of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Part II, Item 8 herein, the Company also corrected certain immaterial errors relating to the classification of certain intrasegment revenues. More information about such error correction is set forth in Note 17, Segment and Geographic Information.
Material Weakness
In connection with the Investigation, the Company identified a material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting related to its accounting practices and procedures for intersegment sales. The material weakness resulted from inadequate controls that allowed for certain intersegment sales to be reported at amounts not approximating market. The Company has put in place a plan to remediate this material weakness. For more information, see “Controls and Procedures” in Part II, Item 9A herein.
Government Investigations
The Company continues to cooperate with the SEC. Following the Company’s January 21, 2024 announcement of the Investigation, the Company received voluntary document requests from the Department of Justice (DOJ) focused primarily on the same subject matter, and the DOJ directed grand jury subpoenas to certain current and former Company employees. The Company is cooperating with the DOJ.
The foregoing is a summary of the Investigation and related matters. The Company could take new or different actions in addition to those taken to date if it determines those actions are appropriate.
Operations in Ukraine and Russia
ADM employs approximately 630 people in Ukraine and operates an oilseeds crushing plant, a grain port terminal, inland and river silos, and a trading office. The Company’s footprint in Russia is limited to operations related to the production and transport of essential food commodities and ingredients.
While the Company’s Ukraine and Russian operations have historically represented 0.1% of consolidated revenues, the direct and indirect impacts of the ongoing military action could negatively affect ADM’s future operating results. The conflict in Ukraine has created disruptions in global supply chains and has created dislocations of key agricultural commodities. The indirect impact of these dislocations on the Company’s operating results will be a function of a number of variables including supply and demand responses from the rest of the world as well as the length of the conflict and the condition of the agricultural industry and export infrastructure after the conflict ends. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain and other food products, expired on July 17, 2023. In September 2023, a new alternative shipping corridor in the Black Sea took effect with Ukraine setting up temporary routes from ports in Greater Odessa. For more information, refer to Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors”.
As of December 31, 2023, ADM’s assets in Ukraine consisted primarily of current assets that were less than 1% of the Company’s total current assets and an immaterial amount of non-current assets. Of the total current assets in Ukraine, the majority were related to inventories that represented less than 2% of ADM’s total inventories.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Market Factors Influencing Operations or Results in the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2023
The Company is subject to a variety of market factors which affect the Company’s operating results. In Ag Services and Oilseeds, supply has been impacted by market dislocations driven by geopolitical uncertainty, record Brazil soybean production, and extreme drought conditions in Argentina. Inflationary pressures impacted the entire value chain. Crushing was positively impacted by sustainable biofuel demand and protein consumption around the globe. In Refined Products and Other, margins were driven by strong oil demand and elevated oil prices that were supported by biofuels demand, driven by favorable blend economics as historically low distillate fuel oil inventory drove diesel prices to all-time highs. Mediocre growth in mandated renewable volume obligations for 2023 to 2025 drove further market volatility. In Carbohydrate Solutions, demand for starches and sweeteners remained solid with stronger overall margins due to specialty products pricing. Lower gasoline prices in 2023 were supportive of higher domestic gasoline consumption and ethanol demand. Strong ethanol exports helped balance overall supply and demand and were supported by discretionary blending at export markets. In Nutrition, demand was softer in a few food and beverage product categories. Human Nutrition was impacted by inflation which drove lower demand especially in higher priced product categories in the food, beverage, and dietary supplement segment and impacted volumes in flavors, flavor systems, emulsifiers, bioactives, and alternative proteins. In Animal Nutrition, overall market remained weak with pressured farm gate prices in China and structurally decreasing European production. Certain tailwinds, however, including softening raw material prices, predominantly in micro ingredients, and recovery in global poultry production helped offset the negative impacts. The amino acids market continued to be subdued with ample supply from China.
Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022
Net earnings attributable to controlling interests decreased 20% or $0.9 billion, to $3.5 billion. Segment operating profit decreased 10% or $0.6 billion, to $5.9 billion, and included a net charge of $344 million consisting of asset impairment and restructuring charges and net settlement contingencies totaling $361 million and a gain on the sale of certain assets of $17 million. Included in segment operating profit in the prior year was a net charge of $100 million consisting of charges totaling $147 million related to the impairment of certain assets, restructuring, and contingencies/settlements, partially offset by gains on the sale of certain assets of $47 million. Adjusted segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) decreased $0.4 billion to $6.2 billion due primarily to lower results in Crushing, Wilmar, Nutrition, Ag Services, and Starches and Sweeteners, partially offset by higher results in Refined Products and Other, Other Business, and Vantage Corn Processors. Lower margins partially offset by improved pricing and positive timing impacts, overall decline in volume, higher manufacturing costs, and unplanned downtime at Decatur East decreased adjusted segment operating profit. Corporate results in the current year were a net charge of $1.6 billion and included a mark-to-market gain of $6 million on the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020, acquisition-related expenses of $7 million, and restructuring charges of $6 million. Corporate results in the prior year were a net charge of $1.3 billion and included a mark-to-market gain of $9 million on the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020.
Income taxes of $828 million decreased $40 million. The Company’s effective tax rate for 2023 was 19.3% compared to 16.6% for 2022. The change in the rate was due primarily to changes in the geographic mix of pretax earnings.
Analysis of Statements of Earnings
Processed volumes by product for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows (in metric tons):
| (In thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilseeds | 34,899 | 32,952 | 1,947 | ||||
| Corn | 18,067 | 18,558 | (491) | ||||
| Total | 52,966 | 51,510 | 1,456 |
The Company generally operates its production facilities, on an overall basis, at or near capacity, adjusting facilities individually, as needed, to react to the current margin environment and seasonal local supply and demand conditions. The overall increase in oilseeds processed volumes was primarily related to improved crush rates in the current year compared to decreased crush rates in the prior year resulting from the decline in global demand for rapeseed and the decline in canola crop due to the drought condition in North America. The overall decrease in corn processed volumes was related to unplanned downtime from plants in Decatur, Illinois and due to the earthquake in Turkey and fire at the Cedar Rapids, Iowa dry mill.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Revenues by segment for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows:
| (In millions) | 2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 47,420 | $ | 53,181 | $ | (5,761) | ||||
| Crushing | 14,020 | 13,139 | 881 | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 11,986 | 13,243 | (1,257) | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | 73,426 | 79,563 | (6,137) | |||||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | 9,885 | 10,251 | (366) | |||||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 2,989 | 3,710 | (721) | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | 12,874 | 13,961 | (1,087) | |||||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | 3,634 | 3,769 | (135) | |||||||
| Animal Nutrition | 3,577 | 3,867 | (290) | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | 7,211 | 7,636 | (425) | |||||||
| Other Business | 424 | 396 | 28 | |||||||
| Total Other Business | 424 | 396 | 28 | |||||||
| Total | $ | 93,935 | $ | 101,556 | $ | (7,621) |
Revenues and cost of products sold in agricultural merchandising and processing businesses are significantly correlated to the underlying commodity prices and volumes. In periods of significant changes in market prices, the underlying performance of the Company is better evaluated by looking at margins since both revenues and cost of products sold, particularly in Ag Services and Oilseeds, generally have a relatively equal impact from market price changes which generally result in an insignificant impact to gross profit.
Revenues decreased $7.6 billion to $93.9 billion due to lower sales prices ($10.3 billion), partially offset by higher sales volumes ($2.7 billion). Lower sales prices of oils, soybeans, corn, biodiesel, and farming materials and lower sales volumes of corn, were partially offset by higher sales volumes of soybeans and biodiesel. Ag Services and Oilseeds revenues decreased 8% to $73.4 billion due to lower sales prices ($10.1 billion), partially offset by higher sales volumes ($4.0 billion). Carbohydrate Solutions revenues decreased 8% to $12.9 billion due to lower sales prices ($0.6 billion) and lower sales volumes ($0.5 billion). Nutrition revenues decreased 6% to $7.2 billion due to lower sales volumes ($0.8 billion), partially offset by higher sales prices ($0.4 billion).
Cost of products sold decreased $7.6 billion to $86.4 billion due principally to lower average commodity costs partially offset by higher volumes and increased manufacturing expenses. Manufacturing expenses increased $0.3 billion due to individually insignificant increases in various expense categories.
Foreign currency translation impacts increased revenues by $0.1 billion and cost of goods sold by $0.1 billion with no impact to gross profit.
Gross profit decreased $0.1 billion or 1%, to $7.5 billion due to lower results in Crushing ($273 million), Nutrition ($232 million) and Ag Services ($68 million), partially offset by higher results in Refined Products and Other ($431 million) and Carbohydrate Solutions ($46 million). These factors are explained in the segment operating profit discussion on page 41.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased 3% to $3.5 billion due principally to higher salaries and benefit costs, increased expenses for contracted outside labor, and higher professional and financing fees, partially offset by lower provisions for bad debt.
Asset impairment, exit, and restructuring costs increased $276 million to $342 million. Charges in the current year consisted of $137 million of impairments related to goodwill in the Animal Nutrition reporting unit, $108 million of impairments related to property, plant, and equipment and an equity method investment, $64 million of impairments related to customer list and discontinued Animal Nutrition trademarks, and $27 million of restructuring, presented as specified items within segment operating profit, and $6 million of restructuring in Corporate. Charges in the prior year consisted of $37 million of impairments related to certain long-lived assets and $28 million of restructuring, presented as specified items within segment operating profit, and $1 million of restructuring in Corporate.
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates decreased $281 million to $551 million due primarily to lower earnings from the Company’s investments in Wilmar, Skyland Grain, LLC, and Hungrana Ltd., partially offset by higher earnings from ADM’s investment in Olenex.
Interest and investment income increased $206 million to $499 million due primarily to higher interest rates, partially offset by revaluation losses of $76 million compared to revaluation gains of $37 million in the prior year.
Interest expense increased $251 million to $647 million due primarily to increased short-term rates on customer deposit balances in ADM Investor Services and on the Company’s commercial paper borrowing programs and increased interest expense from a new debt issuance at a higher rate. Interest expense in the current year also included a $6 million mark-to-market gain adjustment related to the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020 compared to a $9 million mark-to-market gain adjustment in the prior year.
Other income - net of $176 million decreased $182 million. Current year income included net gains on disposals of individually insignificant assets in the ordinary course of business of $38 million, the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $18 million, net foreign exchange gains of $85 million, and net other income. Prior year income included a legal recovery of $110 million related to the 2020 and 2019 closure of the Company’s export facility in Reserve, Louisiana, net foreign exchange gains of $105 million, a $50 million payment from the USDA Biofuel Producer Recovery Program, gains on disposals of individually insignificant assets in the ordinary course of business of $78 million, and the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $25 million, partially offset by net other expense.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Segment operating profit, adjusted segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure), and earnings before income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows:
| (In millions) | 2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment Operating Profit | $ | 5,900 | $ | 6,549 | $ | (649) | ||||
| Specified Items: | ||||||||||
| Gains on sale of assets | (17) | (47) | 30 | |||||||
| Impairment, restructuring, and net settlement contingencies | 361 | 147 | 214 | |||||||
| Adjusted Segment Operating Profit | $ | 6,244 | $ | 6,649 | $ | (405) | ||||
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 1,168 | $ | 1,374 | $ | (206) | ||||
| Crushing | 1,290 | 1,636 | (346) | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 1,306 | 837 | 469 | |||||||
| Wilmar | 303 | 554 | (251) | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | 4,067 | 4,401 | (334) | |||||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | 1,329 | 1,376 | (47) | |||||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 46 | 37 | 9 | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | 1,375 | 1,413 | (38) | |||||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | 417 | 557 | (140) | |||||||
| Animal Nutrition | 10 | 111 | (101) | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | 427 | 668 | (241) | |||||||
| Other Business | 375 | 167 | 208 | |||||||
| Total Other | 375 | 167 | 208 | |||||||
| Segment Operating Profit | $ | 5,900 | $ | 6,549 | $ | (649) | ||||
| Corporate | (1,606) | (1,316) | (290) | |||||||
| Earnings Before Income Taxes | $ | 4,294 | $ | 5,233 | $ | (939) |
40
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Ag Services and Oilseeds operating profit decreased 8%. In Ag Services, significantly higher origination volumes and margins in South America due to a record Brazilian soybean crop were mostly offset by decreased North American origination results from lower export demand and low water levels. Destination marketing, global ocean freight, and transportation results decreased due to less favorable timing effects and higher freight rates. Current year results also included a $48 million insurance settlement related to damages from Hurricane Ida compared to the prior year's $110 million legal recovery related to the 2019 and 2020 closure of the Company’s Reserve, Louisiana, export facility. In Crushing, global crush margins were historically strong, yet lower than the prior year’s record highs with the lower Argentine soybean crop driving a tight soybean meal supply, partially offset by improved processed volumes. In EMEA, lower meal demand and exports were offset by the switch capacity in the region. In Refined Products and Other, increasing global demand for fuel and food created elevated margins in North America and Europe for refined oils and biodiesel. In North America, sales volumes were also higher supported by U.S. renewable volume obligations and margins for food oil in Europe expanding year-over-year. Additionally, net positive mark-to-market timing effects that are expected to reverse as contracts execute in future periods contributed to the results in the current year. Equity earnings from Wilmar were lower versus the prior year.
Carbohydrate Solutions operating profit decreased 3%. Starches and Sweeteners, including ethanol production from the wet mills, capitalized on a solid demand environment during the year. North America starches and sweeteners delivered volumes and margins similar to the prior year with higher margins led by specialty products. Ethanol margins were solid as industry stocks moderated, though lower relative to the prior year. Results were negatively impacted due to unplanned downtime at one of the corn germ plants. In EMEA, the business effectively managed margins to deliver improved results. The global wheat milling business posted higher margins driven by solid customer demand. Vantage Corn Processors results were higher as the business executed on a robust demand and margin environment for ethanol partially offset by the absence of the prior year’s $50 million payment from the USDA Biofuel Producer Recovery Program.
Nutrition operating profit decreased 36%. Human Nutrition results were lower than the prior year, as the business continued to manage demand fulfillment challenges and destocking in certain categories. Flavors results were lower than the prior year driven by softer sales, higher expenses, and $45 million of negative impacts primarily related to the deconsolidation and write-down of a joint venture. Specialty Ingredients results were lower year-over-year due to continued lower market demand for plant-based proteins in meat alternatives and unplanned downtime at Decatur East. Health and Wellness results were lower than the prior year due to a revaluation loss of $19 million related to an investment in precision fermentation, partially offset by continued growth in the biotics category. Animal Nutrition results were lower compared to the prior year due to lower contribution from amino acids, pockets of softer global feed demand affecting volumes, and continued supply chain challenges and inventory losses in pet solutions.
Other Business operating profit increased 125%. Higher interest rates drove improved earnings in ADM Investor Services. Captive insurance results improved on premiums from new programs, partially offset by increased claim settlements.
Corporate results are as follows:
| (In millions) | 2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest expense - net | $ | (431) | $ | (333) | $ | (98) | ||||
| Unallocated corporate costs | (1,144) | (1,026) | (118) | |||||||
| Loss on sale of assets | — | (3) | 3 | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | (7) | (2) | (5) | |||||||
| Gain on debt conversion option | 6 | 9 | (3) | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | (6) | (1) | (5) | |||||||
| Other (expense) income | (24) | 40 | (64) | |||||||
| Total Corporate | $ | (1,606) | $ | (1,316) | $ | (290) |
41
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Corporate results were a net charge of $1.6 billion in the current year compared to $1.3 billion in the prior year. Interest expense-net increased $98 million due primarily to increased short-term rates on the Company’s commercial paper borrowing programs and increased interest expense from a new debt issuance at a higher rate. Unallocated corporate costs increased $118 million due primarily to higher financing, information technology, and centers of excellence costs, partially offset by lower incentive compensation expense accruals and higher corporate cost allocation. Gain on debt conversion option was related to the mark-to-market adjustment of the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020. Other income in the current year included the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $18 million and foreign exchange gains, partially offset by investment revaluation losses of $57 million and railroad maintenance expenses of $67 million. Other income in the prior year included investment revaluation gains of $37 million, the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $25 million, and foreign exchange gains, partially offset by railroad maintenance expenses of $67 million.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company uses adjusted net earnings, adjusted earnings per share (EPS), adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit, non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the SEC, to evaluate the Company’s financial performance. These performance measures are not defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, GAAP financial measures.
Adjusted net earnings is defined as net earnings adjusted for the effects on net earnings of specified items. Adjusted EPS is defined as diluted EPS adjusted for the effects on reported diluted EPS of specified items. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, adjusted for specified items. The Company calculates adjusted EBITDA by removing the impact of specified items and adding back the amounts of interest expense and depreciation and amortization to earnings before income taxes. Adjusted segment operating profit is segment operating profit adjusted, where applicable, for specified items.
Management believes that adjusted net earnings, adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit are useful measures of the Company’s performance because they provide investors additional information about the Company’s operations allowing better evaluation of underlying business performance and better period-to-period comparability. Adjusted net earnings, adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit are not intended to replace or be an alternative to net earnings, diluted EPS, net earnings, and segment operating profit, respectively, the most directly comparable amounts reported under GAAP.
