grepcent / static financial knowledge base

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF)

CIK: 0001324404. SIC: 2870 Agricultural Chemicals. Latest 10-K as of: 2026-02-25.

SIC breadcrumb: Manufacturing > Chemicals And Allied Products > SIC 2870 Agricultural Chemicals

SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1324404. Latest filing source: 0001324404-26-000007.

Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.

Selected Fundamentals

MetricValueUnitFYFiled
Revenue7,084,000,000USD20252026-02-25
Net income1,798,000,000USD20252026-02-25
Assets14,088,000,000USD20252026-02-25

Financials

Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-25. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001324404.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.

Flow metrics use full-year FY periods from 10-K/10-K/A filings; balance-sheet metrics use FY-end instants. Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures. Missing metrics are omitted rather than fabricated.

Metric201020142015201720182019202020212022202320242025
Revenue4,130,000,0004,429,000,0004,590,000,0004,124,000,0006,538,000,00011,186,000,0006,631,000,0005,936,000,0007,084,000,000
Net income734,100,000450,000,000428,000,000646,000,000432,000,0001,260,000,0003,937,000,0001,838,000,0001,477,000,0001,798,000,000
Operating income1,193,100,000234,000,000766,000,0001,003,000,000623,000,0001,729,000,0005,397,000,0002,230,000,0001,746,000,0002,300,000,000
Gross profit1,547,100,000434,000,000917,000,0001,174,000,000801,000,0002,387,000,0005,861,000,0002,545,000,0002,056,000,0002,724,000,000
Diluted EPS2.961.531.242.231.474.2416.387.876.748.97
Operating cash flow1,194,400,0001,631,000,0001,497,000,0001,505,000,0001,231,000,0002,873,000,0003,855,000,0002,757,000,0002,271,000,0002,752,000,000
Capital expenditures2,469,300,000473,000,000422,000,000404,000,000309,000,000514,000,000453,000,000499,000,000518,000,000950,000,000
Dividends paid282,300,000280,000,000280,000,000265,000,000258,000,000260,000,000306,000,000311,000,000364,000,000326,000,000
Share buybacks556,300,0000.00467,000,000370,000,000100,000,000539,000,0001,347,000,000580,000,0001,509,000,0001,365,000,000
Assets11,254,200,00012,738,900,00012,661,000,00012,172,000,00012,023,000,00012,375,000,00013,313,000,00014,376,000,00013,466,000,00014,088,000,000
Stockholders' equity4,209,700,0004,035,200,0002,958,000,0002,897,000,0002,922,000,0003,206,000,0005,051,000,0005,717,000,0004,985,000,0004,838,000,000
Free cash flow1,158,000,0001,075,000,0001,101,000,000922,000,0002,359,000,0003,402,000,0002,258,000,0001,753,000,0001,802,000,000

Ratios

ROE and ROA use period-end equity/assets. Liabilities / equity uses total liabilities divided by stockholders' equity. Current ratio uses current assets divided by current liabilities when both are reported.

Metric201020142015201720182019202020212022202320242025
Net margin10.90%9.66%14.07%10.48%19.27%35.20%27.72%24.88%25.38%
Operating margin5.67%17.30%21.85%15.11%26.45%48.25%33.63%29.41%32.47%
Return on equity18.19%14.47%22.30%14.78%39.30%77.94%32.15%29.63%37.16%
Return on assets5.76%3.38%5.31%3.59%10.18%29.57%12.79%10.97%12.76%
Current ratio2.580.931.811.461.511.813.693.813.083.37

Financial Charts

Quarterly

Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-07. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001324404.json.

Flow metrics use discrete quarter-length periods from 10-Q/10-Q/A filings. Q4 revenue and net income are derived only when annual FY and nine-month YTD facts exist for the same fiscal year; derived Q4 values are labeled. EPS Q4 is not derived.

QuarterEnd DateRevenueNet IncomeDiluted EPSMethod
2022-Q22022-06-305.58reported discrete quarter
2022-Q32022-09-302.18reported discrete quarter
2023-Q12023-03-312.85reported discrete quarter
2023-Q22023-06-301,775,000,000606,000,0002.70reported discrete quarter
2023-Q32023-09-301,273,000,000230,000,0000.85reported discrete quarter
2023-Q42023-12-311,571,000,000352,000,000derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD
2024-Q12024-03-311,470,000,000238,000,0001.03reported discrete quarter
2024-Q22024-06-301,572,000,000506,000,0002.30reported discrete quarter
2024-Q32024-09-301,370,000,000341,000,0001.55reported discrete quarter
2024-Q42024-12-311,524,000,000392,000,000derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD
2025-Q12025-03-311,663,000,000351,000,0001.85reported discrete quarter
2025-Q22025-06-301,890,000,000492,000,0002.37reported discrete quarter
2025-Q32025-09-301,659,000,000460,000,0002.19reported discrete quarter
2025-Q42025-12-311,872,000,000495,000,000derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD
2026-Q12026-03-311,986,000,000676,000,0003.98reported discrete quarter

Quarterly Charts

Macro Cross-References

Latest quarter (10-Q)

Latest 10-Q source: 0001324404-26-000013.

Extracted structurally from real Item 2 body heading to real Item 3/4 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2026-05-07. Report date: 2026-03-31.

ITEM 2.    MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with our annual consolidated financial statements and related notes and our discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations that were included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 25, 2026, as well as Item 1. Financial Statements in Part I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. All references to “CF Holdings,” “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” refer to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, except where the context makes clear that the reference is to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. only and not its subsidiaries. All references to “CF Industries” refer to CF Industries, Inc., a 100% owned subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. References to tons refer to short tons. Notes referenced in this discussion and analysis refer to the notes to our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements in Item 1. Financial Statements in Part I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The following is an outline of the discussion and analysis included herein:

•Overview of CF Holdings

•Market Conditions and Current Developments

•Financial Executive Summary

•Items Affecting Comparability of Results

•Consolidated Results of Operations

•Operating Results by Business Segment

•Liquidity and Capital Resources

•Critical Accounting Estimates

•Recent Accounting Pronouncement

•Forward-Looking Statements

Overview of CF Holdings

Our Company

Our mission is to provide clean energy to feed and fuel the world sustainably. With our employees focused on safe and reliable operations, environmental stewardship, and disciplined capital and corporate management, we are on a path to decarbonize our ammonia production network – the world’s largest – to enable low-carbon hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities. Our value chain consists of manufacturing complexes in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, an extensive storage, transportation and distribution network in North America, and logistics capabilities enabling a global reach. In July 2025, we completed a significant decarbonization project at our Donaldsonville, Louisiana, complex to enable the production of ammonia with a lower carbon intensity than that of ammonia produced through traditional processes (“low-carbon ammonia”). Additionally, we are executing further decarbonization projects in our existing network and constructing a greenfield low-carbon ammonia plant at our Blue Point complex to drive our strategy to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy.

Our principal customers are cooperatives, retailers, independent fertilizer distributors, traders, wholesalers and industrial users. Our core product is anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which contains 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. Products derived from ammonia that are most often used as nitrogen fertilizers include granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN) and ammonium nitrate (AN). AN is also used extensively by the commercial explosives industry as a component of explosives. Products derived from ammonia that are sold primarily to industrial customers include diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), urea liquor, nitric acid and aqua ammonia. In addition, our low-carbon ammonia products are expected to be used for existing and new applications, such as power generation and steel production in Japan, and to help customers reduce the economic impact of European regulations on the price of carbon.

Our principal assets as of March 31, 2026 include:

•six U.S. manufacturing facilities located in: Donaldsonville, Louisiana (the largest ammonia production complex in the world); Sergeant Bluff, Iowa (our Port Neal complex); Yazoo City, Mississippi; Claremore, Oklahoma (our Verdigris complex); Woodward, Oklahoma; and Waggaman, Louisiana. The Waggaman facility is wholly owned by us, and the other five U.S. manufacturing facilities are wholly owned directly or indirectly by CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC (CFN), of which we own approximately 90% and CHS Inc. (CHS) owns the remainder (see Note 15—Noncontrolling Interests for additional information on our strategic venture with CHS);

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•two Canadian manufacturing facilities located in: Medicine Hat, Alberta (the largest ammonia production complex in Canada); and Courtright, Ontario;

•a United Kingdom manufacturing facility located in Billingham;

•an extensive system of terminals and associated transportation equipment located primarily in the Midwestern United States;

•a 50% interest in Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited (PLNL), an ammonia production joint venture located in Trinidad and Tobago that we account for under the equity method; and

•a 40% interest in Blue Point Number One, LLC, a joint venture formed on April 8, 2025 (the Blue Point joint venture), to construct an ammonia manufacturing plant at our Blue Point complex located in Modeste, Louisiana. The joint venture entity is a variable interest entity (VIE) of which we are the primary beneficiary. As a result, we consolidate this entity in our consolidated financial statements, with the combined 60% equity interest owned by our joint venture partners recorded as noncontrolling interests. See “Our Strategy—Blue Point joint venture,” below, for additional information.

Our Strategy

At our core, CF Industries is a producer of ammonia. We use the Haber-Bosch process to fix atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen from natural gas to produce anhydrous ammonia, whose chemical composition is NH3. We sell the ammonia itself or upgrade it to products such as granular urea, UAN and DEF. A majority of the ammonia and ammonia-derived products we manufacture are used as fertilizer, as the nitrogen content provides energy essential for crop growth. Other important uses of our products include emissions control.

Our strategy is to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy. Our unique capabilities include: advantaged production, unmatched distribution and logistics network, operational excellence and disciplined capital stewardship.

Our leadership in ammonia production enables us to drive continued operational excellence in our underlying business while investing in decarbonization technologies to produce low-carbon ammonia. These investments allow us to pursue demand for low-carbon ammonia and upgraded products for both traditional and new applications. Traditional applications include agriculture, where low-carbon nitrogen products can be used to reduce the carbon footprint of food production and the life cycle carbon intensity of ethanol production. New growth opportunities include hard-to-abate industries like power generation and marine shipping, for which low-carbon ammonia offers a path to significantly lower carbon footprints as it does not emit carbon when combusted.

Decarbonizing our existing network

At our Donaldsonville and Yazoo City complexes, our decarbonization projects are leveraging carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) to enable us to convert a portion of our existing ammonia production to low-carbon ammonia production. CCS requires the construction of carbon dioxide (CO2) dehydration and compression units to enable process CO2 captured from the ammonia production process to be transported and sequestered, which prevents approximately 60% of the CO2 generated by ammonia production from being emitted to the atmosphere. For each facility we have contracted with ExxonMobil to transport and permanently store the captured CO2.

In July 2025, construction, commissioning and start-up of the dehydration and compression unit at our Donaldsonville complex was completed for a total cost of approximately $200 million. The dehydration and compression unit enables the transportation and permanent geological sequestration of up to 2 million metric tons of CO2 annually, depending on gross ammonia production and consumption of CO2 for upgraded products. This sequestered CO2 would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere. The project qualifies for tax credits under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code (45Q Tax Credits), which provide a tax credit per metric ton of CO2 captured and disposed of in secure geological storage. As a result of the Donaldsonville CCS project, we have the capacity to produce up to approximately 1.9 million tons of low-carbon ammonia annually at our Donaldsonville complex.

On an interim basis, ExxonMobil is storing CO2 from our Donaldsonville complex in permanent geologic sites through enhanced oil recovery. Upon receipt of Class VI permits issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and authorization from the Railroad Commission of Texas, ExxonMobil plans to transition to dedicated permanent storage, starting with its Rose CCS project (Rose). Rose is one of many dedicated permanent storage sites ExxonMobil is developing along the Gulf Coast to expand its integrated CCS network. In October 2025, the EPA issued the final Class VI permits for Rose.

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Construction of the dehydration and compression unit at our Yazoo City complex is expected to cost approximately $100 million. At Yazoo City, CCS is expected to commence in 2028, following construction, commissioning and start-up, and annually is expected to enable the transportation and sequestration of up to approximately 500,000 metric tons of CO2 that would otherwise have been emitted into the atmosphere. The Yazoo City CCS project is expected to qualify for 45Q Tax Credits, which provide a tax credit per metric ton of CO2 captured and disposed of in secure geological storage.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, we completed a nitric acid plant abatement project at our Verdigris complex. The abatement project is expected to significantly reduce nitrous oxide emissions from the plant, lowering CO2 equivalent emissions by over 600,000 metric tons on an annual basis.

Blue Point joint venture

On April 8, 2025, we announced that we formed a joint venture, Blue Point Number One, LLC, with JERA Co., Inc. (JERA), Japan’s largest energy company, and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui), a leading global investment and trading company, to construct a low-carbon ammonia production facility at our Blue Point complex located in Modeste, Louisiana. We hold 40% ownership, JERA holds 35% ownership, and Mitsui holds 25% ownership in the Blue Point joint venture.