The table below provides a reconciliation of net earnings to adjusted net earnings and diluted EPS to adjusted EPS for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In millions | Per share | In millions | Per share | |||||||||
| Average number of shares outstanding - diluted | 542 | 563 | ||||||||||
| Net earnings and reported EPS (fully diluted) | $ | 3,483 | $ | 6.43 | $ | 4,340 | $ | 7.71 | ||||
| Adjustments: | ||||||||||||
| Gains on sale of assets (net of tax of $5 million in 2023 and $11 million in 2022) (1) | (12) | (0.03) | (33) | (0.06) | ||||||||
| Asset impairment, restructuring, and net settlement contingencies (net of tax of $57 million in 2023 and $33 million in 2022) (1) | 310 | 0.57 | 115 | 0.21 | ||||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions (net of tax of $1 million in 2023 and $1 million in 2022) (1) | 6 | 0.01 | 1 | — | ||||||||
| Gain on debt conversion option (net of tax of $0) (1) | (6) | (0.01) | (9) | (0.02) | ||||||||
| Tax adjustments | 4 | 0.01 | 7 | 0.01 | ||||||||
| Adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS | $ | 3,785 | $ | 6.98 | $ | 4,421 | $ | 7.85 |
(1) Tax effected using the U.S. and applicable tax rates.
42
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The tables below provide a reconciliation of net earnings to adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA by segment for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
| (In millions) | 2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net earnings | $ | 3,483 | $ | 4,340 | $ | (857) | ||||
| Net earnings (losses) attributable to noncontrolling interests | (17) | 25 | (42) | |||||||
| Income tax expense | 828 | 868 | (40) | |||||||
| Earnings before income taxes | 4,294 | 5,233 | (939) | |||||||
| Interest expense | 430 | 396 | 34 | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 1,059 | 1,028 | 31 | |||||||
| Gains on sale of assets | (17) | (44) | 27 | |||||||
| Asset impairment, restructuring, and net settlement contingencies | 367 | 148 | 219 | |||||||
| Railroad maintenance expense | 67 | 67 | — | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | 7 | 2 | 5 | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 6,207 | $ | 6,830 | $ | (623) | ||||
| (In millions) | 2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||||
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | $ | 4,434 | $ | 4,755 | (321) | |||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | 1,688 | 1,728 | (40) | |||||||
| Nutrition | 695 | 928 | (233) | |||||||
| Other Business | 368 | 227 | 141 | |||||||
| Corporate | (978) | (808) | (170) | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 6,207 | $ | 6,830 | $ | (623) |
43
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Market Factors Influencing Operations or Results in the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2022
The Company is subject to a variety of market factors which affect the Company’s operating results. In Ag Services and Oilseeds, strong global demand continued due to a short crop in South America. The conflict in Ukraine resulted in even tighter global stocks of commodities and created high volatility, which had a positive impact on North and South American origination prices. Global Trade results were driven by market disconnects, tight supply, strong destination marketing margins, and firm ocean freight rates. North American origination was negatively impacted by weather-related supply disruption and delayed planting and lower river levels. Crushing margins continued to benefit from strong protein and renewable diesel demand and tight oilseeds stocks. In Refined Products and Other, margins were driven by strong oil demand and tight supply with volatile energy markets driving up biodiesel margins. In Carbohydrate Solutions, demand for starches and sweeteners was solid with margins remaining steady despite higher input costs. Ethanol demand for domestic gasoline was lower, in part due to high gas prices, while export demand remained strong, driven by favorable blending economics and government incentives. Corn milling margins benefited from strong co-product results, as prices for oil and feed products rose in line with higher underlying corn prices. Corn costs were volatile and higher, in part due to a relatively low projected corn stocks-to-use ratio and uncertainty caused by the conflict in Ukraine. Nutrition benefited from overall strong demand in various food, beverage, and dietary supplement categories. In Human Nutrition, demand for flavors, flavor systems, specialty proteins, bioactives, and fibers was strong, but higher energy, transportation, and raw material costs, and a strong U.S. dollar adversely impacted results. In Animal Nutrition, amino acids pricing and margins improved due to a tighter global supply environment but the devaluation of certain currencies, a bird flu outbreak, and weak demand in other product lines, with some premix and additives customers cutting products out of formulation due to increased ingredient, freight, and energy costs, adversely impacted results. Increased competition in Brazil also contributed to the weak demand in that country. ADM’s productivity initiatives are improving the Company’s capabilities to help mitigate the impact of inflation.
Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021
Net earnings attributable to controlling interests increased 60% or $1.6 billion, to $4.3 billion. Segment operating profit increased 41% or $1.9 billion, to $6.5 billion, and included a net charge of $100 million consisting of charges totaling $147 million related to the impairment of certain assets, restructuring, and contingencies/settlements, partially offset by gains on the sale of certain assets of $47 million. Included in segment operating profit in the prior year was a net charge of $136 million consisting of charges totaling $213 million related to the impairment of certain assets, restructuring, and settlement, partially offset by gains on the sale of ethanol and certain other assets of $77 million. Adjusted segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) increased $1.9 billion to $6.6 billion due primarily to higher results in most businesses except in Vantage Corn Processors. Corporate results in 2022 were a net charge of $1.3 billion and included a mark-to-market gain of $9 million on the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020. Corporate results in 2021 were a net charge of $1.3 billion and included a pension settlement charge of $83 million, loss on debt extinguishment of $36 million, a mark-to-market gain of $19 million on the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020, acquisition-related expenses of $7 million, and a restructuring charge of $4 million.
Income taxes of $868 million increased $290 million. The Company’s effective tax rate for 2022 was 16.6% compared to 17.4% for 2021. The change in the rate was due primarily to changes in the geographic mix of pretax earnings and the impact of discrete tax items.
Analysis of Statements of Earnings
Processed volumes by product for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in metric tons):
| (In thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilseeds | 32,952 | 35,125 | (2,173) | ||||
| Corn | 18,558 | 19,126 | (568) | ||||
| Total | 51,510 | 54,251 | (2,741) |
44
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The Company generally operates its production facilities, on an overall basis, at or near capacity, adjusting facilities individually, as needed, to react to the current margin environment and seasonal local supply and demand conditions. The overall decrease in oilseeds processed volumes was primarily related to decreased crush rates resulting from the decline in seeds availability, a temporarily idled facility in Paraguay due to crop failure, weather-related challenges, and the indefinite shutdown of a Ukraine facility since February 2022. The overall decrease in corn processed volumes was primarily related to reduced volumes of fuel alcohol due to market conditions, the sale of the Peoria, Illinois facility in November 2021, and logistical challenges surrounding railcar availability since the second quarter of 2022.
Revenues by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows:
| (In millions) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 53,181 | $ | 45,017 | $ | 8,164 | ||||
| Crushing | 13,139 | 11,368 | 1,771 | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 13,243 | 10,662 | 2,581 | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | 79,563 | 67,047 | 12,516 | |||||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | 10,251 | 7,611 | 2,640 | |||||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 3,710 | 3,499 | 211 | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | 13,961 | 11,110 | 2,851 | |||||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | 3,769 | 3,189 | 580 | |||||||
| Animal Nutrition | 3,867 | 3,523 | 344 | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | 7,636 | 6,712 | 924 | |||||||
| Other Business | 396 | 380 | 16 | |||||||
| Total Other Business | 396 | 380 | 16 | |||||||
| Total | $ | 101,556 | $ | 85,249 | $ | 16,307 |
Revenues and cost of products sold in agricultural merchandising and processing businesses are significantly correlated to the underlying commodity prices and volumes. In periods of significant changes in market prices, the underlying performance of the Company is better evaluated by looking at margins since both revenues and cost of products sold, particularly in Ag Services and Oilseeds, generally have a relatively equal impact from market price changes which generally result in an insignificant impact to gross profit.
Revenues increased $16.3 billion to $101.6 billion due to higher sales prices ($17.1 billion), partially offset by lower sales volumes ($0.8 billion). Higher sales prices of corn, wheat, oil, soybean, and meal, and higher sales volumes of rice, flavors, biodiesel, and corn, were partially offset by lower sales prices of rice and flavors, and lower sales volumes of wheat and oil. Ag Services and Oilseeds revenues increased 19% to $79.6 billion due to higher sales prices ($14.3 billion), partially offset by lower sales volumes ($1.8 billion). Carbohydrate Solutions revenues increased 26% to $14.0 billion due to higher sales prices ($2.6 billion) and higher sales volumes ($0.3 billion), despite the loss of USD-grade industrial alcohol volumes from the divested Peoria, Illinois facility. Nutrition revenues increased 14% to $7.6 billion due to higher sales prices ($0.2 billion) and higher sales volumes ($0.7 billion).
Cost of products sold increased $14.7 billion to $94.0 billion due principally to higher average commodity costs and higher manufacturing expenses. Manufacturing expenses increased $0.9 billion to $7.0 billion due principally to higher energy costs, higher maintenance expenses, increased operating supplies, and higher salaries and benefit costs.
45
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Foreign currency translation impacts decreased revenues by $2.6 billion and cost of products sold by $2.4 billion.
Gross profit increased $1.6 billion or 26%, to $7.6 billion due to higher results in Ag Services and Oilseeds ($1.3 billion), Starches and Sweeteners ($477 million), and Nutrition ($149 million), partially offset by lower results in Vantage Corn Processors ($352 million). These factors are explained in the segment operating profit discussion on page 48.
Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased 12% to $3.4 billion due principally to provisions for bad debt, higher IT and project-related expenses, higher salaries and benefit costs, increased travel expenses, and amortization of intangibles from new acquisitions.
Asset impairment, exit, and restructuring costs decreased $98 million to $66 million. Charges in the current year consisted of $37 million of impairments related to certain long-lived assets and $28 million of restructuring charges, presented as specified items within segment operating profit, and $1 million of restructuring charges in Corporate. Charges in the prior year consisted primarily of $125 million of impairments related to certain long-lived assets, goodwill, and other intangible assets and $35 million of restructuring charges, presented as specified items within segment operating profit, and $4 million of restructuring charges in Corporate.
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates increased $237 million to $832 million due to higher earnings from the Company’s investments in Wilmar and Olenex.
Loss on debt extinguishment in the prior year of $36 million was related to the early redemption of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.750% notes due in March 2025.
Interest and investment income increased $197 million to $293 million due primarily to higher interest income, partially offset by lower revaluation gains of $37 million compared to $49 million in the prior period.
Interest expense increased $131 million to $396 million due to higher long-term debt balances and increased short-term rates on the Company’s U.S. and European commercial paper borrowing programs. Interest expense in 2022 also included a $9 million mark-to-market gain adjustment related to the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020 compared to a $19 million mark-to-market gain adjustment in 2021.
Other income - net of $358 million increased $264 million. Income in 2022 included a legal recovery related to the 2019 and 2020 closure of the Company’s Reserve, Louisiana, export facility of $110 million, net foreign exchange gains of $105 million, a $50 million one-time payment from the USDA Biofuel Producer Recovery Program, gains on disposals of individually insignificant assets in the ordinary course of business, and the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $25 million, partially offset by other net expense. Income in 2021 included gains on the sale of ethanol and certain other assets and disposals of individually insignificant assets in the ordinary course of business, net foreign exchange gains of $24 million, the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $33 million, and other income, partially offset by a non-cash pension settlement charge of $83 million related to the purchase of group annuity contracts that irrevocably transferred the future benefit obligations and annuity administration for certain salaried and hourly retirees and terminated vested participants under the Company’s ADM Retirement Plan and ADM Pension Plan for Hourly-Wage Employees.
46
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Operating profit by segment and earnings before income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows:
| (In millions) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segment Operating Profit | $ | 6,549 | $ | 4,638 | $ | 1,911 | ||||
| Specified Items: | ||||||||||
| Gain on sales of assets and businesses | (47) | (77) | 30 | |||||||
| Impairment, restructuring, and exit charges | 147 | 213 | (66) | |||||||
| Adjusted Segment Operating Profit | $ | 6,649 | $ | 4,774 | $ | 1,875 | ||||
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 1,374 | $ | 770 | $ | 604 | ||||
| Crushing | 1,636 | 999 | 637 | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 837 | 652 | 185 | |||||||
| Wilmar | 554 | 378 | 176 | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | 4,401 | 2,799 | 1,602 | |||||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Sweeteners and Starches | 1,376 | 948 | 428 | |||||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 37 | 370 | (333) | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | 1,413 | 1,318 | 95 | |||||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | 557 | 520 | 37 | |||||||
| Animal Nutrition | 111 | 112 | (1) | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | 668 | 632 | 36 | |||||||
| Other Business | 167 | 25 | 142 | |||||||
| Total Other Business | 167 | 25 | 142 | |||||||
| Segment Operating Profit | 6,549 | 4,638 | 1,911 | |||||||
| Corporate | (1,316) | (1,325) | 9 | |||||||
| Earnings Before Income Taxes | $ | 5,233 | $ | 3,313 | $ | 1,920 |
47
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Ag Services and Oilseeds operating profit increased 57%. Ag Services results were significantly higher versus 2021. Global trade results were higher, driven by strong performances in destination marketing and global ocean freight. North American origination volumes were lower but margins were higher year-over-year. South America results were higher, driven by better origination margins on good demand for grain. Crushing was higher year-over-year driven by robust protein and renewable diesel demand. Positive net timing effects in 2022 versus negative timing effects in 2021 helped drive higher year-over-year results. Refined Products and Other results were higher than in 2021, driven by higher margins due to strong oils demand. Biodiesel margins also benefited from direct sales compared to the historical auction sales. Equity earnings from Wilmar were higher versus 2021.
Carbohydrate Solutions operating profit increased 7%. Starches and Sweeteners, including ethanol production from the wet mills, delivered higher results versus 2021, driven by solid margins across sweeteners and starches, strong contributions from corn co-products, and effective risk management, partially offset by weaker ethanol margins. Sales volumes for starches and sweeteners continued their recovery and the biosolutions platform continued to deliver revenue growth as demand for plant-based products expanded into more diverse applications. Vantage Corn Processors results were lower versus 2021 as ethanol margins decreased from the 2021 strong positioning gains and industrial alcohol results from the now-sold Peoria, Illinois facility, partially offset by the $50 million one-time payment from the USDA Biofuel Producer Recovery Program.
Nutrition operating profit increased 6%. Human Nutrition delivered higher year-over-year results. Flavors results were lower driven by demand fulfillment challenges, the impact of the strong U.S. dollar in EMEA, softer demand in Asia Pacific, and higher costs in North America. Strong sales growth in alternative proteins, including contribution from the Sojaprotein acquisition, and good demand for texturants offset some higher operating costs to help deliver better year-over-year results in Specialty Ingredients. Health and Wellness was also higher year-over-year, powered by probiotics, including the contribution from the November 2021 Deerland Probiotics and Enzymes acquisition, and robust demand for fiber and Vitamin E. Animal Nutrition profits were comparable to 2021.
Other Business operating profit increased 568%. Higher short-term interest rates drove improved earnings in ADM Investor Services and improved underwriting performance resulted in better captive insurance results.
Corporate results are as follows:
| (In millions) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest expense - net | $ | (333) | $ | (277) | (56) | |||||
| Unallocated corporate costs | (1,026) | (957) | (69) | |||||||
| Loss on sale of assets | (3) | — | (3) | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | (2) | (7) | 5 | |||||||
| Loss on debt extinguishment | — | (36) | 36 | |||||||
| Gain loss on debt conversion option | 9 | 19 | (10) | |||||||
| Restructuring and settlement charges | (1) | (87) | 86 | |||||||
| Other income | 40 | 20 | 20 | |||||||
| Total Corporate | $ | (1,316) | $ | (1,325) | $ | 9 |
48
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Corporate results were a net charge of $1.3 billion in 2022 compared to $1.3 billion in 2021. Interest expense-net increased $56 million due primarily to higher long-term debt balances and increased average rates on the Company’s U.S. and European commercial paper borrowing programs. Unallocated corporate costs increased $69 million due primarily to higher IT and project-related costs and higher costs in the Company’s centers of excellence, partially offset by lower incentive compensation accruals. Loss on debt extinguishment in 2021 related to the early redemption of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.750% notes due in March 2025. Gain on debt conversion option was related to the mark-to-market adjustment of the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020. Restructuring and settlement charges in 2021 included a non-cash pension settlement charge of $83 million related to the purchase of group annuity contracts that irrevocably transferred the future benefit obligations and annuity administration for certain salaried and hourly retirees and terminated vested participants under the Company’s ADM Retirement Plan and ADM Pension Plan for Hourly-Wage Employees to independent third parties, and individually insignificant restructuring charges. Other income in 2022 included investment revaluation gains of $37 million, the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $25 million, and foreign exchange gains from hedge activity, partially offset by railroad maintenance expenses of $67 million. Other income in 2021 included investment revaluation gains of $49 million, the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $16 million, and foreign exchange gains from hedge activity, partially offset by railroad maintenance expenses of $67 million.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company uses adjusted net earnings, adjusted earnings per share (EPS), adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit, non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the SEC, to evaluate the Company’s financial performance. These performance measures are not defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, GAAP financial measures.