The Blue Point joint venture is expected to construct an autothermal reforming (ATR) ammonia production facility with a CO2 dehydration and compression unit to prepare captured CO2 for transportation and sequestration. Engineering, equipment procurement and pre-construction activities at our Blue Point complex began in the second quarter of 2025. Construction of the ammonia production facility is expected to begin in 2026, with low-carbon ammonia production expected to begin in 2029. We are responsible for overseeing and managing the development, construction, operation and maintenance of the ammonia production facility under contracts with the Blue Point joint venture. We, JERA and Mitsui are required to purchase low-carbon ammonia produced by the Blue Point joint venture in accordance with our respective ownership percentages once production commences.

We estimate that the cost of the low-carbon ATR ammonia production facility with CCS technologies will be approximately $3.7 billion. We anticipate that approximately one-third of the estimated cost is related to materials that will be imported to the United States, with the majority of imported materials expected to arrive in Louisiana in 2028. Pursua

[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]

Latest 10-K MD&A

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Published MD&A gate trimmed front/tail over-capture. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2026-02-25. Report date: 2025-12-31.

ITEM 7.    MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. All references to “CF Holdings,” “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” refer to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, except where the context makes clear that the reference is to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. only and not its subsidiaries. All references to “CF Industries” refer to CF Industries, Inc., a 100% owned subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. References to tons refer to short tons. Notes referenced in this discussion and analysis refer to the notes to consolidated financial statements that are found in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data—Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. For a discussion and analysis of the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 20, 2025. The following is an outline of the discussion and analysis included herein:

•Overview of CF Holdings

•Market Conditions and Current Developments

•Financial Executive Summary

•Items Affecting Comparability of Results

•Consolidated Results of Operations

•Operating Results by Business Segment

•Liquidity and Capital Resources

•Critical Accounting Estimates

•Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Overview of CF Holdings

Our Company

Our mission is to provide clean energy to feed and fuel the world sustainably. With our employees focused on safe and reliable operations, environmental stewardship, and disciplined capital and corporate management, we are on a path to decarbonize our ammonia production network – the world’s largest – to enable low-carbon hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities. Our value chain consists of manufacturing complexes in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, an extensive storage, transportation and distribution network in North America, and logistics capabilities enabling a global reach. In July 2025, we completed a significant decarbonization project at our Donaldsonville, Louisiana, complex to enable the production of low-carbon ammonia. Additionally, we are executing further decarbonization projects in our existing network and constructing a greenfield low-carbon ammonia plant at our Blue Point complex to drive our strategy to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy.

Our principal customers are cooperatives, retailers, independent fertilizer distributors, traders, wholesalers and industrial users. Our core product is anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which contains 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. Products derived from ammonia that are most often used as nitrogen fertilizers include granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN) and ammonium nitrate (AN). AN is also used extensively by the commercial explosives industry as a component of explosives. Products derived from ammonia that are sold primarily to industrial customers include diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), urea liquor, nitric acid and aqua ammonia. In addition, our low-carbon products are expected to be used for existing and new applications, such as power generation and steel production in Japan, and to help customers reduce the economic impact of European regulations on the price of carbon.

Our principal assets as of December 31, 2025 include:

•six U.S. manufacturing facilities, located in Donaldsonville, Louisiana (the largest ammonia production complex in the world); Sergeant Bluff, Iowa (our Port Neal complex); Yazoo City, Mississippi; Claremore, Oklahoma (our Verdigris complex); Woodward, Oklahoma; and Waggaman, Louisiana. The Waggaman facility is wholly owned by us, and the other five U.S. manufacturing facilities are wholly owned directly or indirectly by CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC (CFN), of which we own approximately 89% and CHS Inc. (CHS) owns the remainder (see Note 18—Noncontrolling Interests for additional information on our strategic venture with CHS);

•two Canadian manufacturing facilities, located in Medicine Hat, Alberta (the largest ammonia production complex in Canada) and Courtright, Ontario;

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•a United Kingdom manufacturing facility located in Billingham;

•an extensive system of terminals and associated transportation equipment located primarily in the Midwestern United States;

•a 50% interest in Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited (PLNL), an ammonia production joint venture located in Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad) that we account for under the equity method; and

•a 40% interest in Blue Point Number One, LLC, a joint venture formed on April 8, 2025 (the Blue Point joint venture), to construct a manufacturing plant at our Blue Point complex located in Modeste, Louisiana. The joint venture entity is a variable interest entity (VIE) of which we are the primary beneficiary. As a result, we consolidate this entity in our consolidated financial statements, with the combined 60% equity interest owned by our joint venture partners recorded as noncontrolling interests. See “Our Strategy—Blue Point joint venture,” below, for additional information.

Our Strategy

At our core, CF Industries is a producer of ammonia. We use the Haber-Bosch process to fix atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen from natural gas to produce anhydrous ammonia, whose chemical composition is NH3. We sell the ammonia itself or upgrade it to products such as granular urea, UAN and DEF. A majority of the ammonia and ammonia-derived products we manufacture are used as fertilizer, as the nitrogen content provides energy essential for crop growth. Other important uses of our products include emissions control.

Our strategy is to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy. Our unique capabilities include: advantaged production, unmatched distribution and logistics network, operational excellence and disciplined capital stewardship.

Our leadership in ammonia production enables us to drive continued operational excellence in our underlying business while investing in decarbonization technologies to produce ammonia with a lower carbon intensity than that of ammonia produced through traditional processes (“low-carbon ammonia”). These investments allow us to pursue demand for low-carbon ammonia and upgraded products for both traditional and new applications. Traditional applications include agriculture, where low-carbon nitrogen products can be used to reduce the carbon footprint of food production and the life cycle carbon intensity of ethanol production. New growth opportunities include power generation and marine shipping, which are hard-to-abate industries for which low-carbon ammonia offers a potential path to significantly lower carbon footprints as it does not contain or emit carbon when combusted.

Decarbonizing our existing network

At our Donaldsonville and Yazoo City complexes, our decarbonization projects are leveraging carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) to enable us to convert a portion of our existing ammonia production to low-carbon ammonia production. CCS requires the construction of carbon dioxide (CO2) dehydration and compression units to enable process CO2 captured from the ammonia production process to be transported and sequestered, which prevents approximately 60% of the CO2 generated by ammonia production from being emitted to the atmosphere. For each facility we have contracted with ExxonMobil to transport and permanently store the captured CO2.

In July 2025, construction, commissioning and start-up of the dehydration and compression unit at our Donaldsonville complex was completed for a total cost of approximately $200 million. The dehydration and compression unit enables the transportation and permanent geological sequestration of up to 2 million metric tons of CO2 annually, depending on gross ammonia production and consumption of CO2 for upgraded products. This sequestered CO2 would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere. ExxonMobil, our CCS partner for this project, is transporting and permanently storing the CO2. The project qualifies for tax credits under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code (45Q Tax Credits), which provide a tax credit per metric ton of CO2 captured and disposed of in secure geological storage. As a result of the Donaldsonville CCS project, we have the capacity to produce up to approximately 1.9 million tons of low-carbon ammonia annually at our Donaldsonville complex.

On an interim basis, ExxonMobil is storing CO2 from our Donaldsonville complex in permanent geologic sites through enhanced oil recovery. Upon receiving its Class VI permit, ExxonMobil plans to transition to dedicated permanent storage, starting with its Rose CCS project (Rose). Rose is one of many dedicated permanent storage sites ExxonMobil is developing along the Gulf Coast to expand its integrated CCS network. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued the final Class VI permits for Rose in October 2025. Beginning of storage activities at Rose also requires authorization from the Railroad Commission of Texas.

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Construction of the dehydration and compression unit at our Yazoo City complex is expected to cost approximately $100 million. At Yazoo City, CCS is expected to commence in 2028, following construction, commissioning and start-up, and annually is expected to enable the transportation and sequestration of up to approximately 500,000 metric tons of CO2 that would otherwise have been emitted into the atmosphere. The Yazoo City CCS project is expected to qualify for 45Q Tax Credits, which provide a tax credit per metric ton of CO2 captured and disposed of in secure geological storage.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, we completed a nitric acid plant abatement project at our Verdigris complex. The abatement project is expected to significantly reduce nitrous oxide emissions from the plant, lowering CO2 equivalent emissions by over 600,000 metric tons on an annual basis.

Blue Point joint venture

On April 8, 2025, we formed the Blue Point joint venture, with JERA Co., Inc. (JERA), Japan’s largest energy company, and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui), a leading global investment and trading company, to construct a low-carbon ammonia production facility at our Blue Point complex located in Modeste, Louisiana. We hold 40% ownership, JERA holds 35% ownership, and Mitsui holds 25% ownership in the Blue Point joint venture. Under the terms of the Blue Point joint venture’s limited liability company agreement, JERA had a conditional option that, if the specified condition were met, JERA could reduce its ownership percentage below 35% but not lower than 20%. We would have had the right and obligation to increase our ownership by the same amount had JERA opted to reduce its ownership. The option expired and is no longer exercisable.

The Blue Point joint venture is expected to construct an autothermal reforming (ATR) ammonia production facility with a CO2 dehydration and compression unit to prepare captured CO2 for transportation and sequestration. Engineering, equipment procurement and pre-construction activities at our Blue Point complex began in the second quarter of 2025. Construction of the ammonia production facility is expected to begin in 2026, with low-carbon ammonia production expected to begin in 2029. We are responsible for overseeing and managing the development, construction, operation and maintenance of the ammonia production facility under contracts with the Blue Point joint venture. We, JERA and Mitsui are required to purchase low-carbon ammonia produced by the Blue Point joint venture in accordance with our respective ownership percentages once production commences.

We estimate that the cost of the low-carbon ATR ammonia production facility with CCS technologies will be approximately $3.7 billion. We anticipate that approximately one-third of the estimated cost is related to materials that will be imported to the United States, with the majority of imported materials expected to arrive in Louisiana in 2028. Pursuant to periodic capital calls, the Blue Point joint venture members will fund the cost of the facility’s engineering, procurement and construction according to their respective ownership percentages. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we, JERA and Mitsui made capital contributions of $195 million, $170 million and $121 million, respectively, to the Blue Point joint venture. We funded $152 million of our contributions with cash and $43 million through a non-cash contribution of a license to use certain intellectual property.

The low-carbon ammonia production facility is designed with an annual nameplate capacity of approximately 1.4 million metric tons (approximately 1.5 million tons) and is expected to capture greater than 95% of the CO2 generated from its production of ammonia. The facility is expected to capture, compress and dehydrate approximately 2.3 million metric tons of CO2 annually. Pursuant to a long-term offtake agreement, a joint venture between a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Enbridge Inc. would then transport the CO2 and permanently sequester it in a Class VI well at its Pelican Sequestration Hub in Louisiana, which is currently under development. The ammonia production facility is expected to qualify for 45Q Tax Credits, which provide a tax credit per metric ton of CO2 captured and disposed of in secure geological storage.

In June 2025, the Blue Point joint venture executed agreements, including a long-term supply agreement, with a subsidiary of Linde plc for them to design, construct, own, operate and maintain an air separation unit (ASU) at our Blue Point complex to supply oxygen and nitrogen to the low-carbon ATR ammonia production facility. Thus, our estimate of the cost of the low-carbon ATR ammonia production facility of approximately $3.7 billion, as noted above, excludes the costs to construct an ASU.

In addition, we plan to invest approximately $550 million to build scalable infrastructure at our Blue Point complex to supply the ammonia production facility with services, including product storage and vessel loading. We will own and operate this infrastructure, and the Blue Point joint venture will compensate us for these services.

We determined that the Blue Point joint venture is a VIE of which we are the primary beneficiary. As a result, we consolidate this VIE in our consolidated financial statements, with the combined 60% equity interest owned by JERA and Mitsui recorded as noncontrolling interests. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources—Blue Point Joint Venture,” below, and Note 14—Variable Interest Entity, for additional information on the Blue Point joint venture.

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Low-carbon ammonia demand

We believe that our decarbonization projects provide us with benefits: progress toward our long-term emissions reduction goals, a significant return profile, and a differentiated product offering to existing and new customers.

In 2025, we completed our first sales of low-carbon ammonia at a premium to traditional ammonia consumers in Europe and Africa as they began to establish a low-carbon ammonia supply chain. We expect continued demand growth for low-carbon ammonia and upgraded products into Europe as customers seek to reduce the additional costs imposed by the European Union’s regulations, including the carbon border adjustment mechanism in respect of GHG emissions associated with the production of imported ammonia and upgraded products.

In 2025, our expectation that there is developing demand for low-carbon ammonia for new applications of our products was confirmed through our joint venture partners, JERA and Mitsui. They have committed low-carbon ammonia volumes from the Blue Point joint venture for power generation and steel production, among other uses, which represent new applications for our products. In December 2025, both JERA and Mitsui were certified as a Supplier of Low-Carbon Hydrogen and its Derivatives by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The certifications were granted under the “Support Focusing on the Price Gap” scheme established in accordance with the Hydrogen Society Promotion Act.

We continue to engage in discussions with existing and potential customers who have interest in using low-carbon ammonia for traditional applications as well as for the supply of low-carbon ammonia for new applications. We are evaluating and are in various stages of discussions with other companies for long-term offtake and/or potential joint investments related to new and traditional applications for low-carbon ammonia. These discussions continue to advance as we gain greater clarity regarding demand for low-carbon ammonia, including associated carbon intensity requirements, government incentives and regulatory developments.

Industry Factors

We operate in a highly competitive, global industry. Our operating results are influenced by a broad range of factors, including those outlined below.

Global Supply and Demand Factors

Our products are global commodities or derived from global commodities and are subject to price competition. The customers for our products make their purchasing decisions principally on the basis of delivered price and, to a lesser extent, on low-carbon attributes, reliability, customer service and product quality. The selling prices of our products fluctuate in response to global market conditions, changes in supply and demand and cost factors.

Historically, global fertilizer demand has been driven primarily by population growth, gross domestic product growth, changes in dietary habits, planted acreage, and application rates, among other things. We expect these key variables to continue to have major impacts on long-term fertilizer demand for the foreseeable future. Short-term fertilizer demand growth may depend on global economic conditions, farm sector income, weather patterns, the level of global grain stocks relative to consumption, fertilizer application rates, and governmental regulations, including fertilizer subsidies or requirements mandating increased use of bio-fuels or industrial nitrogen products, such as DEF. Geopolitical factors such as temporary disruptions in fertilizer trade related to government intervention, shipping delays and/or cost increases resulting from regional conflicts or changes in the buying/selling patterns of key exporting/consuming countries, including China, India, Russia and Brazil, among others, often play a major role in shaping near-term market fundamentals. The economics of nitrogen-based fertilizer manufacturing play a key role in decisions to increase or reduce production capacity. Supply of fertilizers is generally driven by available capacity and operating rates, raw material costs and availability, government policies and global trade. Raw materials are dependent on energy sources such as natural gas or coal; therefore, supply costs are affected by the supply of and demand for those commodities.

Global Trade in Fertilizer

Profitability of our products within a particular geographic region is determined not only by the relationship between global supply and demand, but also by the supply/demand balance within that region. Regional supply and demand can be influenced significantly by factors affecting trade within regions. Some of these factors include the relative cost to produce and deliver product, relative currency values, the availability of credit, agricultural supply and demand, industrial product demand and policies such as emissions abatement, government support for manufacturers or purchasers and governmental nitrogen product trade policies, including the imposition of duties, tariffs or quotas, that affect foreign trade or investment. Government energy or carbon policies may also affect regional nitrogen supply and demand. The development of additional natural gas reserves in North America has decreased natural gas costs in North America relative to the rest of the world, making North

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American nitrogen fertilizer producers more competitive. Changes in currency values may also alter our cost competitiveness relative to producers in other regions of the world.

North American nitrogen fertilizer demand for certain products is dependent on imports to balance supply and demand, and imports traditionally account for a significant portion of nitrogen fertilizer products consumed in North America. Producers of nitrogen-based fertilizers located in the Middle East, Trinidad, Africa and Russia have been major exporters to North America in recent years.

Farmers’ Economics

The demand for fertilizer is affected by the aggregate crop planting decisions and fertilizer application rate decisions of individual farmers. Individual farmers make planting decisions based largely on prospective profitability of a harvest, while the specific varieties and amounts of fertilizer they apply depend on factors like their current liquidity, soil conditions, weather patterns, crop and fertilizer prices, fertilizer products used and timing of applications, expected yields and the types of crops planted.

Market Conditions and Current Developments

Government Policies

Since January 20, 2025, the Trump administration has imposed, modified and proposed additional tariffs on a range of products from most countries around the world, including global tariffs and tariffs on imports from Canada pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The Trump administration has negotiated and is negotiating tariff and trade agreements that have resulted in, and will continue to result in, changes to existing tariffs and other trade policies in the United States and globally. From March 6, 2025, the United States excluded from IEEPA-based tariffs any products that entered the United States duty-free as a good of Canada pursuant to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, such that U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports were not applicable to our Canadian production. Effective November 13, 2025, the Trump administration exempted most fertilizer products, including urea, UAN and AN, but not ammonia, from IEEPA global tariffs announced on April 5, 2025.

On February 20, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA does not authorize the president to impose tariffs, including IEEPA-based global tariffs and tariffs on imports from Canada. Invoking other legal authority, the president responded by imposing a 10% tariff on most products imported into the United States on or after February 24, 2026, which may run for up to 150 days absent further congressional extension. The proclamation imposing the 10% tariff continues the IEEPA tariff exemptions that were applicable to our Canadian production and to most fertilizer products, which are both described above. The Supreme Court decision did not modify non-IEEPA tariffs, including tariffs on imports of certain steel and aluminum products and their derivatives which may impact the cost of our capital equipment, including for development and construction at our Blue Point complex.

Trade agreements that were recently negotiated between the United States and the European Union (EU) and several other countries, may be continued or paused, or further negotiations regarding trade agreements may result in changes to the magnitude, timing or other aspects of tariffs between these countries. For example, the EU is seeking clarity from the Trump administration on tariffs to be imposed in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision before fully implementing the United States-European Union Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade, in which the EU committed to eliminate its tariffs on U.S. imports of nitrogen fertilizer products.

There remains significant uncertainty regarding recent tariff developments. Proposed or enacted tariffs and changes to U.S. trading policies may be reinstituted, paused, removed or changed at any time and may also be subject to litigation. Retaliatory tariffs or other imposition of taxes and duties on U.S. exports to trading partners may also be significant and occur at any time. Changes in U.S. trade policy or changes in other countries’ trade policies has and may continue to lead to uncertainty in the global marketplace, impact the supply and demand balance in many regions, and increase the cost of capital equipment and other supplies, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on December 6, 2025, on competitive activity in the food supply chain. The EO directs the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission to each establish a Food Supply Chain Security Task Force to investigate price-fixing and anti-competitive practices across the sector, including fertilizer, and take action as necessary, including bringing enforcement actions and proposing new regulatory approaches. The EO is particularly focused on “foreign entities” and “foreign control” within the food supply chain.

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U.S. Tax Legislation

On July 4, 2025, H.R.1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the Act) was enacted into law. The Act makes permanent certain elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including 100% bonus depreciation on qualified property, and modifies several international tax provisions, including the foreign-derived intangible income deduction. The legislation has multiple effective dates, with certain provisions becoming effective in fiscal year 2025 and the majority taking effect in future years. We began reflecting the impact of the Act in the third quarter of 2025, and it did not have a material impact on our income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2025. In addition, we expect the Act will not have a material impact on our income tax expense in future periods. However, certain provisions of the Act affected the timing of cash tax payments in 2025 and are expected to affect the timing of cash tax payments in future periods.

Nitrogen Selling Prices and Sales Volume

Our nitrogen products are globally traded commodities with selling prices that fluctuate in response to global market conditions, changes in supply and demand, and other cost factors including domestic and local conditions. Intense global competition—reflected in import volumes and prices—strongly influences delivered prices for nitrogen fertilizers. In general, the prevailing global prices for nitrogen products must be at a level to incent the high-cost marginal producer to produce product at a breakeven or above price, or else they would cease production and leave a portion of global demand unsatisfied.

Average selling prices for all of our major products were higher in 2025 than in 2024 due primarily to strong global demand for all nitrogen products and supply disruptions due to geopolitical issues, including unexpected production outages in Egypt, Iran and Russia. Global demand was particularly strong in North America, India and Brazil. The average selling price for our products was $372 per ton in 2025 compared to $313 per ton in 2024. The 19% increase in the average selling price for our products in 2025 compared to 2024 resulted in a year-over-year increase in net sales of approximately $1.06 billion.

Our total sales volume was 1% higher in 2025 than in 2024, due primarily to higher sales volume in our Ammonia and UAN segments, partially offset by lower sales volume in our Granular Urea and AN segments. We shipped 19.1 million tons of product in 2025 compared to 18.9 million tons in 2024. This resulted in an increase in net sales of approximately $84 million for 2025 compared to 2024. The increase was due to higher supply availability as a result of increased production in 2025 compared to 2024, which was adversely impacted by production outages from a winter storm in the first quarter of 2024.

Sales volume for our products in 2025, 2024 and 2023 is shown in the table below.

202520242023
Sales Volume (tons)Net SalesSales Volume (tons)Net SalesSales Volume (tons)Net Sales
(tons in thousands; dollars in millions)
Ammonia4,597$2,1764,085$1,7363,546$1,679
Granular Urea4,1091,7814,5221,6004,5701,823
UAN6,9472,1616,7711,6787,2372,068
AN1,3274211,4644191,571497
Other(1)2,0775452,1015032,206564
Total19,057$7,08418,943$5,93619,130$6,631

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(1)Other segment products primarily include DEF, urea liquor, nitric acid and aqua ammonia.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce our nitrogen products. Natural gas is both a chemical feedstock and a fuel used to produce nitrogen products. Natural gas is the largest and most volatile component of the manufacturing cost for our nitrogen products, representing approximately 34% and 28%, respectively, of our production costs in 2025 and 2024. All of our ammonia manufacturing plants are located in the United States and Canada. As a result, the price of natural gas in North America directly impacts a substantial portion of our operating expenses.

During 2025, natural gas prices in North America generally traded in a range of $3.00 to $4.00 per MMBtu. Below normal temperatures combined with higher LNG exports led to an increase in prices in the first quarter of 2025. Natural gas storage inventories at the end of the first quarter of 2025 fell behind both 2024 and historical averages. Production increased through the second and third quarter of 2025, lowering prices during the summer period. Demand from power generation was lower throughout the summer as electricity generators utilized greater amounts of renewable and coal generation in lieu of

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natural gas to meet demand. Strong injections during the summer refill period led to above average levels to start the winter period, keeping a ceiling on prices. The cold start to winter and higher LNG exports led to the price increase experienced in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The following table presents the average daily market price of natural gas at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America, and our cost of natural gas used for production, which includes the impact of realized natural gas derivatives:

Year ended December 31,
2025202420232025 v. 20242024 v. 2023
Average daily market price of natural gas Henry Hub (per MMBtu)$3.53$2.25$2.53$1.2857%$(0.28)(11)%
Cost of natural gas used for production in cost of sales(1) (per MMBtu)$3.31$2.40$3.67$0.9138%$(1.27)(35)%

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(1)Includes the cost of natural gas used for production and related transportation that is included in cost of sales during the period under the first-in, first-out inventory cost method.

The total cost of natural gas used for production at our manufacturing facilities, which includes the impact of realized natural gas derivatives, increased 38% to $3.31 per MMBtu in 2025 from $2.40 per MMBtu in 2024. The increase in natural gas costs in 2025 as compared to 2024 resulted in a decrease in gross margin of approximately $316 million.

The average daily market price of natural gas at the Henry Hub from January 1, 2026 through February 20, 2026 was $6.32 per MMBtu.

Low-carbon Ammonia Production Section 45Q Tax Credits

In July 2025, construction, commissioning and start-up of the dehydration and compression unit at our Donaldsonville complex was completed. As a result, in 2025, we earned approximately $42 million of 45Q Tax Credits, which is recorded in other operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2025. See “Overview of CF Holdings—Our Strategy—Decarbonizing our existing network,” above, for additional information.

Yazoo City Incident

In November 2025, we experienced an incident in the AN upgrade area at our Yazoo City complex. The facility’s ammonia plant and other upgrade units were not damaged by the incident. However, the incident required us to temporarily idle all production at the site. Management is conducting an investigation into the cause of the incident and determining the required equipment and installation timeline to rebuild. Management does not expect production to resume until the fourth quarter of 2026 at the earliest based on time required for fabrication and delivery of certain required equipment.

As a result of the damage incurred and based on estimates and assumptions of a preliminary review of the impact, we recorded an impairment of certain fixed assets within our North American AN asset group of $25 million, which primarily consisted of machinery and equipment and is included in the line titled “Asset impairment” in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2025. In addition, we concluded that the incident necessitated evaluations of the long-lived assets within our North American AN asset group and the goodwill allocated to our North American AN reporting unit to determine if their fair value had declined to below their carrying value. The results of our long-lived asset impairment test indicated that there was no additional impairment as the undiscounted estimated future cash flows for the North American AN asset group exceeded its carrying value, and our goodwill impairment test concluded that the goodwill allocated to our North American reporting unit was not impaired.

Abandonment of Electrolyzer Project

Decarbonization projects in our existing network included an electrolyzer project at our Donaldsonville complex to produce ammonia with hydrogen sourced from an electrolysis process that produces no CO2 emissions. Commissioning of the 20-megawatt alkaline water electrolysis plant to produce hydrogen was suspended due to an issue experienced in the fourth quarter of 2024. In December 2025, upon completion of a review of the incremental investment and operating costs necessary to complete and operate the project, we concluded such investment would not result in an acceptable return. As a result, we made the decision to not make the incremental investment to the electrolyzer project in favor of the higher return profile from low-carbon ammonia production with carbon capture and sequestration technologies. As a result, we recognized an impairment charge of $51 million, which is included in the line titled “Asset impairment” in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2025.

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Financial Executive Summary

We reported net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $1.46 billion in 2025 compared to $1.22 billion in 2024, an increase in net earnings of $237 million, or 19%. The increase in net earnings attributable to common stockholders primarily reflects an increase in gross margin of $668 million partially offset by the following factors: (i) a higher income tax provision due to higher net earnings in 2025, (ii) higher net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests, (iii) higher net interest expense, and (iv) asset impairment, as described under “Yazoo City Incident” and “Abandonment of Electrolyzer Project,” above.