Adjusted net earnings is defined as net earnings adjusted for the effects on net earnings of specified items. Adjusted EPS is defined as diluted EPS adjusted for the effects on reported diluted EPS of specified items. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, adjusted for specified items. The Company calculates adjusted EBITDA by removing the impact of specified items and adding back the amounts of interest expense and depreciation and amortization to earnings before income taxes. Adjusted segment operating profit is segment operating profit adjusted, where applicable, for specified items.
Management believes that adjusted net earnings, adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit are useful measures of the Company’s performance because they provide investors additional information about the Company’s operations allowing better evaluation of underlying business performance and better period-to-period comparability. Adjusted net earnings, adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit are not intended to replace or be an alternative to net earnings, diluted EPS, net earnings, and segment operating profit, respectively, the most directly comparable amounts reported under GAAP.
49
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The table below provides a reconciliation of net earnings to adjusted net earnings and diluted EPS to adjusted EPS for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In millions | Per share | In millions | Per share | |||||||||
| Average number of shares outstanding - diluted | 563 | 566 | ||||||||||
| Net earnings and reported EPS (fully diluted) | $ | 4,340 | $ | 7.71 | $ | 2,709 | $ | 4.79 | ||||
| Adjustments: | ||||||||||||
| Gains on sale of assets (net of tax of $11 million in 2022 and $20 million in 2021) (1) | (33) | (0.06) | (57) | (0.1) | ||||||||
| Asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges (net of tax of $33 million in 2022 and $63 million in 2021) (1) | 115 | 0.21 | 237 | 0.42 | ||||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions (net of tax of $1 million in 2022 and $2 million in 2021) (1) | 1 | — | 5 | 0.01 | ||||||||
| Loss on debt extinguishment (net of tax of $9 million) (1) | — | — | 27 | 0.05 | ||||||||
| Gain on debt conversion (net of tax of $0) (1) | (9) | (0.02) | (19) | (0.03) | ||||||||
| Tax adjustments | 7 | 0.01 | 33 | 0.05 | ||||||||
| Adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS | $ | 4,421 | $ | 7.85 | $ | 2,935 | $ | 5.19 |
(1) Tax effected using the U.S. and applicable tax rates.
The tables below provide a reconciliation of net earnings to adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
| (In millions) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net earnings | $ | 4,340 | $ | 2,709 | $ | 1,631 | ||||
| Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests | 25 | 26 | (1) | |||||||
| Income tax expense | 868 | 578 | 290 | |||||||
| Earnings before income taxes | 5,233 | 3,313 | 1,920 | |||||||
| Interest expense | 396 | 265 | 131 | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 1,028 | 996 | 32 | |||||||
| Gains on sale of assets | (44) | (77) | 33 | |||||||
| Asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges | 148 | 300 | (152) | |||||||
| Railroad maintenance expense | 67 | 67 | — | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | 2 | 7 | (5) | |||||||
| Loss on debt extinguishment | — | 36 | (36) | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 6,830 | $ | 4,907 | $ | 1,923 | ||||
| (In millions) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | $ | 4,755 | $ | 3,169 | 1,586 | |||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | 1,728 | 1,651 | 77 | |||||||
| Nutrition | 928 | 853 | 75 | |||||||
| Other Business | 227 | 32 | 195 | |||||||
| Corporate | (808) | (798) | (10) | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 6,830 | $ | 4,907 | $ | 1,923 |
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Liquidity and Capital Resources
A Company objective is to have sufficient liquidity, balance sheet strength, and financial flexibility to fund the operating and capital requirements of a capital intensive agricultural commodity-based business. The Company depends on access to credit markets, which can be impacted by its credit rating and factors outside of ADM’s control, to fund its working capital needs and capital expenditures. The primary source of funds to finance ADM’s operations, capital expenditures, and advancement of its growth strategy is cash generated by operations and lines of credit, including a commercial paper borrowing facility and accounts receivable securitization programs. In addition, the Company believes it has access to funds from public and private equity and debt capital markets in both U.S. and international markets.
Cash provided by operating activities was $4.5 billion in 2023 compared to $3.5 billion in 2022. Working capital changes decreased cash by $0.3 billion in the current year compared to a decrease of $1.5 billion in the prior year. Segregated investments increased $0.2 billion driven by higher interest rates. Trade receivables decreased $0.7 billion due to lower revenues. Inventories decreased $2.9 billion due to lower inventory prices and volumes. Trade payables decreased $1.5 billion due to lower payables related to grain and other inventory purchases. Payables to brokerage customers decreased $2.1 billion due to decreased trading activity in the Company’s futures commission and brokerage business.
Cash used in investing activities was $1.5 billion this year compared to $1.4 billion last year. Capital expenditures in the current year were $1.5 billion compared to $1.3 billion in the prior year. Proceeds from sales of assets and businesses were $60 million in the current year compared to $131 million in the prior year. There were no additional cost method investments in the current year compared to $0.2 billion in the prior year.
Cash used in financing activities was $4.6 billion this year compared to $2.5 billion last year. Long-term debt borrowings in the current year of $0.5 billion consisted of the $500 million aggregate principal amount of 4.500% Notes due 2033. Long-term debt borrowings in the prior year of $0.8 billion consisted of the $750 million aggregate principal amount of 2.900% Notes due 2032. Proceeds from the borrowings in the current year were used for general corporate purposes. Proceeds from the borrowings in the prior year were used to finance investments and expenditures in eligible green projects that contribute to environmental objectives and/or eligible social projects that aim to address or mitigate a specific social issue and/or seek to achieve positive social outcomes. Long-term debt payments in the current year of $1.0 billion consisted of the €600 million aggregate principal amount of 1.750% Notes due 2023 and $300 million aggregate principal amount of zero coupon exchangeable bonds due 2023. Long-term debt payments in the prior year of $0.5 billion consisted of the €0.5 billion aggregate principal amount of fixed-to-floating rate senior notes due 2022 issued in a private placement on March 25, 2021. Net payments on short-term credit arrangements of $0.4 billion in the current year was comparable to $0.4 billion to the prior year. Share repurchases in the current year were $2.7 billion compared to $1.5 billion in the prior year. Dividends paid in the current year were $1.0 billion compared to $0.9 billion in the prior year.
At December 31, 2023, ADM had $1.4 billion of cash and cash equivalents and a current ratio, defined as current assets divided by current liabilities, of 1.6 to 1. Included in working capital is $7.0 billion of readily marketable commodity inventories. At December 31, 2023, the Company’s capital resources included shareholders’ equity of $24.1 billion and lines of credit, including the accounts receivable securitization programs described below, totaling $13.2 billion, of which $11.5 billion was unused. ADM’s ratio of long-term debt to total capital (the sum of long-term debt of $8.3 billion and shareholders’ equity of $24.1 billion in 2023 and the sum of long-term debt of $7.7 billion and shareholders’ equity of $24.3 billion in 2022) was 25% and 24% at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company uses this ratio as a measure of ADM’s long-term indebtedness and an indicator of financial flexibility. The Company’s ratio of net debt (the sum of short-term debt of $0.1 billion, current maturities of long-term debt of $1 million, and long-term debt of $8.3 billion less the sum of cash and cash equivalents of $1.4 billion and short-term marketable securities of none in 2023 and the sum of short-term debt of $0.5 billion, current maturities of long-term debt of $0.9 billion, and long-term debt of $7.7 billion less the sum of cash and cash equivalents of $1.0 billion and short-term marketable securities of none in 2022) to capital (the sum of net debt of $7.0 billion and shareholders’ equity of $24.1 billion in 2023 and the sum of net debt of $8.1 billion and shareholders' equity of $24.3 billion in 2022) was 22% and 25% at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Of the Company’s total lines of credit, $5.0 billion supported the commercial paper borrowing programs, against which there was $5 million commercial paper outstanding at December 31, 2023.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
As of December 31, 2023, the Company had $1.4 billion of cash and cash equivalents, $0.5 billion of which is cash held by foreign subsidiaries whose undistributed earnings are considered indefinitely reinvested. Based on the Company’s historical ability to generate sufficient cash flows from its U.S. operations and unused and available U.S. credit capacity of $6.8 billion, the Company has asserted these funds are indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S.
The Company has accounts receivable securitization programs (the “Programs”) with certain commercial paper conduit purchasers and committed purchasers. The Programs provide the Company with up to $3.0 billion in funding against accounts receivable transferred into the Programs and expand the Company’s access to liquidity through efficient use of its balance sheet assets (see Note 19 in Item 8 for more information and disclosures on the Programs). As of December 31, 2023, the Company utilized $1.6 billion of its facility under the Programs.
On November 5, 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to 100,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock during the period commencing January 1, 2015 and ending December 31, 2019. On August 7, 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the extension of the stock repurchase program through December 31, 2024 and the repurchase of up to an additional 100,000,000 shares under the extended program. The Company has acquired approximately 148.0 million shares under this program and its extension as of December 31, 2023.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company has total available liquidity of $12.9 billion comprised of cash and cash equivalents and unused lines of credit.
In 2024, the Company expects capital expenditures of $1.3 billion and additional cash outlays of approximately $1.0 billion in dividends and up to $2.3 billion in share repurchases, subject to other strategic uses of capital and the evolution of operating cash flows and the working capital position throughout the year.
The Company’s purchase obligations as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $14.0 billion and $15.8 billion, respectively. The decrease is primarily related to a decrease in obligations to purchase agricultural commodity inventories, partially offset by an increase in energy commitments. As of December 31, 2023, the Company expects to make payments related to purchase obligations of $13.4 billion within the next twelve months. The Company’s other material cash requirements within the next 12 months include current maturities of long-term debt of $1 million, interest payments of $0.4 billion, operating lease payments of $0.3 billion, transition tax liability of $49 million, and pension and other postretirement plan contributions of $114 million. The Company expects to make payments related to purchase obligations and other material cash requirements beyond the next twelve months of $16.8 billion.
The Company’s credit facilities and certain debentures require the Company to comply with specified financial and non-financial covenants including maintenance of minimum tangible net worth as well as limitations related to incurring liens, secured debt, and certain other financing arrangements. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of December 31, 2023.
As of December 31, 2023, the three major credit rating agencies maintained the Company’s credit ratings at investment grade levels. Subsequent to December 31, 2023, the Company’s ratings were placed “On Credit Watch” and “Ratings Under Review” by two of the credit rating agencies.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The process of preparing financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the carrying values of the Company’s assets and liabilities as well as the recognition of revenues and expenses. These estimates and judgments are based on the Company’s historical experience and management’s knowledge and understanding of current facts and circumstances. Certain of the Company’s accounting policies and estimates are considered critical, as these policies and estimates are important to the depiction of the Company’s financial statements and require significant or complex judgment by management. Critical accounting estimates are those estimates made in accordance with GAAP which involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on ADM’s financial condition and results of operations. Management has discussed with the Company’s Audit Committee the development, selection, disclosure, and application of these critical accounting policies and estimates. Following are the accounting policies and estimates management considers critical to the Company’s financial statements.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Fair Value Measurements - Inventories and Commodity Derivatives
Description: Certain of the Company’s inventory, inventory-related payables, and commodity derivative assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2023 are valued at estimated fair values, including $7.0 billion of merchandisable agricultural commodity inventories, $1.4 billion of commodity derivative assets, $1.0 billion of commodity derivative liabilities, and $1.3 billion of inventory-related payables. Commodity derivative assets and liabilities include forward purchase and sales contracts for agricultural commodities. Merchandisable agricultural commodities are freely traded, have quoted market prices, and may be sold without significant additional processing.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Management estimates fair value for its commodity-related assets and liabilities based on exchange-quoted prices, adjusted for differences in local markets. The Company’s inventory, inventory-related payables, and commodity derivative fair value measurements are mainly based on observable market quotations without significant adjustments and are therefore reported as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. Level 3 fair value measurements of approximately $3.4 billion of assets and $0.6 billion of liabilities represent fair value estimates where unobservable price components represent 10% or more of the total fair value price. For more information concerning amounts reported as Level 3, see Note 4 in Item 8.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: Changes in the market values of these inventories and commodity contracts are recognized in the statement of earnings as a component of cost of products sold. If management used different methods or factors to estimate market value, amounts reported could differ materially. Additionally, if market conditions change subsequent to year-end, amounts reported in future periods could differ materially.
Derivatives – Designated Hedging Activities
Description: The Company, from time to time, uses derivative contracts designated as cash flow hedges to hedge the purchase or sales price of anticipated volumes of commodities to be purchased and processed in a future month. See Note 5 in Item 8 for additional information.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Assuming normal market conditions, the change in the market value of such derivative contracts has historically been, and is expected to continue to be, highly effective at offsetting changes in price movements of the hedged item.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: Gains and losses arising from open and closed hedging transactions are deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of applicable income taxes, and recognized as a component of cost of products sold and revenues in the statement of earnings when the hedged item is recognized in earnings. If it is determined that the derivative instruments used are no longer effective at offsetting changes in the price of the hedged item, then the changes in the market value of these exchange-traded futures and exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) option contracts would be recorded immediately in the statement of earnings as a component of revenues and/or cost of products sold.
Income Taxes
Description: The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the applicable accounting standards which prescribe a minimum threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Deferred taxes are recognized for the estimated taxes ultimately payable or recoverable based on enacted tax law. Changes in enacted tax rates are reflected in the tax provision as they occur.
Judgments and Uncertainties: ADM calculates its provision for income taxes based on the statutory tax rates and tax planning opportunities available to the Company in the various jurisdictions in which it operates. The Company uses judgment in evaluating the Company’s tax positions and determining its annual tax provision.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: While ADM considers all of its tax positions fully supportable, the Company faces challenges from U.S. and foreign tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. The Company recognizes a tax position in its consolidated financial statements when it is determined to be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination, based on its technical merits. The position is then measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. For example, the Company has received tax assessments from tax authorities in the Netherlands challenging income tax positions taken by subsidiaries of the Company. The Company evaluated its tax positions for these matters and concluded, based in part upon advice from legal counsel, that it was appropriate to recognize the tax benefits of these positions that are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination, based on their technical merits (see Note 13 in Item 8 for additional information).
Business Combinations
Description: The Company’s acquisitions are accounted for in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 805, Business Combinations, as amended. The consideration transferred is allocated to various assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date with the residual allocated to goodwill. The Company accounts for any redeemable noncontrolling interest in temporary equity - redeemable noncontrolling interest at redemption value with periodic changes recorded in retained earnings.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Fair values allocated to assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations require management to make significant judgments, estimates, and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets. Management makes estimates of fair values based upon assumptions it believes to be reasonable. These estimates are based upon historical experience and information obtained from the management of the acquired companies and are inherently uncertain. The estimated fair values related to intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationships, trademarks, and developed technology which are determined primarily using discounted cash flow models. Estimates in the discounted cash flow models include, but are not limited to, certain assumptions that form the basis of the forecasted results (e.g. revenue growth rates, customer attrition rates, and royalty rates). These significant assumptions are forward looking and could be affected by future economic and market conditions.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: During the measurement period, which may take up to one year from the acquisition date, adjustments due to changes in the estimated fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed may be recorded as adjustments to the consideration transferred and related allocations. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or the final determination of the values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any such adjustments are charged to the consolidated statements of earnings.
Goodwill
Description: Goodwill is subject to annual impairment tests. The Company evaluates goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level annually on October 1 or whenever there are indicators that the carrying value may not be fully recoverable. The Company has seven reporting units with goodwill identified at one level below the operating segment using the criteria in ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350).
Judgments and Uncertainties: The Company adopted the provisions of Topic 350, which permits, but does not require, a company to qualitatively assess indicators of a reporting unit’s fair value. If after completing the qualitative assessment, the Company believes it is more likely than not that a reporting unit is impaired, an estimate of fair value is prepared by the Company. Critical estimates in the determination of the fair value, when using a discounted cash flow analysis, of each reporting unit include, but are not limited to, future expected cash flows, revenue growth, EBITDA margins, and discount rates. These calculations contain uncertainties as they require management to make assumptions including, but not limited to, future expected cash flows of the reporting units utilizing appropriate revenue growth, EBITDA margins, and discount rate. A decline in the actual cash flows of the reporting units in future periods, as compared to the projected cash flows used in the discounted cash flow analysis, could result in the carrying value of the reporting units exceeding their respective fair values. Further, a change in the discount rate, as a result of a change in economic conditions or otherwise, could result in the carrying values of the reporting units exceeding their respective fair values.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company evaluated goodwill for impairment using a qualitative assessment in five reporting units and using a quantitative assessment in two reporting units.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The Company recorded a goodwill impairment charge of $137 million related to the Animal Nutrition reporting unit that was evaluated for impairment using a quantitative assessment during the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company utilized a third-party valuation specialist to assist management in determining the fair value of the Animal Nutrition reporting unit. The fair value of the Animal Nutrition reporting unit was estimated based on a combination of discounted cash flows (income approach) and the use of pricing multiples derived from an analysis of comparable public companies multiplied against historical and or anticipated financial metrics (market approach). As a result of this impairment testing in the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company determined the fair value of the Animal Nutrition reporting unit was below its carrying value. The decline in the fair value of the Animal Nutrition reporting unit was primarily driven by a higher discount rate due to changes in the underlying business performance and industry conditions as well as the macroeconomic environment, causing a decline in the projected cash flows. During the first three quarters of 2023, Animal Nutrition’s business performance and industry conditions gradually declined despite management’s ongoing mitigation and efficiency improvement actions. Given Animal Nutrition’s significant excess in fair value over carrying value in prior years and the ongoing mitigation actions, the Company believed Animal Nutrition’s fair value was more likely than not greater than its carrying value as of September 30, 2023, and therefore did not conduct a quantitative evaluation of the reporting unit prior to the annual impairment testing on October 1, 2023. However, as these conditions persisted in the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company was no longer able to conclude Animal Nutrition’s fair value more likely than not exceeded carrying value and proceeded to perform the quantitative fair value estimate as described above. Following the recording of the impairment charge, the remaining carrying value of goodwill in the Animal Nutrition reporting unit as of December 31, 2023 was $0.9 billion.
The Company performed a sensitivity analysis for the significant assumptions used in the goodwill impairment testing analysis for the Animal Nutrition reporting unit. The sensitivities were calculated in isolation using the income approach and keeping all other assumptions constant. The sensitivities for revenue growth and EBITDA margins do not consider the offsetting impact of a lower discount rate assumption to reflect the reduced risk in estimated future cash flow growth used under the income approach or the related impacts on pricing multiples used under the market approach.
•A hypothetical increase to the discount rate of approximately 25 basis points would result in additional goodwill impairment of approximately $65 million;
•A hypothetical decrease in the expected annual revenue growth rate over the entire forecast period of approximately 100 basis points would result in additional goodwill impairment of approximately $60 million; and
•A hypothetical decrease in the expected EBITDA margins in each year over the entire forecast period of approximately 15 basis points would result in additional goodwill impairment of approximately $60 million.
The estimated fair value of the other reporting unit evaluated for impairment using a quantitative assessment during the year ended December 31, 2023 was in excess of 198% of its carrying value, and therefore no impairment was recorded for that reporting unit. There were goodwill impairment charges of $6 million recorded during the year ended December 31, 2021 and none during the year ended December 31, 2022. If management used different estimates and assumptions in its impairment tests, then impairment charges recorded could differ materially.
Investments in Affiliates
Description: The Company applies the equity method of accounting for investments over which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence, including its 22.5% investment in Wilmar. These investments in affiliates are carried at cost plus equity in undistributed earnings and are adjusted, where appropriate, for amortizable basis differences between the investment balance and the underlying net assets of the investee.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Generally, the minimum ownership threshold for asserting significant influence is 20% ownership of the investee. However, the Company considers all relevant factors in determining its ability to assert significant influence including but not limited to, ownership percentage, board membership, customer and vendor relationships, and other arrangements. The Company also periodically compares the book value of its investment in Wilmar against its market value as determined through quoted market prices, and evaluates any potential other than temporary impairment based on the near-term prospects of Wilmar in relation to the severity and duration of the decline in fair value and the Company’s intent and ability to retain its investment in Wilmar.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: If management used a different accounting method for these investments, then the amount of earnings from affiliates the Company recognizes may differ. If management used different assumptions in the evaluation of its Wilmar investment, then the amount of any impairment charges could differ materially.
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FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000007084-23-000010.
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
The Company’s recent significant portfolio actions and announcements include:
•the acquisition in February 2022 of Comhan, a leading South African flavor distributor;
•the announcement in April 2022 of a growth investment in the Company’s oilseed facility in Mainz, Germany, which is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2023;
•the announcement in April 2022 of a $300 million investment in Decatur, Illinois to expand alternative protein production and the opening of a new, state-of-the-art protein innovation center, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025;
•the announcement in April 2022 of a commitment to achieve 100% deforestation-free supply chains by 2025, five years earlier than previously targeted;
•the announcement in May 2022 to significantly expand starch production at the Company’s Marshall, Minnesota facility, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023;
•the announcement in May 2022 of five projects funded with support from ADM, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, to provide farmers with technical and financial resources to help plant cover crop on half a million acres;
•the announcement in June 2022 of the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of healthcare and agriculture, to build and implement a sustainable crop protection model to soybean farmers in India;
•the announcement in July 2022 of the signing of an agreement with Farmers Business Network (FBN) to expand availability of FBN’s leading-edge digital farm business management platform, Gradable, to ADM’s network of farmers across North America, offering 55,000 growers a comprehensive digital solution to manage their businesses and measure sustainable production data;
•the announcement in August 2022 of the official inauguration of ScaleUp Bio, a joint venture with Nurasa (formerly Asia Sustainable Foods Platform), a company focused on accelerating the commercialization of sustainable foods in Asia. ScaleUp Bio is the first company in Singapore to provide contract development and manufacturing organization services for precision fermentation for food applications;
•the announcement in August 2022 of a long-term strategic partnership with Benson Hill, Inc., a food tech company unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants, to scale innovative high-protein soy ingredients that will help meet the rapidly growing demand for plant-based proteins;
•the announcement in August 2022 of the launch of two joint ventures, GreenWise Lactic and LG Chem Illinois Biochem, with LG Chem, a leading global diversified chemical company, for the U.S. production of lactic acid and polylactic acid to meet growing demand for a wide variety of plant-based products, including bioplastics;
•the announcement in August 2022 of a strategic partnership with New Culture, a pioneering animal-free dairy company, to accelerate the development and commercialization of alternative dairy products;
•the opening in September 2022 of the Company’s first Science and Technology Center in China that will leverage its unparalleled research and development, technology, and product innovation capabilities to spur high-quality development in the nutrition and health industry and meet growing and evolving needs in China and Asia Pacific;
•the announcement in September 2022 of a seven-and-a-half-year strategic commercial agreement with PepsiCo to collaborate closely on projects that aim to significantly expand regenerative agriculture across their shared North American supply chains;
•the opening in September 2022 of a new extrusion facility in Serbia that will further expand ADM’s footprint in Europe, extending its production of non-GMO textured soy to include vital origination and extrusion capabilities;
•the opening in November 2022 of a new North America Microbiology Laboratory at the ADM Specialty Manufacturing Facility in Decatur, Illinois, which doubles ADM’s current microbiology laboratory footprint and reflects a significant expansion of its testing capabilities, as well as its footprint in the Decatur community; and
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
•the announcement in November 2022 of the signing of the Agri-Commodity Sector Roadmap, an agreement which aims to remove deforestation from supply chains by 2025 while protecting global food systems and producer livelihoods, an important step toward putting the global economy on a 1.5C trajectory through forest positive action
Sustainability is a key driver of ADM’s expanding portfolio of environmentally responsible, plant-derived products. Consumers today increasingly expect their food and drink to come from sustainable ingredients, produced by companies that share their values and ADM is continually finding new ways to meet those needs through its portfolio actions.
The Company’s strategic transformation is focused on three strategic pillars: Productivity, Innovation, and Culture.
The Productivity pillar includes (1) advancing the roles of the Company’s Centers of Excellence in procurement, supply chain, and operations to deliver additional efficiencies across the enterprise; (2) continued roll out of the 1ADM business transformation program and implementation of improved standardized business processes; and (3) increased use of technology, analytics, and automation at production facilities, in offices, and with customers.
Innovation activities include expansions and investments in (1) improving the customer experience, including leveraging producer relationships and enhancing the use of state-of-the-art digital technology to help customers grow; (2) sustainability-driven innovation, which encompasses the full range of products, solutions, capabilities, and commitments to serve customers’ needs; and (3) growth initiatives, including organic growth to support additional capacity and meet growing demand, and mergers and acquisitions opportunities.
The Culture pillar focuses on enabling collaboration, teamwork, and agility from process standardization and digitalization and ADM’s DE&I work which brings new perspectives and expertise to the Company’s decision-making.
ADM will support the three pillars with investments in technology, which include expanding digital capabilities and investing further in product research and development. All of these efforts will continue to be strengthened by the Company’s ongoing commitment to Readiness.
Operating Performance Indicators
The Company’s Ag Services and Oilseeds operations are principally agricultural commodity-based businesses where changes in selling prices move in relationship to changes in prices of the commodity-based agricultural raw materials. As a result, changes in agricultural commodity prices have relatively equal impacts on both revenues and cost of products sold. Therefore, changes in revenues of these businesses do not necessarily correspond to the changes in margins or gross profit. Thus, gross margins per volume or metric ton are more meaningful than gross margins as percentage of revenues.
The Company’s Carbohydrate Solutions operations and Nutrition businesses also utilize agricultural commodities (or products derived from agricultural commodities) as raw materials. However, in these operations, agricultural commodity market price changes do not necessarily correlate to changes in cost of products sold. Therefore, changes in revenues of these businesses may correspond to changes in margins or gross profit. Thus, gross margin rates are more meaningful as a performance indicator in these businesses.
The Company has consolidated subsidiaries in more than 70 countries. For the majority of the Company’s subsidiaries located outside the United States, the local currency is the functional currency except certain significant subsidiaries in Switzerland where Euro is the functional currency, and Brazil and Argentina where U.S. dollar is the functional currency. Revenues and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the weighted average exchange rates for the applicable periods. For the majority of the Company’s business activities in Brazil and Argentina, the functional currency is the U.S. dollar; however, certain transactions, including taxes, occur in local currency and require remeasurement to the functional currency. Changes in revenues are expected to be correlated to changes in expenses reported by the Company caused by fluctuations in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, and Brazilian real, as compared to the U.S. dollar.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The Company measures its performance using key financial metrics including net earnings, gross margins, constant currency revenue and operating profit, segment operating profit, adjusted segment operating profit, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted EBITDA, manufacturing expenses, selling, general, and administrative expenses, return on invested capital, economic value added, and operating cash flows before working capital. The Company’s financial results can vary significantly due to changes in factors such as fluctuations in energy prices, weather conditions, crop plantings, government programs and policies, trade policies, changes in global demand, general global economic conditions, changes in standards of living, and global production of similar and competitive crops. Due to these unpredictable factors, the Company undertakes no responsibility for updating any forward-looking information contained within “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Operations in Ukraine and Russia
ADM employs approximately 640 people in Ukraine and operates an oilseeds crushing plant, a grain port terminal, inland and river silos, and a trading office. Most of the facilities have been temporarily idled since February 24, 2022, some of which were brought back online during the quarter ended September 30, 2022, due in part to the opening of the Black Sea grain export corridor. The Company’s footprint in Russia is limited to operations related to the production and transport of essential food commodities and ingredients.
On February 24, 2022, Russian troops invaded Ukraine. While the Company’s Ukraine and Russian operations have historically represented less than 1.0% of consolidated revenues, the direct and indirect impacts of the ongoing military action could negatively affect ADM’s future operating results. The conflict in Ukraine has created disruptions in global supply chains and has created dislocations of key agricultural commodities. The indirect impact of these dislocations on the Company’s operating results will be a function of a number of variables including supply and demand responses from the rest of the world as well as the length of the conflict and the condition of the agricultural industry and export infrastructure after the conflict ends. For more information, refer to Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors”.
As of December 31, 2022, ADM’s assets in Ukraine consisted primarily of current assets that were less than 1% of the Company’s total current assets and an immaterial amount of non-current assets. Of the total current assets in Ukraine, majority related to inventories that represented less than 1% of ADM’s total inventories.
30
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
This section of the Form 10-K generally discusses 2022 and 2021 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021. Discussions of 2020 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 are not included in this Form 10-K, and can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
Market Factors Influencing Operations or Results in the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2022
The Company is subject to a variety of market factors which affect the Company’s operating results. In Ag Services and Oilseeds, strong global demand continued due to a short crop in South America. The conflict in Ukraine resulted in even tighter global stocks of commodities and created high volatility, which had a positive impact on North and South American origination prices. Global Trade results were driven by market disconnects, tight supply, strong destination marketing margins, and firm ocean freight rates. North American origination was negatively impacted by weather-related supply disruption and delayed planting and lower river levels. Crushing margins continued to benefit from strong protein and renewable diesel demand and tight oilseeds stocks. In Refined Products and Other, margins were driven by strong oil demand and tight supply with volatile energy markets driving up biodiesel margins. In Carbohydrate Solutions, demand for starches and sweeteners was solid with margins remaining steady despite higher input costs. Ethanol demand for domestic gasoline was lower, in part due to high gas prices, while export demand remained strong, driven by favorable blending economics and government incentives. Corn milling margins benefited from strong co-product results, as prices for oil and feed products rose in line with higher underlying corn prices. Corn costs were volatile and higher, in part due to a relatively low projected corn stocks-to-use ratio and uncertainty caused by the conflict in Ukraine. Nutrition benefited from overall strong demand in various food, beverage, and dietary supplement categories. In Human Nutrition, demand for flavors, flavor systems, specialty proteins, bioactives, and fibers was strong, but higher energy, transportation, and raw material costs, and a strong U.S. dollar adversely impacted results. In Animal Nutrition, amino acids pricing and margins improved due to a tighter global supply environment but the devaluation of certain currencies, a bird flu outbreak, and weak demand in other product lines, with some premix and additives customers cutting products out of formulation due to increased ingredient, freight, and energy costs, adversely impacted results. Increased competition in Brazil also contributed to the weak demand in that country. ADM’s productivity initiatives are improving the Company’s capabilities to help mitigate the impact of inflation.
Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021
Net earnings attributable to controlling interests increased 60% or $1.6 billion, to $4.3 billion. Segment operating profit increased 41% or $1.9 billion, to $6.5 billion, and included a net charge of $100 million consisting of charges totaling $147 million related to the impairment of certain assets, restructuring, and contingencies/settlements, partially offset by gains on the sale of certain assets of $47 million. Included in segment operating profit in the prior year was a net charge of $136 million consisting of charges totaling $213 million related to the impairment of certain assets, restructuring, and settlement, partially offset by gains on the sale of ethanol and certain other assets of $77 million. Adjusted segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure) increased $1.9 billion to $6.6 billion due primarily to higher results in most businesses except in Vantage Corn Processors. Corporate results in the current year were a net charge of $1.3 billion and included a mark-to-market gain of $9 million on the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020. Corporate results in the prior year were a net charge of $1.3 billion and included a pension settlement charge of $83 million, loss on debt extinguishment of $36 million, a mark-to-market gain of $19 million on the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020, acquisition-related expenses of $7 million, and a restructuring charge of $4 million.
Income taxes of $868 million increased $290 million. The Company’s effective tax rate for 2022 was 16.6% compared to 17.4% for 2021. The change in the rate was due primarily to changes in the geographic mix of pretax earnings and the impact of discrete tax items.
Analysis of Statements of Earnings
Processed volumes by product for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in metric tons):
| (In thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilseeds | 32,952 | 35,125 | (2,173) | ||||
| Corn | 18,558 | 19,126 | (568) | ||||
| Total | 51,510 | 54,251 | (2,741) |
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The Company generally operates its production facilities, on an overall basis, at or near capacity, adjusting facilities individually, as needed, to react to the current margin environment and seasonal local supply and demand conditions. The overall decrease in oilseeds processed volumes was primarily related to decreased crush rates resulting from the decline in seeds availability, a temporarily idled facility in Paraguay due to crop failure, weather-related challenges, and the indefinite shutdown of a Ukraine facility since February 2022. The overall decrease in corn processed volumes was primarily related to reduced volumes of fuel alcohol due to market conditions, the sale of the Peoria, Illinois facility in November 2021, and logistical challenges surrounding railcar availability since the second quarter of 2022.
Revenues by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows:
| (In millions) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 53,181 | $ | 45,017 | $ | 8,164 | ||||
| Crushing | 13,139 | 11,368 | 1,771 | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 13,243 | 10,662 | 2,581 | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | 79,563 | 67,047 | 12,516 | |||||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | 10,251 | 7,611 | 2,640 | |||||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 3,710 | 3,499 | 211 | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | 13,961 | 11,110 | 2,851 | |||||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | 3,769 | 3,189 | 580 | |||||||
| Animal Nutrition | 3,867 | 3,523 | 344 | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | 7,636 | 6,712 | 924 | |||||||
| Other Business | 396 | 380 | 16 | |||||||
| Total Other Business | 396 | 380 | 16 | |||||||
| Total | $ | 101,556 | $ | 85,249 | $ | 16,307 |
Revenues and cost of products sold in agricultural merchandising and processing businesses are significantly correlated to the underlying commodity prices and volumes. In periods of significant changes in market prices, the underlying performance of the Company is better evaluated by looking at margins since both revenues and cost of products sold, particularly in Ag Services and Oilseeds, generally have a relatively equal impact from market price changes which generally result in an insignificant impact to gross profit.
Revenues increased $16.3 billion to $101.6 billion due to higher sales prices ($17.1 billion), partially offset by lower sales volumes ($0.8 billion). Higher sales prices of corn, wheat, oil, soybean, and meal, and higher sales volumes of rice, flavors, biodiesel, and corn, were partially offset by lower sales prices of rice and flavors, and lower sales volumes of wheat and oil. Ag Services and Oilseeds revenues increased 19% to $79.6 billion due to higher sales prices ($14.3 billion), partially offset by lower sales volumes ($1.8 billion). Carbohydrate Solutions revenues increased 26% to $14.0 billion due to higher sales prices ($2.6 billion) and higher sales volumes ($0.3 billion), despite the loss of USD-grade industrial alcohol volumes from the divested Peoria, Illinois facility. Nutrition revenues increased 14% to $7.6 billion due to higher sales prices ($0.2 billion) and higher sales volumes ($0.7 billion).