Gross margin increased by $668 million, or 32%, to $2.72 billion for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $2.06 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in gross margin was due primarily to a 19% increase in average selling prices to $372 per ton in 2025 from $313 per ton in 2024, which increased gross margin by $1.06 billion, partially offset by higher natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which decreased gross margin by $316 million.

Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders increased $2.23 per share, to $8.97 per share in 2025 compared to $6.74 per share in 2024 due to higher net earnings and lower weighted-average common shares outstanding as a result of shares repurchased under our share repurchase programs. Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding were 162.2 million shares for the year ended December 31, 2025, a decrease of 10% compared to diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding of 180.7 million shares for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Items Affecting Comparability of Results

During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we reported net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $1.46 billion and $1.22 billion, respectively. In addition to the impact of market conditions and current developments, including 45Q Tax Credits, discussed above, certain items affected the comparability of our financial results during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. The following table and related discussion outline these items and their impact on the comparability of our financial results for these periods. The descriptions of items below that refer to amounts in the table refer to the pre-tax amounts unless otherwise noted.

20252024
Pre-TaxAfter-Tax(1)Pre-TaxAfter-Tax(1)
(in millions)
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives(2)$5$4$(35)$(27)
Gain on foreign currency transactions(3)(4)(5)(5)
Asset impairment7658
Loss on sale of Ince facility(5)2321
Blue Point joint venture construction costs(3)(4)109
Loss on debt extinguishment64
Pension settlement loss(6)11
Impact of employee benefit plan policy change(7)(16)(13)
Integration costs43
Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter:
Interest expense (income)—net(8)(39)(38)

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(1)For 2025, the tax impact is calculated utilizing a marginal effective rate of approximately 23.5%, except for the loss on sale of Ince facility, which reflects the amount of income tax benefit recognized. For 2024, the tax impact is calculated utilizing a marginal effective rate of 23.6%.

(2)Included in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations.

(3)Included in other operating—net in our consolidated statements of operations.

(4)Includes results related to the Blue Point joint venture, of which we have a 40% equity interest. The after-tax impact for amounts related to the Blue Point joint venture does not include a tax provision on the 60% attributable to noncontrolling interests.

(5)Included in U.K. operations restructuring in our consolidated statement of operations.

(6)Included in other non-operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations.

(7)Included in cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statement of operations.

(8)Included in interest expense and interest income in our consolidated statement of operations.

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Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives

Natural gas is the largest and most volatile single component of the manufacturing cost for our nitrogen-based products. At certain times, we have managed the risk of changes in natural gas prices through the use of derivative financial instruments. The derivatives that we use for this purpose are primarily natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options. We use natural gas derivatives as an economic hedge of natural gas price risk, but without the application of hedge accounting. This can result in volatility in reported earnings due to the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments that occur from changes in the value of the derivatives, which are reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations. In 2025, we recognized an unrealized net mark-to-market loss of $5 million compared to a gain of $35 million in 2024.

Gain on foreign currency transactions

In 2025, we recognized a gain on foreign currency transactions of $5 million. (Gain) loss on foreign currency transactions consists of foreign currency exchange rate impacts on foreign currency denominated transactions, including cash held in a foreign currency.

Asset impairment

In 2025, we recognized total charges of $76 million, consisting of asset impairment related to property, plant and equipment at our Donaldsonville and Yazoo City facilities. See “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Yazoo City Incident” and “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Abandonment of Electrolyzer Project,” above, for additional information.

Loss on sale of Ince facility

In the second quarter of 2022, we approved and announced our proposed plan to restructure our U.K. operations, including the planned permanent closure of the Ince facility, which had been idled since September 2021. In the third quarter of 2022, the final restructuring plan was approved, and the facility was subsequently decommissioned. In the first quarter of 2025, we sold our Ince facility and recognized a loss of $23 million, which is reflected in U.K. operations restructuring in our consolidated statement of operations in 2025. See Note 6—Property, Plant and Equipment—Net for additional information on the sale of our Ince facility.

Blue Point joint venture construction costs

In 2025, the Blue Point joint venture incurred development costs that were not eligible for capitalization of approximately $10 million related to the construction of the low-carbon ammonia production facility at our Blue Point complex. See “Overview of CF Holdings—Our Strategy—Blue Point joint venture,” above, and Note 14—Variable Interest Entity, for additional information on the Blue Point joint venture.

Loss on debt extinguishment

On November 26, 2025, we issued $1 billion aggregate principal amount of 5.300% senior notes due 2035 (the 2035 Notes). The net proceeds, after deducting discounts and offering expenses, from the issuance and sale of the 2035 Notes were approximately $989 million.

On December 26, 2025, we used approximately $756 million of the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2035 Notes for the prepayment in full of the outstanding $750 million aggregate principal amount of the 4.500% senior secured notes due 2026 (the 2026 Notes). As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $6 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $750 million principal amount of the 2026 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

See “Liquidity and Capital Resources—Debt—Senior Notes,” below, for additional information.

Pension settlement loss

In the fourth quarter of 2025, we entered into an agreement with an insurance company to purchase group annuity contracts for both of our Canadian pension plans, including a buy-out annuity contract to transfer to the insurance company approximately $40 million of projected benefit obligation for one of the plans. The transactions closed on December 5, 2025 and were funded with proceeds from the sale of pension plan trust assets. As a result of the buy-out annuity contract purchased, in the fourth quarter of 2025, we recognized a non-cash pre-tax pension settlement loss of $1 million related to the settled obligations. See Note 11—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits for additional information.

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Impact of employee benefit plan policy change

In 2024, we recognized income of $16 million pertaining to a policy change to an employee benefit plan that was included in both cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statement of operations.

Integration costs

In 2024, we incurred integration costs of $4 million related to our acquisition of an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana on December 1, 2023. We did not incur integration costs in 2025.

Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter

In the third quarter of 2024, we were informed that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) granted one of our Canadian subsidiaries discretionary interest relief for certain tax years from 2006 through 2011, which were previously settled through arbitration proceedings between the United States and Canadian competent authorities. In the fourth quarter of 2024, we received the interest relief from the CRA consisting of interest refunds of $21 million and related interest of $2 million, and we were informed that the Alberta Tax and Revenue Administration (Alberta TRA) granted us discretionary interest relief in parallel with the CRA relief. The interest relief from the Alberta TRA was estimated to be approximately $16 million, consisting of interest refunds of $15 million and related interest of $1 million, based on estimates and foreign currency exchange rates as of December 31, 2024. As a result, in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024, we recognized $39 million of income consisting of a $36 million reduction in interest expense and $3 million of interest income.

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Consolidated Results of Operations

The following table presents our consolidated results of operations and certain supplemental data for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023:

Year ended December 31,
2025202420232025 v. 20242024 v. 2023
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$7,084$5,936$6,631$1,14819%$(695)(10)%
Cost of sales (COS)4,3603,8804,08648012%(206)(5)%
Gross margin2,7242,0562,54566832%(489)(19)%
Gross margin percentage38.5%34.6%38.4%3.9%(3.8)%
Selling, general and administrative expenses3643202894414%3111%
Asset impairment7676N/M%
U.K. operations restructuring231023N/M(10)(100)%
Acquisition and integration costs439(4)(100)%(35)(90)%
Other operating—net(25)(10)(31)(15)(150)%2168%
Total other operating costs and expenses43831430712439%72%
Equity in earnings (loss) of operating affiliate144(8)10250%12N/M
Operating earnings2,3001,7462,23055432%(484)(22)%
Interest expense1551211503428%(29)(19)%
Interest income(81)(123)(158)4234%3522%
Loss on debt extinguishment66N/M%
Other non-operating—net(19)(14)(10)(5)(36)%(4)(40)%
Earnings before income taxes2,2391,7622,24847727%(486)(22)%
Income tax provision44128541015655%(125)(30)%
Net earnings1,7981,4771,83832122%(361)(20)%
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests3432593138432%(54)(17)%
Net earnings attributable to common stockholders$1,455$1,218$1,525$23719%$(307)(20)%
Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders$8.97$6.74$7.87$2.2333%$(1.13)(14)%
Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding162.2180.7193.8(18.5)(10)%(13.1)(7)%
Dividends declared per common share$2.00$2.00$1.60$%$0.4025%
Natural gas supplemental data (per MMBtu)
Natural gas costs in COS(1)$3.30$2.28$3.26$1.0245%$(0.98)(30)%
Realized derivatives loss in COS(2)0.010.120.41(0.11)(92)%(0.29)(71)%
Cost of natural gas used for production in COS$3.31$2.40$3.67$0.9138%$(1.27)(35)%
Average daily market price of natural gas Henry Hub (Louisiana)$3.53$2.25$2.53$1.2857%$(0.28)(11)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$5$(35)$(39)$40N/M$410%
Depreciation and amortization$898$925$869$(27)(3)%$566%
Capital expenditures$950$518$499$43283%$194%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)19,05718,94319,1301141%(187)(1)%
Production volume by product tons (000s):
Ammonia(3)10,1209,8009,4963203%3043%
Granular urea4,2624,4044,544(142)(3)%(140)(3)%
UAN (32%)(4)6,9346,7536,8521813%(99)(1)%
AN1,2531,3921,520(139)(10)%(128)(8)%

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N/M—Not Meaningful

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(1)Includes the cost of natural gas used for production and related transportation that is included in cost of sales during the period under the first-in, first-out inventory cost method.

(2)Includes realized gains and losses on natural gas derivatives settled during the period. Excludes unrealized mark-to-market gains and losses on natural gas derivatives.

(3)Gross ammonia production, including amounts subsequently upgraded on-site into granular urea, UAN, or AN.

(4)UAN product tons assume a 32% nitrogen content basis for production volume.

The following is a discussion and analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. For a discussion and analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 20, 2025.

Net Sales

Our net sales are derived primarily from the sale of nitrogen products and are determined by the quantities of nitrogen products we sell and the selling prices we realize. The volumes, mix and selling prices we realize are determined to a great extent by a combination of global and regional supply and demand factors. Net sales also include shipping and handling costs that are billed to our customers. Sales incentives are reported as a reduction in net sales.

Our total net sales increased $1.15 billion, or 19%, to $7.08 billion in 2025 compared to $5.94 billion in 2024 due primarily to higher average selling prices and, to a lesser extent, higher sales volume.

Our average selling price was $372 per ton in 2025 compared to $313 per ton in 2024, an increase of 19%. Average selling prices for all of our major products were higher in 2025 than 2024 due primarily to strong demand for all nitrogen products and supply disruptions due to geopolitical issues, including unexpected production outages in Egypt, Iran and Russia. Global demand was particularly strong in North America, India and Brazil. The impact of higher average selling prices resulted in an increase in net sales of approximately $1.06 billion for 2025 compared to 2024.

Our total sales volume of 19.1 million product tons in 2025 was 1% higher compared to 18.9 million product tons in 2024, as higher sales volume in our Ammonia and UAN segments was partially offset by lower sales volume in our Granular Urea and AN segments. The impact of higher sales volume was an increase in net sales of approximately $84 million.

Gross ammonia production for 2025 increased to approximately 10.1 million tons compared to 9.8 million tons in 2024, which was adversely impacted by production outages from a winter storm in the first quarter of 2024. We expect gross ammonia production for 2026 will be approximately 9.5 million tons reflecting a decrease from 2025 due in part to the outage at our Yazoo City complex. See “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Yazoo City Incident,” above, for additional information.

Cost of Sales

Our cost of sales includes manufacturing costs, purchased product costs, distribution and storage costs, and freight. Manufacturing costs, the most significant element of cost of sales, consist primarily of raw materials, realized and unrealized gains and losses on natural gas derivatives, maintenance, direct labor, depreciation and other plant overhead expenses. Natural gas is the principal raw material used in our production of nitrogen products. Purchased product costs primarily include the cost to purchase nitrogen fertilizers to augment or replace production at our facilities. Distribution costs consist of the cost of freight required to transport finished products from our manufacturing facilities to our distribution facilities, which are recognized in cost of sales when the product is sold to our customers. Storage costs consist of costs incurred prior to final shipment to customers. Freight consists of shipping and handling costs incurred by us to deliver the product to our customer’s intended destination.

Our total cost of sales increased $480 million, or 12%, to $4.36 billion in 2025 as compared to $3.88 billion in 2024. The increase in our cost of sales primarily reflects higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased cost of sales by $316 million. Cost of sales also includes the impact of a $5 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2025 compared to a $35 million gain in 2024, which increased cost of sales by $40 million.

Cost of sales averaged $229 per ton in 2025, a 12% increase from $204 per ton in 2024. Our cost of natural gas, including the impact of realized derivatives, increased 38% to $3.31 per MMBtu in 2025 from $2.40 per MMBtu in 2024. See “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Natural Gas,” above, for additional information about the factors impacting natural gas prices.