Cost of products sold increased $14.7 billion to $94.0 billion due principally to higher average commodity costs and higher manufacturing expenses. Manufacturing expenses increased $0.9 billion to $7.0 billion due principally to higher energy costs, higher maintenance expenses, increased operating supplies, and higher salaries and benefit costs.
32
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Foreign currency translation impacts decreased revenues by $2.6 billion and cost of products sold by $2.4 billion.
Gross profit increased $1.6 billion or 26%, to $7.6 billion due to higher results in Ag Services and Oilseeds ($1.3 billion), Starches and Sweeteners ($477 million), and Nutrition ($149 million), partially offset by lower results in Vantage Corn Processors ($352 million). These factors are explained in the segment operating profit discussion on page 35.
Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased 12% to $3.4 billion due principally to provisions for bad debt, higher IT and project-related expenses, higher salaries and benefit costs, increased travel expenses, and amortization of intangibles from new acquisitions.
Asset impairment, exit, and restructuring costs decreased $98 million to $66 million. Charges in the current year consisted of $37 million of impairments related to certain long-lived assets and $28 million of restructuring charges, presented as specified items within segment operating profit, and $1 million of restructuring charges in Corporate. Charges in the prior year consisted primarily of $125 million of impairments related to certain long-lived assets, goodwill, and other intangible assets and $35 million of restructuring charges, presented as specified items within segment operating profit, and $4 million of restructuring charges in Corporate.
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates increased $237 million to $832 million due to higher earnings from the Company’s investments in Wilmar and Olenex.
Loss on debt extinguishment in the prior year of $36 million was related to the early redemption of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.750% notes due in March 2025.
Interest and investment income increased $197 million to $293 million due primarily to higher interest income, partially offset by lower revaluation gains of $37 million compared to $49 million in the prior period.
Interest expense increased $131 million to $396 million due to higher long-term debt balances and increased short-term rates on the Company’s U.S. and European commercial paper borrowing programs. Interest expense in the current year also included a $9 million mark-to-market gain adjustment related to the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020 compared to a $19 million mark-to-market gain adjustment in the prior year.
Other income - net of $358 million increased $264 million. Current year income included a legal recovery related to the 2019 and 2020 closure of the Company’s Reserve, Louisiana, export facility of $110 million, net foreign exchange gains of $105 million, a $50 million one-time payment from the USDA Biofuel Producer Recovery Program, gains on disposals of individually insignificant assets in the ordinary course of business, and the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $25 million, partially offset by other net expense. Prior year income included gains on the sale of ethanol and certain other assets and disposals of individually insignificant assets in the ordinary course of business, net foreign exchange gains of $24 million, the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $33 million, and other income, partially offset by a non-cash pension settlement charge of $83 million related to the purchase of group annuity contracts that irrevocably transferred the future benefit obligations and annuity administration for certain salaried and hourly retirees and terminated vested participants under the Company’s ADM Retirement Plant and ADM Pension Plan for Hourly-Wage Employees.
33
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Segment operating profit, adjusted segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure), and earnings before income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows:
| Segment Operating Profit | 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In millions) | ||||||||||
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 1,374 | $ | 770 | $ | 604 | ||||
| Crushing | 1,621 | 975 | 646 | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 837 | 652 | 185 | |||||||
| Wilmar | 554 | 378 | 176 | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | 4,386 | 2,775 | 1,611 | |||||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | 1,323 | 913 | 410 | |||||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 37 | 370 | (333) | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | 1,360 | 1,283 | 77 | |||||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | 566 | 537 | 29 | |||||||
| Animal Nutrition | 170 | 154 | 16 | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | 736 | 691 | 45 | |||||||
| Other Business | 167 | 25 | 142 | |||||||
| Total Other | 167 | 25 | 142 | |||||||
| Specified Items: | ||||||||||
| Gains on sale of assets | 47 | 77 | (30) | |||||||
| Impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges | (147) | (213) | 66 | |||||||
| Total Specified Items | (100) | (136) | 36 | |||||||
| Total Segment Operating Profit | $ | 6,549 | $ | 4,638 | $ | 1,911 | ||||
| Adjusted Segment Operating Profit(1) | $ | 6,649 | $ | 4,774 | $ | 1,875 | ||||
| Segment Operating Profit | $ | 6,549 | $ | 4,638 | $ | 1,911 | ||||
| Corporate | (1,316) | (1,325) | 9 | |||||||
| Earnings Before Income Taxes | $ | 5,233 | $ | 3,313 | $ | 1,920 |
(1) Adjusted segment operating profit is segment operating profit excluding the listed specified items.
34
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Ag Services and Oilseeds operating profit increased 58%. Ag Services results were significantly higher versus the prior year. Global trade results were higher, driven by strong performances in destination marketing and global ocean freight. North American origination volumes were lower but margins were higher year-over-year. South America results were higher, driven by better origination margins on good demand for grain. Crushing was higher year-over-year driven by robust protein and renewable diesel demand. Positive net timing effects in the current year versus negative timing effects in the prior year helped drive higher year-over-year results. Refined Products and Other results were higher than the prior year, driven by higher margins due to strong oils demand. Biodiesel margins also benefited from direct sales compared to the historical auction sales. Equity earnings from Wilmar were higher versus the prior year.
Carbohydrate Solutions operating profit increased 6%. Starches and Sweeteners, including ethanol production from the wet mills, delivered higher results versus the prior year, driven by solid margins across sweeteners and starches, strong contributions from corn co-products, and effective risk management, partially offset by weaker ethanol margins. Sales volumes for starches and sweeteners continued their recovery and the biosolutions platform continued to deliver revenue growth as demand for plant-based products expanded into more diverse applications. Vantage Corn Processors results were lower versus the prior year as ethanol margins decreased from the 2021 strong positioning gains and industrial alcohol results from the now-sold Peoria, Illinois facility, partially offset by the $50 million one-time payment from the USDA Biofuel Producer Recovery Program.
Nutrition operating profit increased 7%. Human Nutrition delivered higher year-over-year results. Flavors results were lower driven by demand fulfillment challenges, the impact of the strong U.S. dollar in EMEA, softer demand in Asia Pacific, and higher costs in North America. Strong sales growth in alternative proteins, including contribution from the Sojaprotein acquisition, and good demand for texturants offset some higher operating costs to help deliver better year-over-year results in Specialty Ingredients. Health and Wellness was also higher year-over-year, powered by probiotics, including the contribution from the November 2021 Deerland Probiotics and Enzymes acquisition, and robust demand for fiber and Vitamin E. Animal Nutrition profits were higher than the prior year due primarily to strength in amino acids.
Other Business operating profit increased 568%. Higher short-term interest rates drove improved earnings in ADM Investor Services and improved underwriting performance resulted in better captive insurance results.
Corporate results are as follows:
| (In millions) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest expense - net | $ | (333) | $ | (277) | $ | (56) | ||||
| Unallocated corporate costs | (1,026) | (957) | (69) | |||||||
| Loss on sale of assets | (3) | — | (3) | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | (2) | (7) | 5 | |||||||
| Loss on debt extinguishment | — | (36) | 36 | |||||||
| Gain on debt conversion option | 9 | 19 | (10) | |||||||
| Restructuring and settlement charges | (1) | (87) | 86 | |||||||
| Other income | 40 | 20 | 20 | |||||||
| Total Corporate | $ | (1,316) | $ | (1,325) | $ | 9 |
35
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Corporate results were a net charge of $1.3 billion in the current year compared to $1.3 billion in the prior year. Interest expense-net increased $56 million due primarily to higher long-term debt balances and increased average rates on the Company’s U.S. and European commercial paper borrowing programs. Unallocated corporate costs increased $69 million due primarily to higher IT and project-related costs and higher costs in the Company’s centers of excellence, partially offset by lower incentive compensation accruals. Loss on debt extinguishment in the prior year related to the early redemption of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.750% notes due in March 2025. Gain on debt conversion option was related to the mark-to-market adjustment of the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020. Impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges in the prior year included a non-cash pension settlement charge of $83 million related to the purchase of group annuity contracts that irrevocably transferred the future benefit obligations and annuity administration for certain salaried and hourly retirees and terminated vested participants under the Company’s ADM Retirement Plan and ADM Pension Plan for Hourly-Wage Employees to independent third parties, and individually insignificant restructuring charges. Other income in the current year included investment revaluation gains of $37 million, the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $25 million, and foreign exchange gains from hedge activity, partially offset by railroad maintenance expenses of $67 million. Other income in the prior year included investment revaluation gains of $49 million, the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $16 million, and foreign exchange gains from hedge activity, partially offset by railroad maintenance expenses of $67 million.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company uses adjusted earnings per share (EPS), adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit, non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the SEC, to evaluate the Company’s financial performance. These performance measures are not defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, GAAP financial measures.
Adjusted EPS is defined as diluted EPS adjusted for the effects on reported diluted EPS of specified items. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before taxes, interest, and depreciation and amortization, adjusted for specified items. The Company calculates adjusted EBITDA by removing the impact of specified items and adding back the amounts of interest expense and depreciation and amortization to earnings before income taxes. Adjusted segment operating profit is segment operating profit adjusted, where applicable, for specified items.
Management believes that adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit are useful measures of the Company’s performance because they provide investors additional information about the Company’s operations allowing better evaluation of underlying business performance and better period-to-period comparability. Adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit are not intended to replace or be an alternative to diluted EPS, earnings before income taxes, and segment operating profit, respectively, the most directly comparable amounts reported under GAAP.
36
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The table below provides a reconciliation of diluted EPS to adjusted EPS for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In millions | Per share | In millions | Per share | |||||||||
| Average number of shares outstanding - diluted | 563 | 566 | ||||||||||
| Net earnings and reported EPS (fully diluted) | $ | 4,340 | $ | 7.71 | $ | 2,709 | $ | 4.79 | ||||
| Adjustments: | ||||||||||||
| Gains on sale of assets (net of tax of $11 million in 2022 and $20 million in 2021) (1) | (33) | (0.06) | (57) | (0.10) | ||||||||
| Asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges (net of tax of $33 million in 2022 and $63 million in 2021) (1) | 115 | 0.21 | 237 | 0.42 | ||||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions (net of tax of $1 million in 2022 and $2 million in 2021) (1) | 1 | — | 5 | 0.01 | ||||||||
| Loss on debt extinguishment (net of tax of $9 million in 2021) (1) | — | — | 27 | 0.05 | ||||||||
| Gain on debt conversion option (net of tax of $0) (1) | (9) | (0.02) | (19) | (0.03) | ||||||||
| Tax adjustments | 7 | 0.01 | 33 | 0.05 | ||||||||
| Adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS | $ | 4,421 | $ | 7.85 | $ | 2,935 | $ | 5.19 |
(1) Tax effected using the U.S. and applicable tax rates.
The tables below provide a reconciliation of earnings before income taxes to adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
| (In millions) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings before income taxes | $ | 5,233 | $ | 3,313 | $ | 1,920 | ||||
| Interest expense | 396 | 265 | 131 | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 1,028 | 996 | 32 | |||||||
| Gains on sale of assets | (44) | (77) | 33 | |||||||
| Asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges | 148 | 300 | (152) | |||||||
| Railroad maintenance expense | 67 | 67 | — | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | 2 | 7 | (5) | |||||||
| Loss on debt extinguishment | — | 36 | (36) | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 6,830 | $ | 4,907 | $ | 1,923 | ||||
| (In millions) | 2022 | 2021 | Change | |||||||
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | $ | 4,740 | $ | 3,145 | 1,595 | |||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | 1,675 | 1,616 | 59 | |||||||
| Nutrition | 996 | 912 | 84 | |||||||
| Other Business | 227 | 32 | 195 | |||||||
| Corporate | (808) | (798) | (10) | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 6,830 | $ | 4,907 | $ | 1,923 |
37
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Liquidity and Capital Resources
A Company objective is to have sufficient liquidity, balance sheet strength, and financial flexibility to fund the operating and capital requirements of a capital intensive agricultural commodity-based business. The Company depends on access to credit markets, which can be impacted by its credit rating and factors outside of ADM’s control, to fund its working capital needs and capital expenditures. The primary source of funds to finance ADM’s operations, capital expenditures, and advancement of its growth strategy is cash generated by operations and lines of credit, including a commercial paper borrowing facility and accounts receivable securitization programs. In addition, the Company believes it has access to funds from public and private equity and debt capital markets in both U.S. and international markets.
Cash provided by operating activities was $3.5 billion in 2022 compared to $6.6 billion in 2021. Working capital changes as described below decreased cash by $1.5 billion in the current year compared to an increase of $2.7 billion in the prior year. Segregated investments increased approximately $1.5 billion due to increased trading activity in the Company’s futures commission and brokerage business. Trade receivables increased $1.7 billion primarily due to higher revenues. Inventories increased $0.3 billion due to higher inventory prices, partially offset by lower inventory volumes. Trade payables increased $1.4 billion due to increased payables related to inventory purchases and higher costs and expenses from increased operating activity during the fourth quarter of the current year compared to the same period last year. Payables to brokerage customers increased $0.9 billion due to increased customer trading activity in the Company’s futures commission and brokerage business.
Cash used in investing activities was $1.4 billion this year compared to $2.7 billion last year. Capital expenditures in the current year were $1.3 billion compared to $1.2 billion in the prior year. Net assets of businesses acquired in the prior year of $1.6 billion were related to the acquisitions of P4, Sojaprotein, and Deerland. Proceeds from sales of assets and businesses of $0.1 billion in the current year related to the sale of certain assets compared to $0.2 billion in the prior year related to the sale of the ethanol production complex in Peoria, Illinois and certain other assets.
Cash used in financing activities was $2.5 billion this year compared to $1.1 billion last year. Long-term debt borrowings in the current year of $0.8 billion consisted of the $750 million aggregate principal amount of 2.900% Notes due 2032. Long-term debt borrowings in the prior year of $1.3 billion consisted of the $750 million aggregate principal amount of 2.700% Notes due 2051 issued on September 10, 2021 and the €0.5 billion aggregate principal amount of Fixed-to-Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2022 issued in a private placement on March 25, 2021. The Company expects to apply an amount equal to the proceeds from the borrowings in the current year to finance or refinance eligible green projects and/or eligible social projects. Proceeds from the borrowings in the prior year were used to redeem debt and for general corporate purposes. Long-term debt payments in the current year of $0.5 billion consisted of the €0.5 billion aggregate principal amount of fixed-to-floating rate senior notes due 2022 issued in a private placement on March 25, 2021. Long-term debt payments in the prior year of $0.5 billion consisted of the early redemption of the $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.750% notes due 2025 in September 2021. Net payments on short-term credit arrangements were $0.4 billion in the current year compared to $1.1 billion in the prior year. Share repurchases in the current year were $1.5 billion compared to an insignificant amount in the prior year. Dividends paid in the current year were $0.9 billion compared to $0.8 billion in the prior year.
At December 31, 2022, ADM had $1.0 billion of cash and cash equivalents and a current ratio, defined as current assets divided by current liabilities, of 1.5 to 1. Included in working capital is $9.0 billion of readily marketable commodity inventories. At December 31, 2022, the Company’s capital resources included shareholders’ equity of $24.3 billion and lines of credit, including the accounts receivable securitization programs described below, totaling $12.4 billion, of which $9.3 billion was unused. ADM’s ratio of long-term debt to total capital (the sum of long-term debt and shareholders’ equity) was 24% and 26% at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company uses this ratio as a measure of ADM’s long-term indebtedness and an indicator of financial flexibility. The Company’s ratio of net debt (the sum of short-term debt, current maturities of long-term debt, and long-term debt less the sum of cash and cash equivalents and short-term marketable securities) to capital (the sum of net debt and shareholders’ equity) was 25% and 28% at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Of the Company’s total lines of credit, $5.0 billion supported the commercial paper borrowing programs, against which there was $0.3 billion of commercial paper outstanding at December 31, 2022.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had $1.0 billion of cash and cash equivalents, $0.5 billion of which is cash held by foreign subsidiaries whose undistributed earnings are considered indefinitely reinvested. Based on the Company’s historical ability to generate sufficient cash flows from its U.S. operations and unused and available U.S. credit capacity of $5.7 billion, the Company has asserted that these funds are indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S.
38
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The Company has accounts receivable securitization programs (the “Programs”) with certain commercial paper conduit purchasers and committed purchasers. The Programs provide the Company with up to $2.6 billion in funding against accounts receivable transferred into the Programs and expand the Company’s access to liquidity through efficient use of its balance sheet assets (see Note 19 in Item 8 for more information and disclosures on the Programs). As of December 31, 2022, the Company utilized $2.6 billion of its facility under the Programs.
On November 5, 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to 100,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock during the period commencing January 1, 2015 and ending December 31, 2019. On August 7, 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the extension of the stock repurchase program through December 31, 2024 and the repurchase of up to an additional 100,000,000 shares under the extended program. The Company has acquired approximately 112.2 million shares under this program and its extension as of December 31, 2022.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company has total available liquidity of $10.3 billion comprised of cash and cash equivalents and unused lines of credit.
In 2023, the Company expects capital expenditures of $1.3 billion and additional cash outlays of approximately $1.0 billion in dividends and up to $1.0 billion in opportunistic share repurchases, subject to other strategic uses of capital and the evolution of operating cash flows and the working capital position throughout the year.
The Company’s purchase obligations as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 were $15.8 billion and $18.6 billion, respectively. The change is primarily related to a decrease in obligations to purchase agricultural commodity inventories and other commitments. As of December 31, 2022, the Company expects to make payments related to purchase obligations of $14.8 billion within the next twelve months. The Company’s other material cash requirements within the next 12 months include commercial paper outstanding of $0.3 billion, current maturities of long-term debt of $0.9 billion, interest payments of $0.3 billion, operating lease payments of $0.3 billion, transition tax liability of $37 million, and pension and other postretirement plan contributions of $107 million. The Company expects to make payments related to purchase obligations and other material cash requirements beyond the next twelve months of $16.8 billion.
The Company’s credit facilities and certain debentures require the Company to comply with specified financial and non-financial covenants including maintenance of minimum tangible net worth as well as limitations related to incurring liens, secured debt, and certain other financing arrangements. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of December 31, 2022.
The three major credit rating agencies have maintained the Company’s credit ratings at solid investment grade levels with stable outlooks.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The process of preparing financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the carrying values of the Company’s assets and liabilities as well as the recognition of revenues and expenses. These estimates and judgments are based on the Company’s historical experience and management’s knowledge and understanding of current facts and circumstances. Certain of the Company’s accounting policies and estimates are considered critical, as these policies and estimates are important to the depiction of the Company’s financial statements and require significant or complex judgment by management. Critical accounting estimates are those estimates made in accordance with GAAP which involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on ADM’s financial condition and results of operations. Management has discussed with the Company’s Audit Committee the development, selection, disclosure, and application of these critical accounting policies and estimates. Following are the accounting policies and estimates management considers critical to the Company’s financial statements.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Fair Value Measurements - Inventories and Commodity Derivatives
Description: Certain of the Company’s inventory, inventory-related payables, and commodity derivative assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2022 are valued at estimated fair values, including $9.0 billion of merchandisable agricultural commodity inventories, $1.3 billion of commodity derivative assets, $1.3 billion of commodity derivative liabilities, and $1.3 billion of inventory-related payables. Commodity derivative assets and liabilities include forward purchase and sales contracts for agricultural commodities. Merchandisable agricultural commodities are freely traded, have quoted market prices, and may be sold without significant additional processing.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Management estimates fair value for its commodity-related assets and liabilities based on exchange-quoted prices, adjusted for differences in local markets. The Company’s inventory, inventory-related payables, and commodity derivative fair value measurements are mainly based on observable market quotations without significant adjustments and are therefore reported as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. Level 3 fair value measurements of approximately $3.3 billion of assets and $0.7 billion of liabilities represent fair value estimates where unobservable price components represent 10% or more of the total fair value price. For more information concerning amounts reported as Level 3, see Note 4 in Item 8.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: Changes in the market values of these inventories and commodity contracts are recognized in the statement of earnings as a component of cost of products sold. If management used different methods or factors to estimate market value, amounts reported could differ materially. Additionally, if market conditions change subsequent to year-end, amounts reported in future periods could differ materially.
Derivatives – Designated Hedging Activities
Description: The Company, from time to time, uses derivative contracts designated as cash flow hedges to hedge the purchase or sales price of anticipated volumes of commodities to be purchased and processed in a future month. See Note 5 in Item 8 for additional information.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Assuming normal market conditions, the change in the market value of such derivative contracts has historically been, and is expected to continue to be, highly effective at offsetting changes in price movements of the hedged item.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: Gains and losses arising from open and closed hedging transactions are deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of applicable income taxes, and recognized as a component of cost of products sold and revenues in the statement of earnings when the hedged item is recognized in earnings. If it is determined that the derivative instruments used are no longer effective at offsetting changes in the price of the hedged item, then the changes in the market value of these exchange-traded futures and exchange-traded and over-the-counter (OTC) option contracts would be recorded immediately in the statement of earnings as a component of revenues and/or cost of products sold.
Income Taxes
Description: The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the applicable accounting standards. These standards prescribe a minimum threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Deferred taxes are recognized for the estimated taxes ultimately payable or recoverable based on enacted tax law. Changes in enacted tax rates are reflected in the tax provision as they occur.
Judgments and Uncertainties: ADM calculates its provision for income taxes based on the statutory tax rates and tax planning opportunities available to the Company in the various jurisdictions in which it operates. The Company uses judgment in evaluating the Company’s tax positions and determining its annual tax provision.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: While ADM considers all of its tax positions fully supportable, the Company faces challenges from U.S. and foreign tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. The Company recognizes a tax position in its consolidated financial statements when it is determined to be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination, based on its technical merits. The position is then measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. For example, the Company has received tax assessments from tax authorities in Argentina and the Netherlands, challenging income tax positions taken by subsidiaries of the Company. The Company evaluated its tax positions for these matters and concluded, based in part upon advice from legal counsel, that it was appropriate to recognize the tax benefits of these positions that are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination, based on their technical merits (see Note 13 in Item 8 for additional information).
Business Combinations
Description: The Company’s acquisitions are accounted for in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 805, Business Combinations, as amended. The consideration transferred is allocated to various assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date with the residual allocated to goodwill. The Company accounts for any redeemable noncontrolling interest in temporary equity - redeemable noncontrolling interest at redemption value with periodic changes recorded in retained earnings.
Judgments and Uncertainties: Fair values allocated to assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations require management to make significant judgments, estimates, and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets. Management makes estimates of fair values based upon assumptions it believes to be reasonable. These estimates are based upon historical experience and information obtained from the management of the acquired companies and are inherently uncertain. The estimated fair values related to intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationships, trademarks, and developed technology which are determined primarily using discounted cash flow models. Estimates in the discounted cash flow models include, but are not limited to, certain assumptions that form the basis of the forecasted results (e.g. revenue growth rates, customer attrition rates, and royalty rates). These significant assumptions are forward looking and could be affected by future economic and market conditions.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: During the measurement period, which may take up to one year from the acquisition date, adjustments due to changes in the estimated fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed may be recorded as adjustments to the consideration transferred and related allocations. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or the final determination of the values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any such adjustments are charged to the consolidated statements of earnings.
Goodwill
Description: Goodwill is subject to annual impairment tests. The Company evaluates goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level annually on October 1 or whenever there are indicators that the carrying value may not be fully recoverable. The Company has seven reporting units with goodwill identified at one level below the operating segment using the criteria in ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350).
Judgments and Uncertainties: The Company adopted the provisions of Topic 350, which permits, but does not require, a company to qualitatively assess indicators of a reporting unit’s fair value. If after completing the qualitative assessment, a company believes it is likely that a reporting unit is impaired, a discounted cash flow analysis is prepared to estimate fair value. Critical estimates in the determination of the fair value of each reporting unit include, but are not limited to, future expected cash flows, revenue growth, and discount rates. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company evaluated goodwill for impairment using a qualitative assessment in five reporting units and using a quantitative assessment in two reporting units.
Sensitivity of Estimate to Change: The Company recorded goodwill impairment charges of $5 million and $1 million during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively (see Note 18 in Item 8 for more information). There was no goodwill impairment charge recorded for the year ended December 31, 2022. The estimated fair values of the reporting units evaluated for impairment using a quantitative assessment were substantially in excess of their carrying values. If management used different estimates and assumptions in its impairment tests, then the Company could recognize different amounts of expense over future periods.
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FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000007084-22-000008.
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
The Company’s recent significant portfolio actions and announcements include:
•the announcement in March 2021 of a new ADM policy to protect forests, biodiversity and communities, furthering the Company’s commitment to sustainable, ethical, and responsible production;
•the announcement in April 2021 of the resumption of dry mill ethanol production;
•the acquisition in April 2021 of Golden Farm Production & Commerce Company Limited;
•the announcement in May 2021 of ADM’s participation as a signatory to the German Charter for Diversity in the Workplace which aims to advance the recognition and inclusion of diversity in companies;
•the announcement in May 2021 of a plan to build a dedicated soybean crushing plant and refinery in North Dakota to meet fast-growing demand from food, feed, industrial and biofuel customers, including producers of renewable diesel, which is expected to be open in 2023;
•the announcement in June 2021 of ADM Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of ADM, joining the Genesis Consortium, a global alliance of venture capital firms and corporations dedicated to supporting startups that leverage biology to promote human and planetary health;
•the acquisition in September 2021 of a 75% majority stake in P4, premier providers of private label pet treats and supplements;
•the announcement in September 2021 of a memorandum of understanding with LG Chem, a leading global diversified chemical company, to explore US-based production of lactic acid to meet growing demand for a wide variety of plant-based products, including bioplastics, through the creation of two joint ventures;
•the unveiling in September 2021 of a state-of-the-art, fully automated flavor production facility situated in Pinghu, Zhejiang Province, China;
•the announcement in October 2021 of an agreement with Qingdao Vland Biotech Group Co., Ltd., a leading producer of enzymes and probiotics, to form a joint venture, subject to regulatory approval, to manufacture and sell human probiotics to serve growing Chinese demand;
•the announcement in October 2021 of an equity investment in Acies Bio, a Slovenia-based biotechnology company specializing in research and development and manufacturing services for developing and scaling synthetic biology and precision fermentation technologies for food, agriculture, and industrial applications;
•the announcement in October 2021 of a memorandum of understanding with Gevo, Inc., a pioneer in transforming renewable energy into low carbon, energy-dense liquid hydrocarbons, to support the production of up to 500 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel and other low carbon-footprint hydrocarbon fuels;
•the announcement in November 2021 of an agreement to form a 50-50 joint venture with Asia Sustainable Foods Platform, a wholly-owned company of Temasek, to provide technology development and precision fermentation for companies serving the growing consumer demand for a wide variety of bio-based products, including alternative protein, in Singapore and the wider Asia-Pacific region;
•the announcement in November 2021 of an equity investment in Farmers Business Network, a global farmer-to-farmer network and AgTech company, and a letter of intent to expand the existing relationship through a wide range of potential future areas of cooperation;
•the acquisition in November 2021 of Deerland, a leader in probiotic, prebiotic, and enzyme technology;
•the acquisition in November 2021 of Sojaprotein, a leading European provider of non-GMO soy ingredients;
•the sale in November 2021 of the Company’s ethanol production complex in Peoria, Illinois to BioUrja Group;
•the formation in December 2021 of a joint venture with Marathon Petroleum Corp. for the production of soybean oil to supply rapidly growing demand for renewable diesel fuel;
•the acquisition in December 2021 of Flavor Infusion International, S.A., a full-range provider of flavor and specialty ingredient solutions for customers across Latin America and the Caribbean; and
•the acquisition in February 2022 of Comhan, a leading South African flavour distributor.
Sustainability is a key driver of ADM’s expanding portfolio of environmentally responsible, plant-derived products. Consumers today increasingly expect their food and drink to come from sustainable ingredients, produced by companies that share their values and ADM is continually finding new ways to meet those needs through its portfolio actions.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The next phase of the Company’s strategic transformation is focused on two strategic pillars: Productivity and Innovation.
The Productivity pillar includes (1) advancing the roles of the Company’s Centers of Excellence in procurement, supply chain, and operations to deliver additional efficiencies across the enterprise; (2) continued roll out of the 1ADM business transformation program and implementation of improved standardized business processes; and (3) increased use of technology, analytics, and automation at production facilities, in offices, and with customers.
Innovation activities include expansions and investments in (1) improving the customer experience, including leveraging producer relationships and enhancing the use of state-of-the-art digital technology to help customers grow; (2) sustainability-driven innovation, which encompasses the full range of products, solutions, capabilities, and commitments to serve customers’ needs; and (3) growth initiatives, including organic growth to support additional capacity and meet growing demand, and mergers and acquisitions opportunities.
ADM will support both pillars with investments in technology, which include expanding digital capabilities and investing further in product research and development. All of these efforts will continue to be strengthened by the Company’s ongoing commitment to Readiness.
Operating Performance Indicators
The Company’s Ag Services and Oilseeds operations are principally agricultural commodity-based businesses where changes in selling prices move in relationship to changes in prices of the commodity-based agricultural raw materials. As a result, changes in agricultural commodity prices have relatively equal impacts on both revenues and cost of products sold. Therefore, changes in revenues of these businesses do not necessarily correspond to the changes in margins or gross profit. Thus, gross margins per volume or metric ton are more meaningful than gross margins as percentage of revenues.
The Company’s Carbohydrate Solutions operations and Nutrition businesses also utilize agricultural commodities (or products derived from agricultural commodities) as raw materials. However, in these operations, agricultural commodity market price changes do not necessarily correlate to changes in cost of products sold. Therefore, changes in revenues of these businesses may correspond to changes in margins or gross profit. Thus, gross margin rates are more meaningful as a performance indicator in these businesses.
The Company has consolidated subsidiaries in more than 70 countries. For the majority of the Company’s subsidiaries located outside the United States, the local currency is the functional currency except certain significant subsidiaries in Switzerland where Euro is the functional currency, and Brazil and Argentina where U.S. dollar is the functional currency. Revenues and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the weighted average exchange rates for the applicable periods. For the majority of the Company’s business activities in Brazil and Argentina, the functional currency is the U.S. dollar; however, certain transactions, including taxes, occur in local currency and require remeasurement to the functional currency. Changes in revenues are expected to be correlated to changes in expenses reported by the Company caused by fluctuations in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, and Brazilian real, as compared to the U.S. dollar.
The Company measures its performance using key financial metrics including net earnings, gross margins, segment operating profit, return on invested capital, earnings before taxes, interest, and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), economic value added, manufacturing expenses, and selling, general, and administrative expenses. The Company’s financial results can vary significantly due to changes in factors such as fluctuations in energy prices, weather conditions, crop plantings, government programs and policies, trade policies, changes in global demand, general global economic conditions, changes in standards of living, and global production of similar and competitive crops. Due to these unpredictable factors, the Company undertakes no responsibility for updating any forward-looking information contained within “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
This section of the Form 10-K generally discusses 2021 and 2020 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020. Discussions of 2019 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2020 and 2019 are not included in this Form 10-K, and can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
Market Factors Influencing Operations or Results in the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2021
The Company is subject to a variety of market factors which affect the Company's operating results. In Ag Services and Oilseeds, North American origination volumes benefited from strong export demand throughout the year while South American origination volumes were impacted by a delayed harvest and low farmer selling activity. Crushing margins benefited from strong demand and tight soybean and canola/rapeseed stocks. Demand for refined oils was strong, driven by the regional lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the U.S. and demand for renewable green diesel. In Carbohydrate Solutions, margins in starches and sweeteners were solid despite softer sweetener demand early in the year due to continued COVID-19 restrictions. Starch demand continued to be robust. Co-product prices were strong. Ethanol demand returned closer to pre-pandemic levels. For most of year, ethanol margins were volatile initially supported by improving domestic demand, then challenged in the summer months prior to harvest due to limited availability of corn. Ethanol inventory levels were at a five-year low for the majority of the fourth quarter due to strong domestic demand and some supply chain bottlenecks resulting in elevated margins for the industry late in the year. Nutrition benefited from overall strong demand in various product categories. In Human Nutrition, demand for flavors, flavor systems, specialty proteins, bioactives, and fibers were strong. In Animal Nutrition, weak demand and higher input costs as a result of COVID-19 in South America and Asia were partially offset by the growing demand in complete food for petfood. Amino acids pricing and margins improved due to a tighter global supply environment.
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020
Net earnings attributable to controlling interests increased 53% or $0.9 billion, to $2.7 billion. Segment operating profit increased 34% or $1.2 billion, to $4.6 billion, and included a net charge of $136 million consisting of asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges of $213 million, partially offset by gains on the sale of certain assets of $77 million. Included in segment operating profit in the prior year was net income of $7 million consisting of gains on the sale of a portion of the Company’s shares in Wilmar and certain other assets, partially offset by asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges. Adjusted segment operating profit increased $1.3 billion to $4.8 billion due primarily to higher results in most businesses except in Ag Services and Other Business. Corporate results in the current year were a net charge of $1.3 billion and included a pension settlement charge of $83 million, loss on debt extinguishment of $36 million, a mark-to-market gain of $19 million on the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020, acquisition-related expenses of $7 million, and a restructuring charge of $4 million. Corporate results in the prior year were a net charge of $1.6 billion and included early debt retirement charges of $409 million, a mark-to-market loss of $17 million on the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020, impairment and restructuring charges of $16 million, acquisition-related expenses of $4 million, gains on the sale of certain assets of $7 million, and a credit of $91 million from the elimination of the last-in, first-out (LIFO) reserve in connection with the accounting change effective January 1, 2020.