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Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Our selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of corporate office expenses such as salaries and other payroll-related costs for our executive, administrative, legal, financial, IT, and sales functions, as well as professional service fees, including those for corporate initiatives, amortization of definite-lived intangible assets, and certain taxes and insurance.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $44 million, or 14%, to $364 million in 2025 compared to $320 million in 2024. The increase reflects higher incentive compensation due primarily to strong operating performance and higher costs related to certain corporate initiatives, including our clean energy initiatives.

Asset Impairment

In 2025, we recognized total charges of $76 million, consisting of asset impairment related to property, plant and equipment at our Donaldsonville and Yazoo City facilities. See “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Yazoo City Incident” and “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Abandonment of Electrolyzer Project,” above, for additional information.

U.K. Operations Restructuring

In the second quarter of 2022, we approved and announced our proposed plan to restructure our U.K. operations, including the planned permanent closure of the Ince facility, which had been idled since September 2021. In the third quarter of 2022, the final restructuring plan was approved, and the facility was subsequently decommissioned. In the first quarter of 2025, we sold our Ince facility and recognized a loss of $23 million. See Note 6—Property, Plant and Equipment—Net for additional information on the sale of our Ince facility.

Acquisition and Integration Costs

In 2024, we incurred integration costs of $4 million related to our December 1, 2023 acquisition of an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana. We did not incur integration costs in 2025.

Other Operating—Net

Other operating—net includes administrative costs that do not relate directly to our central operations and can include foreign currency transaction gains and losses, unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency derivatives, litigation expenses, gains and losses on the disposal of fixed assets, costs related to our clean energy initiatives, such as front-end engineering and design (FEED) study costs and development costs for our Blue Point joint venture, and 45Q Tax Credits.

Other operating—net was $25 million of income in 2025 compared to $10 million of income in 2024. Higher income in 2025 was due primarily to approximately $42 million of 45Q Tax Credits earned as a result of CO2 sequestered in the second half of 2025 and lower FEED study costs for our clean energy initiatives compared to 2024. These factors that increased income were partially offset by lower gains on sales of emission credits compared to 2024. See “Our Strategy,” above, for additional information related to our clean energy initiatives.

Equity in Earnings (Loss) of Operating Affiliate

Equity in earnings (loss) of operating affiliate consists of our 50% ownership interest in PLNL. We include our share of the net earnings from our equity method investment in PLNL as an element of earnings from operations because this investment provides additional production and is integrated with our other supply chain and sales activities.

Equity in earnings of operating affiliate was $14 million in 2025 compared to $4 million in 2024. Equity in earnings of operating affiliate in 2025 reflects an increase in the operating results of PLNL due primarily to higher ammonia selling prices and higher sales volume due to a plant turnaround at the PLNL facility that occurred in the second quarter of 2024 that did not recur in 2025, partially offset by higher natural gas costs.

See “Critical Accounting Estimates—Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets, Goodwill and Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate,” below, for information on the status of PLNL’s gas supply contract with The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited, which was scheduled to expire on January 1, 2026.

Interest Expense

Interest expense includes interest on our long-term debt, amortization of the related fees required to execute financing agreements, annual fees pursuant to our revolving credit agreement and interest on tax liabilities. Capitalized interest relating to

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the construction of major capital projects reduces interest expense as the interest is capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful lives of the related assets.

Interest expense was $155 million in 2025 compared to $121 million in 2024. The increase of $34 million was due primarily to a $36 million reduction in interest expense recognized in 2024 that did not recur in 2025 related to discretionary interest relief on Canadian tax matters. This is further described above under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter.” In addition, higher interest expense in 2025 reflects the higher outstanding principal balance of senior notes outstanding for the one-month period between the issuance of the 2035 Notes in November 2025 and the redemption of the 2026 Notes in December 2025.

Interest Income

Interest income includes amounts earned on our cash, cash equivalents, and investments and any interest earned related to income tax refunds.

Interest income was $81 million in 2025 compared to $123 million in 2024. The decrease of $42 million was due primarily to a decrease in interest income on short-term investments and $3 million in interest income related to discretionary interest relief on Canadian tax matters that was granted in the third quarter of 2024 that did not recur in 2025. This is further described above under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter.”

Loss on debt extinguishment

Loss on debt extinguishment of $6 million in 2025 is described above under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Loss on debt extinguishment.”

Income Tax Provision

Our income tax provision for 2025 was $441 million on pre-tax income of $2.24 billion, or an effective tax rate of 19.7%, compared to an income tax provision of $285 million on pre-tax income of $1.76 billion, or an effective tax rate of 16.2%, in 2024. The higher effective tax rate in 2025 compared to 2024 was due primarily to increases in unrecognized tax benefits related to U.S. tax positions under the Internal Revenue Service audit in 2025. The increase also reflects discrete tax benefits recognized in 2024 that did not recur in 2025, including decreases in unrecognized tax benefits arising from transfer pricing matters, the release of a valuation allowance in the United Kingdom, and the remeasurement of state deferred taxes related to tax rate changes. These items that resulted in a higher effective tax rate in 2025 were partially offset by favorable state tax adjustments claimed on amended returns in 2025.

Our effective tax rate is impacted by earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interests as our consolidated income tax provision does not include a tax provision on the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interests. Our effective tax rate for 2025 of 19.7%, which is based on pre-tax income of $2.24 billion, would be 3.5 percentage points higher, or 23.2%, if based on pre-tax income exclusive of the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interests of $343 million. Our effective tax rate for 2024 of 16.2%, which is based on pre-tax income of $1.76 billion, would be 2.8 percentage points higher, or 19.0%, if based on pre-tax income exclusive of the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interests of $259 million.

See Note 10—Income Taxes for additional information.

Net Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests includes the net earnings attributable to the approximately 11% CHS minority equity interest in CFN, a subsidiary of CF Holdings, and the combined 60% equity interest owned by our joint venture partners in Blue Point Number One, LLC, a joint venture formed on April 8, 2025, that is a VIE of which we are the primary beneficiary.

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests increased $84 million, or 32%, to $343 million in 2025 compared to $259 million in 2024 due primarily to higher earnings of CFN driven by higher average selling prices and the impact of higher sales volume, partially offset by higher natural gas costs. In addition, the increase also reflects the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interests in the Blue Point joint venture, which was formed in the second quarter of 2025. See “Overview of CF Holdings—Our Strategy—Blue Point joint venture,” above, Note 14—Variable Interest Entity and Note 18—Noncontrolling Interests for additional information on the Blue Point joint venture.

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Diluted Net Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

Net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders increased 33% to $8.97 per diluted share in 2025 from $6.74 per diluted share in 2024. This increase was due primarily to higher net earnings driven by an increase in gross margin and lower weighted-average common shares outstanding. Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding declined 10% from 180.7 million shares for 2024 to 162.2 million shares for 2025, due primarily to repurchases of common shares under our share repurchase programs.

Operating Results by Business Segment

Our reportable segments consist of Ammonia, Granular Urea, UAN, AN and Other. These segments are differentiated by products. Our management uses gross margin to evaluate segment performance and allocate resources. Total other operating costs and expenses (consisting primarily of selling, general and administrative expenses and other operating—net) and non-operating expenses (consisting primarily of interest and income taxes), are centrally managed and are not included in the measurement of segment profitability reviewed by management. See Note 21—Segment Disclosures for additional information.

The following table presents summary operating results by business segment:

AmmoniaGranular Urea(1)UAN(1)AN(1)Other(1)Consolidated
(in millions)
Year ended December 31, 2025
Net sales$2,176$1,781$2,161$421$545$7,084
Cost of sales1,4949441,2403423404,360
Gross margin$682$837$921$79$205$2,724
Gross margin percentage31.3%47.0%42.6%18.8%37.6%38.5%
Year ended December 31, 2024
Net sales$1,736$1,600$1,678$419$503$5,936
Cost of sales1,2439261,0693403023,880
Gross margin$493$674$609$79$201$2,056
Gross margin percentage28.4%42.1%36.3%18.9%40.0%34.6%
Year ended December 31, 2023
Net sales$1,679$1,823$2,068$497$564$6,631
Cost of sales1,1381,0101,2513593284,086
Gross margin$541$813$817$138$236$2,545
Gross margin percentage32.2%44.6%39.5%27.8%41.8%38.4%

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(1)The cost of ammonia and other products that are upgraded in the production of Granular Urea, UAN, AN and Other products is transferred at cost into the results of those products.

The following is a discussion and analysis of our operating results by business segment for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. For a discussion and analysis of our operating results by business segment for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 20, 2025.

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Ammonia Segment

Our Ammonia segment produces anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which is the base product that we manufacture, containing 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. The results of our Ammonia segment consist of sales of ammonia to external customers for its nitrogen content as a fertilizer, in emissions control and in other industrial applications. In addition, we upgrade ammonia into other nitrogen products such as granular urea, UAN and AN.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Ammonia segment:

Year ended December 31,
2025202420232025 v. 20242024 v. 2023
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$2,176$1,736$1,679$44025%$573%
Cost of sales1,4941,2431,13825120%1059%
Gross margin$682$493$541$18938%$(48)(9)%
Gross margin percentage31.3%28.4%32.2%2.9%(3.8)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)4,5974,0853,54651213%53915%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)3,7703,3492,90842113%44115%
Average selling price per product ton$473$425$473$4811%$(48)(10)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$577$518$577$5911%$(59)(10)%
Gross margin per product ton$148$121$153$2722%$(32)(21)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$181$147$186$3423%$(39)(21)%
Depreciation and amortization$249$239$171$104%$6840%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$2$(13)$(11)$15N/M$(2)(18)%

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Ammonia represents 82% nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2024

Net Sales. Net sales in our Ammonia segment increased by $440 million, or 25%, to $2.18 billion in 2025 from $1.74 billion in 2024. The increase in our net sales reflects a 13% increase in sales volume, and an 11% increase in average selling prices. Ammonia sales volume in 2025 was 4.6 million tons, an increase of 13% compared to 4.1 million tons in 2024. The increase in sales volume was due primarily to higher supply availability as a result of increased production in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024, which was adversely impacted by production outages from a winter storm.

Average selling prices increased to $473 per ton in 2025 compared to $425 per ton in 2024 due primarily to strong global nitrogen demand and supply disruptions due to geopolitical issues, including unexpected production outages in Egypt, Iran and Russia.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Ammonia segment averaged $325 per ton in 2025, a 7% increase from $304 per ton in 2024. The increase was due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, partially offset by lower costs for maintenance activity in 2025 compared to 2024, which included higher costs for maintenance, repairs and certain unabsorbed fixed costs as a result of plant downtime, including the impact of the adverse weather in the first quarter of 2024 as discussed above.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Ammonia segment increased by $189 million, or 38%, to $682 million in 2025 from $493 million in 2024, and our gross margin percentage was 31.3% in 2025 compared to 28.4% in 2024. The increase in gross margin was due primarily to an 11% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $246 million, and an increase in sales volume, which increased gross margin by $118 million. These factors that increased gross margin were partially offset by the impact of higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which decreased gross margin by $111 million, and a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which decreased gross margin by $49 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $2 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2025 compared to a $13 million gain in 2024.

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Granular Urea Segment

Our Granular Urea segment produces granular urea, which contains 46% nitrogen. Produced from ammonia and carbon dioxide, it has the highest nitrogen content of any of our solid nitrogen fertilizers. Granular urea is produced at our Donaldsonville, Port Neal and Medicine Hat complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Granular Urea segment:

Year ended December 31,
2025202420232025 v. 20242024 v. 2023
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$1,781$1,600$1,823$18111%$(223)(12)%
Cost of sales9449261,010182%(84)(8)%
Gross margin$837$674$813$16324%$(139)(17)%
Gross margin percentage47.0%42.1%44.6%4.9%(2.5)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)4,1094,5224,570(413)(9)%(48)(1)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)1,8902,0802,102(190)(9)%(22)(1)%
Average selling price per product ton$433$354$399$7922%$(45)(11)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$942$769$867$17322%$(98)(11)%
Gross margin per product ton$204$149$178$5537%$(29)(16)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$443$324$387$11937%$(63)(16)%
Depreciation and amortization$253$284$285$(31)(11)%$(1)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$1$(9)$(11)$10N/M$218%

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Granular urea represents 46% nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2024

Net Sales. Net sales in our Granular Urea segment increased $181 million, or 11%, to $1.78 billion in 2025 compared to $1.60 billion in 2024 due primarily to a 22% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by a 9% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $433 per ton in 2025 compared to $354 per ton in 2024 due primarily to strong global nitrogen demand and supply disruptions due to geopolitical issues, including unexpected production outages in Egypt, Iran and Russia. Sales volume in 2025 was 4.1 million tons, a decrease of 9% compared to 4.5 million tons in 2024 due primarily to decreased supply availability as a result of lower production due to management’s decision to favor UAN production over granular urea and lower beginning inventory entering 2025.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Granular Urea segment averaged $229 per ton in 2025, a 12% increase from $205 per ton in 2024, due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Granular Urea segment increased by $163 million, or 24%, to $837 million in 2025 from $674 million in 2024, and our gross margin percentage was 47.0% in 2025 compared to 42.1% in 2024. The increase in gross margin was due primarily to a 22% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $315 million. This increase in gross margin was partially offset by higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which decreased gross margin by $79 million, a 9% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $60 million, and a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which decreased gross margin by $3 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $1 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2025 compared to a $9 million gain in 2024.