Income taxes of $578 million increased $477 million. The Company’s effective tax rate for 2021 was 17.4% compared to 5.4% for 2020. The increase in rate for 2021 was due primarily to changes in the geographic mix of earnings and current year discrete tax items, including valuation allowance and return to provision adjustments. The 2020 tax rate also included the impact of U.S. tax credits signed into law in December 2019, including a $73 million discrete tax benefit related to 45G railroad tax credits recognized in the quarter ended March 31, 2020. The 45G railroad tax credits had an offsetting impact in cost of products sold.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Analysis of Statements of Earnings
Processed volumes by product for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 are as follows (in metric tons):
| (In thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilseeds | 35,125 | 36,565 | (1,440) | ||||
| Corn | 19,126 | 17,885 | 1,241 | ||||
| Total | 54,251 | 54,450 | (199) |
The Company generally operates its production facilities, on an overall basis, at or near capacity, adjusting facilities individually, as needed, to react to the current margin environment and seasonal local supply and demand conditions. The overall decrease in oilseeds processed volumes was due to cold weather and natural gas curtailments in North America, delays in soybean harvest in South America, and some production challenges in certain North American oilseeds processing plants. The overall increase in corn processed volumes was primarily related to the idling of two dry mill facilities in the second quarter of 2020. The Company restarted these idled facilities in April 2021.
Revenues by segment for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 are as follows:
| (In millions) | 2021 | 2020 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 45,017 | $ | 32,726 | $ | 12,291 | ||||
| Crushing | 11,368 | 9,593 | 1,775 | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 10,662 | 7,397 | 3,265 | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | 67,047 | 49,716 | 17,331 | |||||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | 7,611 | 6,387 | 1,224 | |||||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 3,499 | 2,085 | 1,414 | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | 11,110 | 8,472 | 2,638 | |||||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | 3,189 | 2,812 | 377 | |||||||
| Animal Nutrition | 3,523 | 2,988 | 535 | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | 6,712 | 5,800 | 912 | |||||||
| Other Business | 380 | 367 | 13 | |||||||
| Total Other Business | 380 | 367 | 13 | |||||||
| Total | $ | 85,249 | $ | 64,355 | $ | 20,894 |
Revenues and cost of products sold in agricultural merchandising and processing businesses are significantly correlated to the underlying commodity prices and volumes. In periods of significant changes in market prices, the underlying performance of the Company is better evaluated by looking at margins since both revenues and cost of products sold, particularly in Ag Services and Oilseeds, generally have a relatively equal impact from market price changes which generally result in an insignificant impact to gross profit.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Revenues increased $20.9 billion to $85.2 billion due to higher sales prices ($21.0 billion), partially offset by lower sales volumes ($0.1 billion). Higher sales prices of oils, soybeans, corn, meal, animal feed, alcohol, biodiesel, wheat, and flavors and higher sales volumes of wheat and processed cotton, were partially offset by lower sales volumes of soybeans and oils. Ag Services and Oilseeds revenues increased 35% to $67.0 billion due to higher sales prices ($17.3 billion). Carbohydrate Solutions revenues increased 31% to $11.1 billion due to higher sales prices ($2.6 billion). Nutrition revenues increased 16% to $6.7 billion due to higher sales prices ($1.0 billion), partially offset by lower sales volumes of ($0.1 billion).
Cost of products sold increased $19.4 billion to $79.3 billion due principally to higher average commodity costs. Included in cost of products sold in the prior year was a credit of $91 million from the effect of the elimination of the LIFO reserve in connection with the accounting change effective January 1, 2020. Manufacturing expenses increased $0.5 billion to $6.1 billion due principally to higher maintenance and energy costs and salaries and benefits, partially offset by lower railroad maintenance expenses.
Foreign currency translation impacts increased revenues by $0.9 billion and cost of products sold by $0.8 billion.
Gross profit increased $1.5 billion or 34%, to $6.0 billion due to higher results in Ag Services and Oilseeds ($737 million), Carbohydrate Solutions ($577 million), Nutrition ($199 million), and Other ($47 million). These factors are explained in the segment operating profit discussion on page 33. In Corporate, the elimination of the LIFO reserve in connection with the accounting change effective January 1, 2020 had a positive impact on gross profit of $91 million in the prior year.
Selling, general, and administrative expenses increased 11% to $3.0 billion due principally to higher salaries and benefits, performance-based compensation accruals, IT expenses, and a legal settlement.
Asset impairment, exit, and restructuring costs increased $84 million to $164 million. Charges in the current year consisted of $125 million of impairments related to certain long-lived assets, goodwill, and other intangible assets and $35 million of restructuring charges, presented as specified items within segment operating profit, and $4 million of restructuring charges in Corporate. Charges in the prior year consisted primarily of $47 million of impairments related to certain intangible and other long-lived assets and $17 million of individually insignificant restructuring charges presented as specified items within segment operating profit, $7 million of individually insignificant impairments and $9 million of individually insignificant restructuring charges in Corporate.
Interest expense decreased $74 million to $265 million due to lower interest rates and the favorable liability management actions taken in the prior year. Interest expense in the current year also included a $19 million mark-to-market gain adjustment related to the conversion option of the Wilmar exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020 compared to a $17 million mark-to-market loss adjustment in the prior period.
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates increased $16 million to $595 million due to higher earnings from the Company’s investment in Stratas Foods LLC, partially offset by lower earnings from the Company’s investments in SoyVen, Hungrana Ltd., and Almidones Mexicanos S.A.
Loss on debt extinguishment in the current year of $36 million was related to the early redemption of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.750% notes due in March 2025. Loss on debt extinguishment of $409 million in the prior year related to multiple early debt redemptions including the $0.7 billion debt tender in September 2020.
Investment income decreased $15 million to $96 million due to lower interest rates on segregated funds in the Company’s futures commission and brokerage business and lower interest earned on financing receivables, partially offset by a $49 million investment revaluation gain in the current year compared to a $23 million investment revaluation gain in the prior year.
Other income - net of $94 million decreased $161 million. Current year income included gains on the sale of certain ethanol and other assets and disposals of individually insignificant assets in the ordinary course of business, foreign exchange gains, the non-service components of net pension benefit income, and other income, partially offset by a non-cash pension settlement charge related to the purchase of group annuity contracts that irrevocably transferred the future benefit obligations and annuity administration for certain salaried and hourly retirees and terminated vested participants under the Company’s ADM Retirement Plant and ADM Pension Plan for Hourly-Wage Employees. Prior year income included gains related to the sale of a portion of the Company’s shares in Wilmar and certain other assets, the non-service components of net pension benefit income, foreign exchange gains, and other income.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Segment operating profit, adjusted segment operating profit (a non-GAAP measure), and earnings before income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 are as follows:
| Segment Operating Profit | 2021 | 2020 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In millions) | ||||||||||
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | ||||||||||
| Ag Services | $ | 770 | $ | 828 | $ | (58) | ||||
| Crushing | 975 | 466 | 509 | |||||||
| Refined Products and Other | 652 | 439 | 213 | |||||||
| Wilmar | 378 | 372 | 6 | |||||||
| Total Ag Services and Oilseeds | 2,775 | 2,105 | 670 | |||||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | ||||||||||
| Starches and Sweeteners | 913 | 762 | 151 | |||||||
| Vantage Corn Processors | 370 | (45) | 415 | |||||||
| Total Carbohydrate Solutions | 1,283 | 717 | 566 | |||||||
| Nutrition | ||||||||||
| Human Nutrition | 537 | 462 | 75 | |||||||
| Animal Nutrition | 154 | 112 | 42 | |||||||
| Total Nutrition | 691 | 574 | 117 | |||||||
| Other Business | 25 | 52 | (27) | |||||||
| Total Other | 25 | 52 | (27) | |||||||
| Specified Items: | ||||||||||
| Gain on sales of assets | 77 | 83 | (6) | |||||||
| Impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges | (213) | (76) | (137) | |||||||
| Total Specified Items | (136) | 7 | (143) | |||||||
| Total Segment Operating Profit | $ | 4,638 | $ | 3,455 | $ | 1,183 | ||||
| Adjusted Segment Operating Profit(1) | $ | 4,774 | $ | 3,448 | $ | 1,326 | ||||
| Segment Operating Profit | $ | 4,638 | $ | 3,455 | $ | 1,183 | ||||
| Corporate | (1,325) | (1,572) | 247 | |||||||
| Earnings Before Income Taxes | $ | 3,313 | $ | 1,883 | $ | 1,430 |
(1) Adjusted segment operating profit is segment operating profit excluding the listed specified items.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Ag Services and Oilseeds operating profit increased 32%. Ag Services results were lower than the prior year. In North America, strong Chinese demand and favorable positions in a dynamic pricing environment delivered significantly higher results. South American origination results were significantly lower due to decreased farmer selling activity versus the prior year and the effects from a slightly delayed harvest and higher freight costs. Global Trade results were impacted by lower margins in structured trade finance and negative timing effects related to ocean freight positions which are expected to reverse in the coming quarters. Crushing results were significantly higher. In North America and Europe, tight supplies and strong demand that drove higher crush margins were partially offset by results in South America which were impacted by slower farmer selling and higher cost of beans. Refined Products and Other results were higher year-over-year on stronger margins in North America and Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India (EMEAI), partially offset by impacts related to the reduction in Brazilian biodiesel mandates. Equity earnings from Wilmar were higher versus the prior year.
Carbohydrate Solutions operating profit increased 79%. Starches and Sweeteners results, including ethanol production from the wet mills, were significantly higher than the prior year. The business capitalized on rising prices in the ethanol complex and favorable co-product values in an industry environment of improving margins, falling inventories, and higher input costs. Corn oil results significantly improved from the prior year, which had been impacted by significant mark-to-market effects. Current year results benefited from strong risk management gains that enhanced margins and trading opportunities. Demand for flour by the foodservice sector remained below the prior year. Vantage Corn Processors results were substantially higher, driven by improved margins on the distribution of fuel ethanol and strong performance in USP-grade alcohol and the resumption of production at the two dry mills.
Nutrition operating profit increased 20%. Human Nutrition results were higher than the prior year. Flavors results were up, driven by strong sales across various market segments. In North America and EMEAI, the flavors business delivered strong volumes and improved product mix, particularly in the beverage segment. Specialty Ingredients delivered sales growth in specialty proteins and improved pricing and product mix, though results were negatively impacted by the effects of higher production costs, normalization of prices in the wholesale ingredients business, and COVID-related shifts in demand across the portfolio. Health and Wellness results were strong, with robust demand driving strong results in probiotics and fibers. Animal Nutrition results were higher on favorable results in amino acids, driven by improved margins and product mix, partially offset by lower demand and higher input costs as a result of pandemic effects in South America and Asia.
Other Business operating profit decreased 52% primarily due to lower underwriting results from the captive insurance operations, most of which were offset by corresponding recoveries in other business segments.
Corporate results are as follows:
| (In millions) | 2021 | 2020 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIFO credit (charge) | $ | — | $ | 91 | $ | (91) | ||||
| Interest expense - net | (277) | (313) | 36 | |||||||
| Unallocated corporate costs | (957) | (857) | (100) | |||||||
| Gain (loss) on sale of assets | — | 7 | (7) | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | (7) | (4) | (3) | |||||||
| Loss on debt extinguishment | (36) | (409) | 373 | |||||||
| Gain (loss) on debt conversion option | 19 | (17) | 36 | |||||||
| Impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges | (87) | (16) | (71) | |||||||
| Other charges | 20 | (54) | 74 | |||||||
| Total Corporate | $ | (1,325) | $ | (1,572) | $ | 247 |
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Corporate results were a net charge of $1.3 billion in the current year compared to $1.6 billion in the prior year. The elimination of the LIFO reserve in connection with the accounting change effective January 1, 2020 resulted in a credit of $91 million in the prior year. Interest expense-net decreased $36 million due principally to lower interest rates and the favorable liability management actions taken in the prior year. Unallocated corporate costs increased $100 million due primarily to higher variable performance-related compensation expense accruals, the continued cost centralization in procurement, supply chain, and operations, and additional investments in IT and related projects. Loss on debt extinguishment in the current year related to the early redemption of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.750% notes due in March 2025. Loss on debt extinguishment in the prior year related to multiple early debt redemptions. Gain (loss) on debt conversion option was related to the mark-to-market adjustment of the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020. Impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges in the current year included a non-cash pension settlement charge of $83 million related to the purchase of group annuity contracts that irrevocably transferred the future benefit obligations and annuity administration for certain salaried and hourly retirees and terminated vested participants under the Company’s ADM Retirement Plan and ADM Pension Plan for Hourly-Wage Employees to independent third parties, and individually insignificant restructuring charges. Impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges in the prior year were related to impairment of certain assets and individually insignificant restructuring charges. Other charges in the current year included railroad maintenance expenses of $67 million partially offset by the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $16 million and an investment revaluation gain of $49 million. Other charges in the prior year included railroad maintenance expenses of $138 million, partially offset by foreign exchange gains, an investment revaluation gain of $23 million, and the non-service components of net pension benefit income of $33 million.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company uses adjusted earnings per share (EPS), adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit, non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the SEC, to evaluate the Company’s financial performance. These performance measures are not defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, GAAP financial measures.
Adjusted EPS is defined as diluted EPS adjusted for the effects on reported diluted EPS of specified items. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before taxes, interest, and depreciation and amortization, adjusted for specified items. The Company calculates adjusted EBITDA by removing the impact of specified items and adding back the amounts of interest expense and depreciation and amortization to earnings before income taxes. Adjusted segment operating profit is segment operating profit adjusted, where applicable, for specified items.
Management believes that adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit are useful measures of the Company’s performance because they provide investors additional information about the Company’s operations allowing better evaluation of underlying business performance and better period-to-period comparability. Adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted segment operating profit are not intended to replace or be an alternative to diluted EPS, earnings before income taxes, and segment operating profit, respectively, the most directly comparable amounts reported under GAAP.
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
The table below provides a reconciliation of diluted EPS to adjusted EPS for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In millions | Per share | In millions | Per share | |||||||||
| Average number of shares outstanding - diluted | 566 | 563 | ||||||||||
| Net earnings and reported EPS (fully diluted) | $ | 2,709 | $ | 4.79 | $ | 1,772 | $ | 3.15 | ||||
| Adjustments: | ||||||||||||
| LIFO charge (credit) (net of tax of $22 million in 2020) (1) | — | — | (69) | (0.12) | ||||||||
| (Gain) loss on sales of assets (net of tax of $20 million in 2021 and $10 million in 2020) (2) | (57) | (0.10) | (80) | (0.14) | ||||||||
| Asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges (net of tax of $63 million in 2021 and $23 million in 2020) (2) | 237 | 0.42 | 69 | 0.12 | ||||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions (net of tax of $2 million in 2021 and $1 million in 2020) (2) | 5 | 0.01 | 3 | 0.01 | ||||||||
| Loss on debt extinguishment (net of tax of $9 million in 2021 and $99 million in 2020) (2) | 27 | 0.05 | 310 | 0.55 | ||||||||
| (Gain) loss on debt conversion option (net of tax of $0) (2) | (19) | (0.03) | 17 | 0.03 | ||||||||
| Tax adjustments | 33 | 0.05 | (3) | (0.01) | ||||||||
| Adjusted net earnings and adjusted EPS | $ | 2,935 | $ | 5.19 | $ | 2,019 | $ | 3.59 |
(1) Tax effected using the Company’s U.S. tax rate. LIFO accounting was discontinued effective January 1, 2020.
(2) Tax effected using the applicable tax rates.
The tables below provide a reconciliation of earnings before income taxes to adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA by segment for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.
| (In millions) | 2021 | 2020 | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings before income taxes | $ | 3,313 | $ | 1,883 | $ | 1,430 | ||||
| Interest expense | 265 | 339 | (74) | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 996 | 976 | 20 | |||||||
| LIFO charge (credit) | — | (91) | 91 | |||||||
| (Gain) loss on sales of assets | (77) | (90) | 13 | |||||||
| Asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges | 300 | 92 | 208 | |||||||
| Railroad maintenance expense | 67 | 138 | (71) | |||||||
| Expenses related to acquisitions | 7 | 4 | 3 | |||||||
| Loss on debt extinguishment | 36 | 409 | (373) | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 4,907 | $ | 3,660 | $ | 1,247 | ||||
| (In millions) | 2021 | 2020 | Change | |||||||
| Ag Services and Oilseeds | $ | 3,145 | $ | 2,469 | 676 | |||||
| Carbohydrate Solutions | 1,616 | 1,029 | 587 | |||||||
| Nutrition | 912 | 802 | 110 | |||||||
| Other Business | 32 | 61 | (29) | |||||||
| Corporate | (798) | (701) | (97) | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 4,907 | $ | 3,660 | $ | 1,247 |
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Liquidity and Capital Resources
A Company objective is to have sufficient liquidity, balance sheet strength, and financial flexibility to fund the operating and capital requirements of a capital intensive agricultural commodity-based business. The Company depends on access to credit markets, which can be impacted by its credit rating and factors outside of ADM’s control, to fund its working capital needs and capital expenditures. The primary source of funds to finance ADM’s operations, capital expenditures, and advancement of its growth strategy is cash generated by operations and lines of credit, including a commercial paper borrowing facility and accounts receivable securitization programs. In addition, the Company believes it has access to funds from public and private equity and debt capital markets in both U.S. and international markets.
Cash provided by operating activities was $6.6 billion in 2021 compared to a use of $2.4 billion in 2020. Working capital changes as described below increased cash by $2.7 billion in the current year compared to a decrease of $5.5 billion in the prior year which included the impact of deferred consideration. During 2020, the Company restructured its accounts receivable securitization programs from a deferred purchase price to a pledge structure. As a result, operating cash flows in the current year no longer include the impact of deferred consideration in securitized receivables which decreased operating cash flows in previous years.