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UAN Segment

Our UAN segment produces urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN). UAN, a liquid fertilizer product with a nitrogen content that typically ranges from 28% to 32%, is produced by combining urea and ammonium nitrate. UAN is produced at our Courtright, Donaldsonville, Port Neal, Verdigris, Woodward, and Yazoo City complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our UAN segment:

Year ended December 31,
2025202420232025 v. 20242024 v. 2023
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$2,161$1,678$2,068$48329%$(390)(19)%
Cost of sales1,2401,0691,25117116%(182)(15)%
Gross margin$921$609$817$31251%$(208)(25)%
Gross margin percentage42.6%36.3%39.5%6.3%(3.2)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)6,9476,7717,2371763%(466)(6)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)2,1992,1422,283573%(141)(6)%
Average selling price per product ton$311$248$286$6325%$(38)(13)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$983$783$906$20026%$(123)(14)%
Gross margin per product ton$133$90$113$4348%$(23)(20)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$419$284$358$13548%$(74)(21)%
Depreciation and amortization$265$268$288$(3)(1)%$(20)(7)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$2$(10)$(11)$12N/M$19%

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)UAN represents between 28% and 32% of nitrogen content, depending on the concentration specified by the customer. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2024

Net Sales. Net sales in our UAN segment increased $483 million, or 29%, to $2.16 billion in 2025 compared to $1.68 billion in 2024 due primarily to a 25% increase in average selling prices and a 3% increase in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $311 per ton in 2025 compared to $248 per ton in 2024 due primarily to strong global nitrogen demand and supply disruptions due to geopolitical issues, including unexpected production outages in Egypt, Iran and Russia. The increase in sales volume was due primarily to higher supply availability as a result of higher production in 2025 compared to 2024 and inventory drawdown to meet strong domestic and international demand in the second quarter of 2025.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our UAN segment averaged $178 per ton in 2025, a 13% increase from $158 per ton in 2024, due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our UAN segment increased by $312 million, or 51%, to $921 million in 2025 from $609 million in 2024, and our gross margin percentage was 42.6% in 2025 compared to 36.3% in 2024. The increase in gross margin was due primarily to a 25% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $424 million, and a 3% increase in sales volume, which increased gross margin by $33 million. These factors that increased gross margin were partially offset by higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which decreased gross margin by $99 million, and a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which decreased gross margin by $34 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $2 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2025 compared to a $10 million gain in 2024.

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AN Segment

Our AN segment produces ammonium nitrate (AN). AN, which has a nitrogen content between 29% and 35%, is produced by combining anhydrous ammonia and nitric acid. AN is used as nitrogen fertilizer and is also used extensively by the commercial explosives industry as a component of explosives. AN is produced at our Yazoo City and Billingham complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our AN segment:

Year ended December 31,
2025202420232025 v. 20242024 v. 2023
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$421$419$497$2%$(78)(16)%
Cost of sales34234035921%(19)(5)%
Gross margin$79$79$138$%$(59)(43)%
Gross margin percentage18.8%18.9%27.8%(0.1)%(8.9)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)1,3271,4641,571(137)(9)%(107)(7)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)457501538(44)(9)%(37)(7)%
Average selling price per product ton$317$286$316$3111%$(30)(9)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$921$836$924$8510%$(88)(10)%
Gross margin per product ton$60$54$88$611%$(34)(39)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$173$158$257$159%$(99)(39)%
Depreciation and amortization$33$39$48$(6)(15)%$(9)(19)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives$$(1)$(2)$1100%$150%

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(1)AN represents between 29% and 35% of nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Yazoo City Incident

In November 2025, we experienced an incident in the AN upgrade area at our Yazoo City complex. The facility’s ammonia plant and other upgrade units were not damaged by the incident. However, the incident required us to temporarily idle all production at the site. Management is conducting an investigation into the cause of the incident and determining the required equipment and installation timeline to rebuild. Management does not expect production to resume until the fourth quarter of 2026 at the earliest based on time required for fabrication and delivery of certain required equipment. See “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Yazoo City Incident,” above, for additional information. The Yazoo City incident does not impact AN production at our Billingham complex.

Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2024

Net Sales. Net sales in our AN segment increased $2 million to $421 million in 2025 from $419 million in 2024 due primarily to an 11% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by a 9% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $317 per ton in 2025 compared to $286 per ton in 2024 due primarily to strong global nitrogen demand and supply disruptions due to geopolitical issues, including unexpected production outages in Egypt, Iran and Russia. Sales volume decreased due primarily to lower supply availability due to lower production in 2025 as a result of the incident at our Yazoo City complex described above.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our AN segment averaged $257 per ton in 2025, an 11% increase from $232 per ton in 2024. The increase was due primarily to (i) costs incurred due to the idling of the Yazoo City plant, (ii) a higher proportion of AN sales in the United Kingdom compared to the prior year, which include higher costs per ton due to purchasing ammonia for upgrade to AN compared to the cost of natural gas used to produce ammonia, and (iii) higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, for our North American operations.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our AN segment was $79 million in both 2025 and 2024, and our gross margin percentage was 18.8% in 2025 compared to 18.9% in 2024. An 11% increase in average selling prices increased gross margin by $35 million. This increase in gross margin was offset by a 9% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $16 million, higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which decreased gross margin by $11 million, a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which decreased gross margin by $7 million, and the impact of a $1 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2024 that did not recur in 2025.

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Other Segment

Our Other segment primarily includes the following products:

•diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), an aqueous urea solution typically made with 32.5% or 50% high-purity urea and the remainder deionized water;

•urea liquor, a liquid product that we sell in concentrations of 40%, 50% and 70% high-purity urea as a chemical intermediate; and

•nitric acid, a nitrogen-based mineral acid that is used in the production of nitrate-based fertilizers, nylon precursors and other specialty chemicals.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Other segment:

Year ended December 31,
2025202420232025 v. 20242024 v. 2023
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$545$503$564$428%$(61)(11)%
Cost of sales3403023283813%(26)(8)%
Gross margin$205$201$236$42%$(35)(15)%
Gross margin percentage37.6%40.0%41.8%(2.4)%(1.8)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)2,0772,1012,206(24)(1)%(105)(5)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)41841143472%(23)(5)%
Average selling price per product ton$262$239$256$2310%$(17)(7)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$1,304$1,224$1,300$807%$(76)(6)%
Gross margin per product ton$99$96$107$33%$(11)(10)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$490$489$544$1%$(55)(10)%
Depreciation and amortization$65$61$64$47%$(3)(5)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives$$(2)$(4)$2100%$250%

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(1)Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2025 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2024

Net Sales. Net sales in our Other segment increased $42 million, or 8%, to $545 million in 2025 from $503 million in 2024 due primarily to a 10% increase in average selling prices. Average selling prices increased to $262 per ton in 2025 compared to $239 per ton in 2024 due primarily to strong global nitrogen demand and supply disruptions due to geopolitical issues, including unexpected production outages in Egypt, Iran and Russia.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Other segment averaged $163 per ton in 2025, a 14% increase from $143 per ton in 2024, due primarily to the impact of higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, and costs incurred due to the idling of the Yazoo City plant. See “AN Segment—Yazoo City Incident,” above, for additional information.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Other segment increased by $4 million, or 2%, to $205 million in 2025 from $201 million in 2024, and our gross margin percentage was 37.6% in 2025 compared to 40.0% in 2024. The increase in gross margin was due primarily to a 10% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $44 million. This increase in gross margin was partially offset by a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which decreased gross margin by $22 million, and higher realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which decreased gross margin by $16 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $2 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2024 that did not recur in 2025.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary uses of cash are generally for operating costs, working capital, capital expenditures, debt service, investments, taxes, share repurchases, dividends, and our clean energy initiatives. Our working capital requirements are affected by several factors, including demand for our products, selling prices, the level of customer advances, raw material costs, freight costs and seasonal factors inherent in the business. We may also utilize our cash to fund acquisitions. In addition, we may from time to time seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases, in open market or privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

Generally, our primary source of cash is cash from operations, which includes cash generated by customer advances. We may also from time to time access the capital markets or engage in borrowings under our revolving credit agreement.

On September 4, 2025, CF Holdings and CF Industries entered into the First Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement (the Revolving Credit Agreement), which amended and restated our senior unsecured revolving credit facility that was scheduled to mature October 26, 2028 (the Prior Credit Agreement). The Revolving Credit Agreement provides for revolving credit facility commitments of up to $750 million with a maturity of September 4, 2030. See “Debt—Revolving Credit Agreement,” below, for additional information.

On November 26, 2025, CF Industries issued $1 billion aggregate principal amount of the 2035 Notes. The net proceeds, after deducting discounts and offering expenses, from the issuance and sale of the 2035 Notes were approximately $989 million. On December 26, 2025, in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2026 Notes, we used approximately $756 million of the net proceeds for the prepayment (including payment of a make-whole amount of $4 million and accrued interest of $2 million) in full of the outstanding $750 million aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes. See “Debt—Senior Notes,” below, for additional information.

At December 31, 2025, we were in compliance with all applicable covenant requirements under the Revolving Credit Agreement and senior notes, and unused borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Agreement was $750 million.

As of December 31, 2025, our cash and cash equivalents balance was $1.98 billion, an increase of $368 million from $1.61 billion at December 31, 2024, and consisted of the following:

December 31, 2025December 31, 2024
(in millions)
Cash and cash equivalents, excluding amounts related to Blue Point Number One, LLC$1,852$1,614
Cash and cash equivalents held by—Blue Point Number One, LLC130
Total cash and cash equivalents$1,982$1,614

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents include highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash with original maturities of three months or less. Under our short-term investment policy, we may invest our cash balances, either directly or through mutual funds, in several types of investment-grade securities, including notes and bonds issued by governmental entities or corporations. Securities issued by governmental entities include those issued directly by the U.S. and Canadian federal governments; those issued by state, local or other governmental entities; and those guaranteed by entities affiliated with governmental entities.

Blue Point Joint Venture

On April 8, 2025, we formed the Blue Point joint venture with JERA and Mitsui to construct a low-carbon ammonia production facility at our Blue Point complex located in Modeste, Louisiana. We hold 40% ownership, JERA holds 35% ownership, and Mitsui holds 25% ownership in the Blue Point joint venture. Under the terms of the Blue Point joint venture’s limited liability company agreement, JERA had a conditional option that, if the specified condition were met, JERA could reduce its ownership percentage below 35% but not lower than 20%. We would have had the right and obligation to increase our ownership by the same amount had JERA opted to reduce its ownership. The option expired and is no longer exercisable.

The Blue Point joint venture is expected to construct an ATR ammonia production facility with a CO2 dehydration and compression unit to prepare captured CO2 for transportation and sequestration. Engineering, equipment procurement and pre-construction activities at our Blue Point complex began in the second quarter of 2025. Construction of the ammonia production facility is expected to begin in 2026, with low-carbon ammonia production expected to begin in 2029.

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We estimate that the cost of the low-carbon ATR ammonia production facility with CCS technologies will be approximately $3.7 billion. We anticipate that approximately one-third of the estimated cost is related to materials that will be imported to the United States, with the majority of imported materials expected to arrive in Louisiana in 2028. Pursuant to periodic capital calls, the Blue Point joint venture members will fund the cost of the facility’s engineering, procurement and construction according to their respective ownership percentages. During 2025, we, JERA and Mitsui made capital contributions of $195 million, $170 million and $121 million, respectively, to the Blue Point joint venture. We funded $152 million of our contributions with cash and $43 million through a non-cash contribution of a license to use certain intellectual property.

In June 2025, the Blue Point joint venture executed agreements, including a long-term supply agreement, with a subsidiary of Linde plc for them to design, construct, own, operate and maintain an air separation unit (ASU) at our Blue Point complex to supply oxygen and nitrogen to the low-carbon ATR ammonia production facility. Thus, our estimate of the cost of the low-carbon ATR ammonia production facility of $3.7 billion, as noted above, excludes the costs to construct an ASU.

In addition, we plan to invest approximately $550 million to build scalable infrastructure at our Blue Point complex to supply the ammonia production facility with services, including product storage and vessel loading. This infrastructure will be constructed with a similar timeline as the ammonia production facility noted above.

See “Overview of CF Holdings—Our Strategy—Blue Point joint venture,” above, and Note 14—Variable Interest Entity, for additional information on the Blue Point joint venture.

Capital Spending

We make capital expenditures to sustain our asset base, increase our capacity or capabilities, improve plant efficiency, comply with various environmental, health and safety requirements, and invest in our clean energy strategy. Capital expenditures totaled $950 million in 2025 compared to $518 million in 2024, and consisted of the following:

December 31, 2025December 31, 2024
(in millions)
Existing operations$620$507
Blue Point joint venture(1)307
Blue Point complex scalable infrastructure9
Capitalized interest1411
Total capital expenditures$950$518

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(1)Amounts represent 100% of the Blue Point joint venture capital spending, of which 60% is funded by our joint venture partners through capital contributions to the joint venture. See “Overview of CF Holdings—Our Strategy—Blue Point joint venture,” above, and Note 14—Variable Interest Entity, for additional information on the Blue Point joint venture.

The Blue Point joint venture is consolidated in our financial statements, including our statements of cash flows. We currently anticipate that our consolidated capital expenditures for 2026 to be approximately $1.3 billion, consisting of approximately $550 million for our existing operations and approximately $600 million representing the Blue Point joint venture’s planned capital expenditures related to construction of the low-carbon ATR ammonia production facility at our Blue Point complex. Also, we anticipate our 2026 capital spending will include approximately $150 million related to our construction of the Blue Point complex scalable infrastructure.

Of the Blue Point joint venture’s $600 million of planned 2026 capital expenditures, approximately $240 million will be funded by us, representing our 40% equity interest in the Blue Point joint venture, and approximately $360 million will be funded by our partners in the joint venture, representing their combined 60% equity interest in the Blue Point joint venture.

For 2026, we anticipate that our capital expenditures will be funded primarily from available cash, including cash from operations, in addition to contributions received from our Blue Point joint venture partners pursuant to periodic capital calls as discussed under “Blue Point Joint Venture, ” above.

Planned capital expenditures are generally subject to change due to delays in regulatory approvals or permitting, unanticipated increases in cost, changes in scope and completion time, engineering and construction change orders, performance of third parties, delays in the receipt of equipment, adverse weather, defects in materials and workmanship, labor or material shortages, impact of tariffs, retaliatory measures or other changes in trade policy, transportation constraints, acceleration or delays in the timing of the work and other unforeseen difficulties. Any of these changes in planned capital

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expenditures, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material impact on our results of operations and cash flows. See “—Forward-Looking Statements” for additional risks related to our planned capital expenditures.

Share Repurchase Programs

Our Board of Directors (the Board) has authorized certain programs to repurchase shares of our common stock. These programs have generally permitted repurchases to be made from time to time in the open market, through privately-negotiated transactions, through block transactions, through accelerated share repurchase programs or otherwise. The manner, timing and amount of repurchases will be determined by our management based on the evaluation of market conditions, stock price and other factors.

On November 2, 2022, the Board authorized the repurchase of up to $3 billion of CF Holdings common stock, which commenced in the second quarter of 2023 upon completion of our previous share repurchase program and was effective through December 31, 2025 (the 2022 Share Repurchase Program). On May 6, 2025, the Board authorized the repurchase of up to $2 billion of CF Holdings common stock commencing upon the completion of the 2022 Share Repurchase Program and effective through December 31, 2029 (the 2025 Share Repurchase Program). In October 2025, we completed the 2022 Share Repurchase Program and commenced repurchases under the 2025 Share Repurchase Program.

The following table summarizes the share repurchases under the 2025 Share Repurchase Program and the 2022 Share Repurchase Program.

2025 Share Repurchase Program2022 Share Repurchase Program
SharesAmounts(1)SharesAmounts(1)
(in millions)
Shares repurchased in 2023$5.6$425
Shares repurchased in 2024$18.8$1,513
Shares repurchased in 2025:
First quarter$5.4$434
Second quarter2.8202
Third quarter4.3364
Fourth quarter3.42780.762
Total shares repurchased in 20253.4$27813.2$1,062
Shares repurchased as of December 31, 20253.4$27837.6$3,000

_____________________________________________________________________________

(1)As defined in the share repurchase programs, amounts reflect the price paid for the shares of common stock repurchased, excluding commissions paid to brokers and excise taxes.

In 2025, we completed the 2022 Share Repurchase Program with the repurchase of 13.2 million shares for $1.06 billion, and we repurchased 3.4 million shares under the 2025 Share Repurchase Program for $278 million. In 2025, we retired 17.1 million shares of repurchased stock, including shares repurchased under the 2022 Share Repurchase Program and the 2025 Share Repurchase Program. In 2024, we retired 18.7 million shares of repurchased stock. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we held zero shares and 0.4 million shares, of treasury stock, respectively.

Government Policies

The policies or laws of governments around the world can result in the imposition of taxes, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or regulatory requirements on imports and exports of raw materials, finished goods or services from a particular country or region of the world. The policies and laws of governments can also impact the subsidization of natural gas prices, and subsidies or quotas applied to domestic producers or farmers. Due to the critical role that fertilizers play in food production, the construction and operation of fertilizer plants often are influenced by economic, political and social objectives. Additionally, the import or export of fertilizer can be subject to local taxes imposed by governments which can have the effect of either encouraging or discouraging import and export activity. The impact of changes in governmental policies or laws or the political or social objectives of a country could have a material impact on fertilizer demand and selling prices and therefore could impact our liquidity. In addition, political leadership, including the current U.S. presidential administration and regulatory leadership, have proposed, and may propose further, policy, regulatory, and enforcement changes, which are and may continue to be subject to administrative and judicial challenges, that create additional uncertainty for our business.

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Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter

In the third quarter of 2024, we were informed that the CRA granted one of our Canadian subsidiaries discretionary interest relief for certain tax years from 2006 through 2011, which were previously settled through arbitration proceedings between the United States and Canadian competent authorities. In the fourth quarter of 2024, we received interest relief from the CRA consisting of interest refunds of $21 million and related interest of $2 million, and we were informed that the Alberta TRA granted us discretionary interest relief in parallel with the CRA relief. The interest relief from the Alberta TRA was estimated to be approximately $16 million, consisting of interest refunds of $15 million and related interest of $1 million, based on estimates and foreign currency exchange rates as of December 31, 2024. During the fourth quarter of 2025, the Alberta TRA finalized interest relief owed to the Company, which was applied as credits to our account and is available to offset future income tax owed to the Alberta TRA.

Repatriation of Foreign Earnings and Income Taxes

We have operations in Canada, the United Kingdom and a 50% interest in a joint venture in Trinidad. Historically, the estimated additional U.S. and foreign income taxes due upon repatriation of the earnings of these foreign operations to the United States were recognized in our consolidated financial statements as the earnings were recognized, unless the earnings were considered to be permanently reinvested based upon our then current plans. However, the cash payment of the income tax liabilities associated with repatriation of earnings from foreign operations occurred at the time of the repatriation. As a result, the recognition of income tax expense related to foreign earnings, as applicable, and the payment of taxes resulting from repatriation of those earnings could occur in different periods.

In light of changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, commencing with the 2018 tax year, the United States no longer taxes earnings of foreign subsidiaries even when such earnings are earned or repatriated to the United States, unless such earnings are subject to U.S. rules on passive income or certain anti-abuse provisions. Foreign subsidiary earnings may still be subject to withholding taxes when repatriated to the United States.

Cash balances held by our joint venture are maintained at sufficient levels to fund local operations as accumulated earnings are repatriated from the joint venture on a periodic basis.

As of December 31, 2025, approximately $555 million of our consolidated cash and cash equivalents balance of $1.98 billion was held by our Canadian and United Kingdom subsidiaries. The Company does not have an indefinite reinvestment assertion in any of our foreign subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2025, we recorded a deferred tax liability of $21 million on the undistributed earnings of our Canadian subsidiaries.

Debt

Revolving Credit Agreement

On September 4, 2025, CF Holdings and CF Industries entered into the First Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement (the Revolving Credit Agreement), which amended and restated the Prior Credit Agreement. The Revolving Credit Agreement provides for revolving credit facility commitments of up to $750 million with a maturity of September 4, 2030, and has a letter of credit sub-limit of $125 million and a swingline loan sub-limit of $75 million. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement may be used for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, share repurchases and other general corporate purposes. CF Industries is the lead borrower, and CF Holdings is the sole guarantor, under the Revolving Credit Agreement. CF Industries may designate as borrowers one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries that are organized in the United States or any state thereof, the District of Columbia, England and Wales or any other jurisdiction as mutually agreed to by all of the lenders party to the Revolving Credit Agreement and the administrative agent.

Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement can be denominated in U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, euros and British pounds. Borrowings in U.S. dollars bear interest at an annual rate equal to, at our option, an applicable adjusted term secured overnight financing rate (or a similar benchmark rate for non-U.S. dollar borrowings) plus a specified margin, or base rate plus a specified margin. We are required to pay a commitment fee on the undrawn portion of the commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement and customary letter of credit fees. The specified margins and the amount of the commitment fee will depend on CF Holdings’ credit rating at the time.

The Revolving Credit Agreement contains representations and warranties and affirmative and negative covenants, including one financial covenant. The financial covenant requires the total net leverage ratio (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) to be no greater than 3.75:1.00 (or 4.25:1.00 for a period of four fiscal quarters after certain material acquisitions) as of the last day of each fiscal quarter.

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The Revolving Credit Agreement contains events of default (with notice requirements and cure periods, as applicable) customary for a financing of this type, including, but not limited to, non-payment of principal, interest or fees; inaccuracy of representations and warranties in any material respect; and failure to comply with specified covenants. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an event of default under the Revolving Credit Agreement and after any applicable cure period, subject to specified exceptions, the administrative agent may, and at the request of the requisite lenders is required to, accelerate the loans under the Revolving Credit Agreement or terminate the lenders’ commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

As of December 31, 2025, we were in compliance with all covenants under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

As of December 31, 2025, we had unused borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Agreement of $750 million and no outstanding letters of credit under the Revolving Credit Agreement. In addition, there were no borrowings outstanding under the Prior Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2024, or during the years ended December 31, 2025 or 2024.

Letters of Credit Under Reimbursement Agreement

We are party to a reimbursement agreement providing for the issuance of up to $425 million of letters of credit. As of December 31, 2025, approximately $339 million of letters of credit were outstanding under this agreement. The primary purpose of the letters of credit outstanding is to provide credit support to Canadian taxing authorities for amounts related to certain tax years that were reassessed and objected to, and which have been accepted for consideration under the bilateral settlement provisions of the U.S.-Canada tax treaty by the United States and Canadian competent authorities.

Senior Notes

Long-term debt presented on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 consisted of the following debt securities issued by CF Industries:

Effective Interest RateDecember 31, 2025December 31, 2024
Principal OutstandingCarrying Amount(1)Principal OutstandingCarrying Amount(1)
(in millions)
Public Senior Notes:
5.150% due March 20345.293%$750$743$750$742
5.300% due November 20355.444%1,000989
4.950% due June 20435.040%750742750742
5.375% due March 20445.478%750741750741
Senior Secured Notes:
4.500% due December 2026(2)4.783%750746
Total long-term debt$3,250$3,215$3,000$2,971

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)Carrying amount is net of unamortized debt discount and deferred debt issuance costs. Total unamortized debt discount was $5 million and $6 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and total deferred debt issuance costs were $30 million and $23 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

(2)Effective August 23, 2021, these notes were no longer secured, in accordance with the terms of the applicable indenture.

On November 26, 2025, CF Industries issued $1 billion aggregate principal amount of the 2035 Notes, which are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by CF Holdings. The net proceeds, after deducting discounts and offering expenses, from the issuance and sale of the 2035 Notes were approximately $989 million. On December 26, 2025, we used approximately $756 million of the net proceeds to redeem in full the outstanding $750 million aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $6 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $750 million principal amount of the 2026 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity. We intend that the remainder of the net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes.

Pursuant to Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X and Rule 12h-5 of the Exchange Act, subsidiary issuers of obligations guaranteed by their parent company are not required to provide separate financial statements, provided that the subsidiary obligor is consolidated into such parent company’s consolidated financial statements, such related guarantee is “full and unconditional” and, subject to certain exceptions as set forth below, the alternative disclosure required by Rule 13-01 is provided, which includes narrative disclosure and summarized financial information. CF Holdings owns substantially all of its assets and conducts substantially all of its operations through CF Industries, and CF Industries is consolidated into CF Holdings’ financial statements. Our Public Senior Notes either meet the conditions of this requirement or are otherwise not

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required to be presented. Accordingly, separate consolidated financial statements of CF Industries have not been presented.

Furthermore, as permitted under Rule 13-01(a)(4)(vi) of Regulation S-X, summarized financial information for CF Industries has been excluded because the assets, liabilities and results of operations of CF Industries are not materially different than the corresponding amounts in CF Holdings’ consolidated financial statements incorporated by reference herein, and because management believes such summarized financial information would not be material for investors.

Under the indentures (including the applicable supplemental indentures) governing our senior notes due 2034, 2035, 2043 and 2044 identified in the table above (the Public Senior Notes), each series of Public Senior Notes is guaranteed by CF Holdings. Interest on the Public Senior Notes is payable semiannually, and the Public Senior Notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at specified make-whole redemption prices.