Trade receivables increased $0.6 billion primarily due to higher revenues. Inventories increased $2.8 billion primarily due to higher inventory prices and, to a lesser extent, higher volumes. Other current assets decreased $1.3 billion primarily due to decreases in contracts and futures gains. Trade payables increased $1.9 billion due principally to increased grain purchases. Payables to brokerage customers increased $2.5 billion due to increased customer trading activity in the Company’s futures commission and brokerage business.
Deferred consideration in securitized receivables of $4.6 billion in 2020 was offset by the same amount of net consideration received for beneficial interest obtained for selling trade receivables.
Cash used in investing activities was $2.7 billion this year compared to cash provided of $4.5 billion last year. Capital expenditures in the current year were $1.2 billion compared to $0.8 billion in the prior year. Net assets of businesses acquired were $1.6 billion this year compared to $15 million last year primarily due to the acquisitions of P4, Sojaprotein, and Deerland in 2021. Proceeds from sales of businesses and assets of $0.2 billion in the current year related to the sale of the ethanol production complex in Peoria, Illinois and certain other assets compared to $0.7 billion in the prior year which related to the sale of a portion of the Company shares in Wilmar and certain other assets. Net consideration received for beneficial interest obtained for selling trade receivables was $4.6 billion in 2020.
Cash used in financing activities was $1.1 billion this year compared to $0.4 billion last year. Long-term debt borrowings in the current year of $1.3 billion consisted of the $750 million aggregate principal amount of 2.700% Notes due 2051 issued on September 10, 2021 and the €0.5 billion aggregate principal amount of Fixed-to-Floating Rate Senior Notes due 2022 issued in a private placement on March 25, 2021. Long-term debt borrowings in the prior year of $1.8 billion consisted of $0.5 billion and $1.0 billion aggregate principal amounts of 2.75% Notes due in 2025 and 3.25% Notes due in 2030, respectively, issued on March 27, 2020 and the $0.3 billion aggregate principal amount of zero coupon exchangeable bonds due in 2023 issued on August 26, 2020. Proceeds from the borrowings in 2021 and 2020 were used to redeem debt and for general corporate purposes. Commercial paper net payments were $1.1 billion in the current year compared to net borrowings of $0.8 billion in the prior year. Long-term debt payments in the current year of $0.5 billion consisted of the early redemption of the $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.750% notes due 2025 in September 2021. Long-term debt payments in the prior year of $2.1 billion related primarily to the early redemption of the $0.5 billion and $0.4 billion aggregate principal amounts of 4.479% debentures due in 2021 and 3.375% debentures due in 2022, respectively, the repurchase of $0.7 billion aggregate principal amount of certain outstanding notes and debentures, and the redemption of $0.2 billion aggregate principal amount of private placement notes due in 2021 and 2024. Share repurchases in the current year were insignificant compared to $0.1 billion in the prior year. Dividends paid in the current year of $0.8 billion were comparable to the prior year.
36
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
At December 31, 2021, ADM had $0.9 billion of cash, cash equivalents, and short-term marketable securities and a current ratio, defined as current assets divided by current liabilities, of 1.5 to 1. Included in working capital is $9.8 billion of readily marketable commodity inventories. At December 31, 2021, the Company’s capital resources included shareholders’ equity of $22.5 billion and lines of credit, including the accounts receivable securitization programs described below, totaling $11.2 billion, of which $8.1 billion was unused. ADM’s ratio of long-term debt to total capital (the sum of long-term debt and shareholders’ equity) was 26% and 28% at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company uses this ratio as a measure of ADM’s long-term indebtedness and an indicator of financial flexibility. The Company’s ratio of net debt (the sum of short-term debt, current maturities of long-term debt, and long-term debt less the sum of cash and cash equivalents and short-term marketable securities) to capital (the sum of net debt and shareholders’ equity) was 28% and 32% at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Of the Company’s total lines of credit, $5.0 billion supported the commercial paper borrowing programs, against which there was $0.8 billion of commercial paper outstanding at December 31, 2021.
During the second half of 2020, the global credit market stabilized with corporate credit spreads below pre-pandemic levels. Continued actions by central banks provided additional support in both the short-term and long-term funding markets further stabilizing corporate credit markets. Low benchmark yields and favorable credit spreads coupled with continued strong cash flow generation during the second half of 2020 presented opportunities for ADM to re-balance the company’s liability portfolio to pre-pandemic levels. Starting in June 2020, ADM began a series of liability management transactions including multiple early debt redemptions to capitalize on all-time low interest rates.
As of December 31, 2021, the Company had $0.9 billion of cash and cash equivalents, $0.5 billion of which is cash held by foreign subsidiaries whose undistributed earnings are considered indefinitely reinvested. Based on the Company’s historical ability to generate sufficient cash flows from its U.S. operations and unused and available U.S. credit capacity of $5.2 billion, the Company has asserted that these funds are indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S.
The Company has accounts receivable securitization programs (the “Programs”) with certain commercial paper conduit purchasers and committed purchasers. The Programs provide the Company with up to $2.3 billion in funding against accounts receivable transferred into the Programs and expand the Company’s access to liquidity through efficient use of its balance sheet assets (see Note 19 in Item 8 for more information and disclosures on the Programs). As of December 31, 2021, the Company utilized $2.2 billion of its facility under the Programs.
On November 5, 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to 100,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock during the period commencing January 1, 2015 and ending December 31, 2019. On August 7, 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the extension of the stock repurchase program through December 31, 2024 and the repurchase of up to an additional 100,000,000 shares under the extended program. The Company has acquired approximately 95.5 million shares under this program as of December 31, 2021.
In 2022, the Company expects capital expenditures of $1.3 billion and additional cash outlays of approximately $0.9 billion in dividends and up to $150 million in share repurchases, subject to other strategic uses of capital and the evolution of operating cash flows and the working capital position throughout the year.
The Company’s purchase obligations as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 were $18.6 billion and $19.7 billion, respectively. The decrease is primarily related to obligations to purchase lower quantities of agricultural commodity inventories. As of December 31, 2021, the Company expects to make payments related to purchase obligations of $15.8 billion within the next twelve months. The Company's other material cash requirements within the next 12 months include commercial paper outstanding of $0.8 billion, current maturities of long-term debt of $570 million, interest payments of $305 million, operating lease payments of $310 million, transition tax liability of $20 million, and pension and other postretirement plan contributions of $100 million. The Company expects to make payments related to purchase obligations and other material cash requirements beyond the next twelve months of $18.2 billion.
The Company’s credit facilities and certain debentures require the Company to comply with specified financial and non-financial covenants including maintenance of minimum tangible net worth as well as limitations related to incurring liens, secured debt, and certain other financing arrangements. The Company was in compliance with these covenants as of December 31, 2021.
The three major credit rating agencies have maintained the Company’s credit ratings at solid investment grade levels with stable outlooks.
37
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Critical Accounting Policies
The process of preparing financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the carrying values of the Company’s assets and liabilities as well as the recognition of revenues and expenses. These estimates and judgments are based on the Company’s historical experience and management’s knowledge and understanding of current facts and circumstances. Certain of the Company’s accounting policies are considered critical, as these policies are important to the depiction of the Company’s financial statements and require significant or complex judgment by management. Management has discussed with the Company’s Audit Committee the development, selection, disclosure, and application of these critical accounting policies. Following are the accounting policies management considers critical to the Company’s financial statements.
Fair Value Measurements - Inventories and Commodity Derivatives
Certain of the Company’s inventory and commodity derivative assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2021 are valued at estimated fair values, including $9.8 billion of merchandisable agricultural commodity inventories, $1.4 billion of commodity derivative assets, $1.8 billion of commodity derivative liabilities, and $1.0 billion of inventory-related payables. Commodity derivative assets and liabilities include forward purchase and sales contracts for agricultural commodities. Merchandisable agricultural commodities are freely traded, have quoted market prices, and may be sold without significant additional processing. Management estimates fair value for its commodity-related assets and liabilities based on exchange-quoted prices, adjusted for differences in local markets. The Company’s inventory and derivative commodity fair value measurements are mainly based on observable market quotations without significant adjustments and are therefore reported as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. Level 3 fair value measurements of approximately $3.5 billion of assets and $0.9 billion of liabilities represent fair value estimates where unobservable price components represent 10% or more of the total fair value price. For more information concerning amounts reported as Level 3, see Note 4 in Item 8. Changes in the market values of these inventories and commodity contracts are recognized in the statement of earnings as a component of cost of products sold. If management used different methods or factors to estimate market value, amounts reported as inventories and cost of products sold could differ materially. Additionally, if market conditions change subsequent to year-end, amounts reported in future periods as inventories and cost of products sold could differ materially.
Derivatives – Designated Hedging Activities
The Company, from time to time, uses derivative contracts designated as cash flow hedges to hedge the purchase or sales price of anticipated volumes of commodities to be purchased and processed in a future month. Assuming normal market conditions, the change in the market value of such derivative contracts has historically been, and is expected to continue to be, highly effective at offsetting changes in price movements of the hedged item. Gains and losses arising from open and closed hedging transactions are deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of applicable income taxes, and recognized as a component of cost of products sold and revenues in the statement of earnings when the hedged item is recognized in earnings. If it is determined that the derivative instruments used are no longer effective at offsetting changes in the price of the hedged item, then the changes in the market value of these exchange-traded futures and exchange-traded and over-the-counter option contracts would be recorded immediately in the statement of earnings as a component of revenues and/or cost of products sold. See Note 5 in Item 8 for additional information.
Investments in Affiliates
The Company applies the equity method of accounting for investments over which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence. These investments are carried at cost plus equity in undistributed earnings and are adjusted, where appropriate, for amortizable basis differences between the investment balance and the underlying net assets of the investee. Generally, the minimum ownership threshold for asserting significant influence is 20% ownership of the investee. However, the Company considers all relevant factors in determining its ability to assert significant influence including, but not limited to, ownership percentage, board membership, customer and vendor relationships, and other arrangements.
38
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the applicable accounting standards. These standards prescribe a minimum threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the consolidated financial statements. The Company recognizes in its consolidated financial statements tax positions determined more likely than not to be sustained upon examination, based on the technical merits of the position. The Company faces challenges from U.S. and foreign tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due. These challenges include questions regarding the timing and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. In evaluating the exposure associated with various tax filing positions, the Company records reserves for estimates of potential additional tax owed by the Company. For example, the Company has received tax assessments from tax authorities in Argentina and the Netherlands, challenging income tax positions taken by subsidiaries of the Company. The Company evaluated its tax positions for these matters and concluded, based in part upon advice from legal counsel, that it was appropriate to recognize the tax benefits of these positions (see Note 13 in Item 8 for additional information).
Deferred tax assets represent items to be used as tax deductions or credits in future tax returns where the related tax benefit has already been recognized in the Company’s income statement. The realization of the Company’s deferred tax assets is dependent upon future taxable income in specific tax jurisdictions, the timing and amount of which are uncertain. The Company evaluates all available positive and negative evidence including estimated future reversals of existing temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies, and recent financial results. Valuation allowances related to these deferred tax assets have been established to the extent the realization of the tax benefit is not likely. During 2021, the Company decreased valuation allowances by $52 million primarily related to expired state attributes. To the extent the Company were to favorably resolve matters for which valuation allowances have been established or is unable to realize amounts in excess of the aforementioned valuation allowances, the Company’s effective tax rate in a given financial statement period may be impacted.
Undistributed earnings of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries and corporate joint ventures amounting to approximately $12.7 billion at December 31, 2021, are considered to be indefinitely reinvested.
The Company has a responsibility to ensure that all ADM businesses within the Company follow responsible tax practices. ADM manages its tax affairs based upon the following key principles:
–a commitment to paying tax in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates;
–a commitment to the effective, sustainable, and active management of the Company's tax affairs; and
–developing and sustaining open and honest relationships with the governments and jurisdictions in which the Company operates regarding the formulation of tax laws.
Property, Plant, and Equipment and Asset Abandonments and Write-Downs
The Company is principally engaged in the business of procuring, transporting, storing, processing, and merchandising agricultural commodities and products. This business is global in nature and is highly capital-intensive. Both the availability of the Company’s raw materials and the demand for the Company’s finished products are driven by factors such as weather, plantings, government programs and policies, changes in global demand, changes in standards of living, and global production of similar and competitive crops. These aforementioned factors may cause a shift in the supply/demand dynamics for the Company’s raw materials and finished products. Any such shift will cause management to evaluate the efficiency and cash flows of the Company’s assets in terms of geographic location, size, and age of its facilities. The Company, from time to time, will also invest in equipment, technology, and companies related to new, value-added products produced from agricultural commodities and products. These new products are not always successful from either a commercial production or marketing perspective. Management evaluates the Company’s property, plant, and equipment for impairment whenever indicators of impairment exist. In addition, assets are written down to fair value after consideration of the ability to utilize the assets for their intended purpose or to employ the assets in alternative uses or sell the assets to recover the carrying value. If management used different estimates and assumptions in its evaluation of these assets, then the Company could recognize different amounts of expense over future periods. During the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, asset abandonment and impairment charges for property, plant, and equipment were $73 million, $28 million, and $131 million, respectively.
39
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
Business Combinations
The Company’s acquisitions are accounted for in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 805, Business Combinations, as amended. The consideration transferred is allocated to various assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date with the residual allocated to goodwill. Fair values allocated to assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations require management to make significant judgments, estimates, and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets. Management makes estimates of fair values based upon assumptions it believes to be reasonable. These estimates are based upon historical experience and information obtained from the management of the acquired companies and are inherently uncertain. The estimated fair values related to intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationships, trademarks, and developed technology which are determined primarily using discounted cash flow models. Estimates in the discounted cash flow models include, but are not limited to, certain assumptions that form the basis of the forecasted results (e.g. revenue growth rates, customer attrition rates, and royalty rates). These significant assumptions are forward looking and could be affected by future economic and market conditions. During the measurement period, which may take up to one year from the acquisition date, adjustments due to changes in the estimated fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed may be recorded as adjustments to the consideration transferred and related allocations. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or the final determination of the values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any such adjustments are charged to the consolidated statements of earnings. The Company accounts for any redeemable noncontrolling interest in temporary equity - redeemable noncontrolling interest at redemption value with periodic changes recorded in retained earnings.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Goodwill and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized but are subject to annual impairment tests. The Company evaluates goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level annually on October 1 or whenever there are indicators that the carrying value may not be fully recoverable. The Company has seven reporting units identified at one level below the operating segment using the criteria in ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). The Company adopted the provisions of Topic 350, which permits, but does not require, a company to qualitatively assess indicators of a reporting unit’s fair value. If after completing the qualitative assessment, a company believes it is likely that a reporting unit is impaired, a discounted cash flow analysis is prepared to estimate fair value. Critical estimates in the determination of the fair value of each reporting unit include, but are not limited to, future expected cash flows, revenue growth, and discount rates. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company evaluated goodwill for impairment using a qualitative assessment in six reporting units and using a quantitative assessment in one reporting unit. The estimated fair value of the reporting unit evaluated for impairment using a quantitative assessment was substantially in excess of its carrying value. Definite-lived intangible assets, including capitalized expenses related to the Company’s 1ADM program such as third-party configuration costs and internal labor, are amortized over their estimated useful lives of 1 to 50 years and are reviewed for impairment whenever there are indicators that the carrying values may not be fully recoverable. The Company recorded impairment charges totaling $52 million related to goodwill and other intangibles, $26 million related to customer lists, and $11 million related goodwill and other intangibles during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively (see Note 18 in Item 8 for more information). If management used different estimates and assumptions in its impairment tests, then the Company could recognize different amounts of expense over future periods.
Employee Benefit Plans
The Company provides substantially all U.S. employees and employees at certain international subsidiaries with retirement benefits including defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution plans. The Company provides certain eligible U.S. employees who retire under qualifying conditions with subsidized postretirement health care coverage or Health Care Reimbursement Accounts.
40
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (Continued)
In order to measure the expense and funded status of these employee benefit plans, management makes several estimates and assumptions, including interest rates used to discount certain liabilities, rates of return on assets set aside to fund these plans, rates of compensation increases, employee turnover rates, anticipated mortality rates, and anticipated future health care costs. These estimates and assumptions are based on the Company’s historical experience combined with management’s knowledge and understanding of current facts and circumstances. Management also uses third-party actuaries to assist in measuring the expense and funded status of these employee benefit plans. If management used different estimates and assumptions regarding these plans, the funded status of the plans could vary significantly, and the Company could recognize different amounts of expense over future periods. A 25 basis point increase in the discount rate assumption would result in a $90 million decrease to the Company's pension benefit obligation improving the funded status by the same amount while a 25 basis point decrease in the expected return on plan assets assumption would increase the Company’s pension expense by $4 million.
The Company uses the corridor approach when amortizing actuarial losses. Under the corridor approach, net unrecognized actuarial losses in excess of 10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market related value of plan assets are amortized over future periods. For plans with little to no active participants, the amortization period is the remaining average life expectancy of the participants. For plans with active participants, the amortization period is the remaining average service period of the active participants. The amortization periods range from 2 to 28 years for the Company’s defined benefit pension plans and from 6 to 21 years for the Company’s postretirement benefit plans.