The indentures governing the Public Senior Notes contain covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries, including CF Industries, to incur liens on certain assets to secure debt, to engage in sale and leaseback transactions, to merge or consolidate with other entities and to sell, lease or transfer all or substantially all of the assets of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries to another entity. Each of the indentures governing the Public Senior Notes provides for customary events of default, which include (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), among others, nonpayment of principal or interest on the applicable Public Senior Notes; failure to comply with other covenants or agreements under the indenture; certain defaults on other indebtedness; the failure of CF Holdings’ guarantee of the applicable Public Senior Notes to be enforceable; and specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency. Under each indenture governing the Public Senior Notes, in the case of an event of default arising from one of the specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency, the applicable Public Senior Notes would become due and payable immediately, and, in the case of any other event of default (other than an event of default related to CF Industries’ and CF Holdings’ reporting obligations), the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the applicable Public Senior Notes then outstanding may declare all of such Public Senior Notes to be due and payable immediately.

Under each of the indentures governing the Public Senior Notes, specified changes of control involving CF Holdings or CF Industries, when accompanied by a ratings downgrade, as defined with respect to the applicable series of Public Senior Notes, constitute change of control repurchase events. Upon the occurrence of a change of control repurchase event with respect to a series of Public Senior Notes, unless CF Industries has exercised its option to redeem such Public Senior Notes, CF Industries will be required to offer to repurchase them at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of repurchase.

Forward Sales and Customer Advances

We offer our customers the opportunity to purchase products from us on a forward basis at prices and on delivery dates we propose. Therefore, our reported fertilizer selling prices and margins may differ from market spot prices and margins available at the time of shipment.

Customer advances, which typically represent a portion of the contract’s value, are received shortly after the contract is executed, with any remaining unpaid amount generally being collected by the time control transfers to the customer, thereby reducing or eliminating the accounts receivable related to such sales. Any cash payments received in advance from customers in connection with forward sales contracts are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as a current liability until control transfers and revenue is recognized. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we had $77 million and $118 million, respectively, in customer advances on our consolidated balance sheets.

While customer advances are generally a significant source of liquidity, the level of forward sales contracts is affected by many factors, including current market conditions, our customers’ outlook of future market fundamentals and seasonality. During periods of declining prices, customers tend to delay purchasing fertilizer in anticipation that prices in the future will be lower than the current prices. If the level of sales under our forward sales programs were to decrease in the future, our cash received from customer advances would likely decrease and our accounts receivable balances would likely increase. Additionally, borrowing under the Revolving Credit Agreement could become necessary. Due to the volatility inherent in our business and changing customer expectations, we cannot estimate the amount of future forward sales activity.

Under our forward sales programs, a customer may delay delivery of an order due to weather conditions or other factors. These delays generally subject the customer to potential charges for storage or may be grounds for termination of the contract by us. Such a delay in scheduled shipment or termination of a forward sales contract due to a customer’s inability or unwillingness to perform may negatively impact our reported sales.

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Natural Gas

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce our nitrogen products. Natural gas is both a chemical feedstock and a fuel used to produce nitrogen products. Natural gas is the largest and most volatile component of the manufacturing cost for our nitrogen products, representing approximately 34% of our total production costs in 2025. As a result of these factors, natural gas prices have a significant impact on our operating expenses and can thus affect our liquidity. Natural gas costs in our cost of sales, including the impact of realized natural gas derivatives, increased 38% to $3.31 per MMBtu in 2025 from $2.40 per MMBtu in 2024.

We enter into agreements for a portion of our future natural gas supply and related transportation. As of December 31, 2025, our natural gas purchase agreements have terms that range from five months to five years and a total minimum commitment of approximately $2.87 billion, and our natural gas transportation agreements have terms that range from one to five years and a total minimum commitment of approximately $254 million. Our minimum commitments to purchase and transport natural gas are based on prevailing market-based forward prices excluding reductions for plant maintenance and turnaround activities.

All of our ammonia manufacturing plants are located in the United States and Canada. As a result, the price of natural gas in North America directly impacts a substantial portion of our operating expenses. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2025, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America, reached a low of $1.23 per MMBtu on four consecutive days in November 2024 and a high of $12.97 per MMBtu on four consecutive days in January 2024.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in prices for natural gas that will be purchased in the future. Natural gas is the largest and most volatile component of our manufacturing cost for nitrogen-based products. From time to time, we may also use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Volatility in reported quarterly earnings can result from the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments in the value of the derivatives. In 2025, we recognized an unrealized net mark-to-market loss of $5 million compared to a gain of $35 million in 2024, which is reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations.

Derivatives expose us to counterparties and the risks associated with their ability to meet the terms of the contracts. For derivatives that are in net asset positions, we are exposed to credit loss from nonperformance by the counterparties. We control our credit risk through the use of multiple counterparties that are multinational commercial banks, other major financial institutions or large energy companies, and the use of International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) master netting arrangements. The ISDA agreements are master netting arrangements commonly used for over-the-counter derivatives that mitigate exposure to counterparty credit risk, in part, by creating contractual rights of netting and setoff, the specifics of which vary from agreement to agreement.

The ISDA agreements for most of our derivative instruments contain credit-risk-related contingent features, such as cross default provisions. In the event of certain defaults or termination events, our counterparties may request early termination and net settlement of certain derivative trades or may require us to collateralize derivatives in a net liability position. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the aggregate fair value of the derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features in net liability positions was $4 million and zero, respectively, which also approximates the fair value of the assets that may be needed to settle the obligations if the credit-risk-related contingent features were triggered at the reporting dates.

As of December 31, 2025, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas basis swaps for 13.5 million MMBtus. As of December 31, 2024, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas fixed price swaps and basis swaps for 16.0 million MMBtus. At both December 31, 2025 and 2024, we had no cash collateral on deposit with counterparties for derivative contracts. The credit support documents executed in connection with certain of our ISDA agreements generally provide us and our counterparties the right to set off collateral against amounts owing under the ISDA agreements upon the occurrence of a default or a specified termination event.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans

In the fourth quarter of 2025, pursuant to the implementation of our retirement plan strategy for our Canadian and U.K. pension plans, we entered into agreements with insurance companies to purchase non-participating group buy-in annuity contracts (buy-in contracts), and for one of our Canadian plans, a non-participating group buy-out annuity contract that transferred the majority of the plan’s projected benefit obligation to the insurance company. While the buy-in contracts did not transfer the projected benefit obligations to the insurance companies, they were structured to align with the projected benefits

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for each of the plans and are held as pension trust assets. As a result of these transactions, we do not expect to have significant required contributions for our Canadian or U.K. pension plans.

As a result of the planned windup of our U.S. pension plan with an effective termination date of December 31, 2025, we expect to contribute approximately $9 million to this plan in 2026, representing the estimated plan termination liability.

We contributed $2 million to our pension plans in 2025. See Note 11—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits for additional information.

Distributions to Noncontrolling Interests in CFN

The CFN Board of Managers approved semi-annual distribution payments for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, in accordance with CFN’s limited liability company agreement, as follows:

Approved and paidDistribution PeriodDistribution Amount (in millions)
First quarter of 2026Six months ended December 31, 2025$201
Third quarter of 2025Six months ended June 30, 2025175
First quarter of 2025Six months ended December 31, 2024129
Third quarter of 2024Six months ended June 30, 2024164
First quarter of 2024Six months ended December 31, 2023144
Third quarter of 2023Six months ended June 30, 2023204

Cash Flows

Net cash provided by operating activities in 2025 was $2.75 billion, an increase of $481 million compared to $2.27 billion in 2024. The increase in cash flow from operations was due primarily to an increase in gross margin, driven by increased average selling prices and higher sales volume, partially offset by higher natural gas costs. During 2025, net changes in working capital also impacted cash flow from operations by contributing $200 million less toward net cash from operations in 2025 than in 2024. These changes primarily occurred in changes in accounts receivable and inventories.

Net cash used in investing activities was $933 million in 2025 compared to $469 million in 2024, or an increase of $464 million. During 2025, capital expenditures totaled $950 million compared to $518 million in 2024. Our capital expenditures for 2025 included $307 million related to the Blue Point joint venture.

Net cash used in financing activities was $1.48 billion in 2025 compared to $2.21 billion in 2024. In 2025, we received proceeds of approximately $999 million, net of discounts, from the issuance of the 2035 Notes, which were used to fund the prepayment of the $750 million of 2026 Notes and the related make-whole payment of $4 million. In addition, the decrease in net cash used in financing activities was due primarily to contributions from noncontrolling interests in 2025 of $291 million, a decrease in share repurchases in 2025 compared to 2024, and a decrease in dividends paid on common stock in 2025 compared to 2024 due to lower shares outstanding as a result of common shares repurchased under our share repurchase programs. In 2025, we paid $1.37 billion for share repurchases compared to $1.51 billion for share repurchases in 2024. In 2025, dividends paid on common stock were $326 million in 2025 compared to $364 million in 2024.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP). U.S. GAAP requires that we select policies and make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates. We base our estimates on historical experience, technological assessment, opinions of appropriate outside experts, and the most recent information available to us. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Changes in estimates that may have a material impact on our results are discussed in the context of the underlying financial statements to which they relate. The following discussion presents information about our most critical accounting estimates.

Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets, Goodwill and Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate

We review the carrying values of our property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets, including our finite-lived intangible assets, goodwill and our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate in accordance with U.S. GAAP in order to assess recoverability. Factors that we must estimate when performing impairment tests include production and sales volumes, selling

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prices, raw material costs, operating rates, operating expenses, inflation, discount rates, exchange rates, tax rates, capital spending and the impact that future market dynamics and geopolitical events could have on these factors. Judgment is involved in estimating each of these factors, which include inherent uncertainties. The factors we use are consistent with those used in our internal planning process. The recoverability of the values associated with our goodwill, long-lived assets and our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate is dependent upon future operating performance of the specific businesses to which they are attributed. Certain of the operating assumptions are particularly sensitive to the cyclical nature of the fertilizer industry. Adverse changes in demand for our products, increases in supply and the availability and costs of key raw materials could significantly affect the results of our review.

The recoverability and impairment tests of long-lived assets are required only when conditions exist that indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. For goodwill, impairment tests are required at least annually, or more frequently whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate is reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that its carrying value may not be recoverable. When circumstances indicate that the fair value of our investment is less than its carrying value, and the reduction in value is other than temporary, the reduction in value would be recognized immediately in earnings.

We evaluate goodwill for impairment in the fourth quarter at the reporting unit level. Our evaluation generally begins with a qualitative assessment of the factors that could impact the significant inputs used to estimate fair value. If after performing the qualitative assessment, we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill, then no further analysis is necessary. However, if it is unclear based on the results of the qualitative test, we perform a quantitative test, which involves comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. We use an income-based valuation method, determining the present value of future cash flows, to estimate the fair value of a reporting unit. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, no further testing is necessary. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, goodwill impairment would be recognized equal to the amount of the carrying value in excess of the reporting unit’s fair value, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.

We review property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets at the asset group level in order to assess recoverability based on expected future undiscounted cash flows. If the sum of the expected future net undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying value, an impairment loss would be recognized. The impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived assets.

In November 2025, we experienced an incident in the AN upgrade area at our Yazoo City complex that required us to temporarily idle all production at the site. As a result of the damage incurred and based on estimates and assumptions of a preliminary review of the impact, we recorded an impairment of certain fixed assets within our North American AN asset group of $25 million. We concluded that the incident necessitated evaluations of the long-lived assets within our North American AN asset group and the goodwill allocated to our North American AN reporting unit to determine if their fair value had declined to below their carrying value. The results of our long-lived asset impairment test indicated that there was no additional impairment, and the results of our goodwill impairment test concluded that the goodwill allocated to our North American AN reporting unit was not impaired. See Note 6—Property, Plant and Equipment—Net and Note 7—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for additional information.

PLNL is our joint venture investment in Trinidad and operates an ammonia plant that relies on natural gas supplied, under a gas sales contract (the NGC Contract), by The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC). The joint venture is accounted for under the equity method. From time to time, the PLNL joint venture has experienced curtailments in the supply of natural gas from NGC, which has reduced the ammonia production at PLNL.

In the third quarter of 2023, PLNL entered into the NGC Contract, which replaced the previous gas sales contract that PLNL had with NGC. Due to the terms of the NGC Contract, in the third quarter of 2023, we assessed our investment in PLNL for impairment and determined that the carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL exceeded its fair value. As a result, we recorded an impairment of our equity method investment in PLNL of $43 million, which is reflected in equity in earnings (loss) of operating affiliate in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023.

The NGC Contract was scheduled to expire on January 1, 2026. NGC and PLNL have entered into short-term extension letter agreements that provide for the continued supply of gas while the parties seek to negotiate terms and conditions for a new gas sales contract for 2026. Any NGC commitment to supply gas is dependent on mutual agreement of such terms and conditions between NGC and PLNL. Furthermore, any NGC commitment to supply gas beyond 2026 would require further negotiations between NGC and PLNL.

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If NGC does not make sufficient quantities of natural gas available to PLNL at prices and terms that permit profitable operations, PLNL may cease operating its facility, which would trigger an impairment assessment of our remaining investment in PLNL. The carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL at December 31, 2025 was $32 million.

Projected Benefit Obligations

The projected benefit obligations (PBOs) for our defined benefit pension plans are affected by plan design, actuarial estimates and discount rates. Key assumptions that affect our PBO are discount rates and, in addition for our United Kingdom plans, inflation rates, including an adjusted U.K. retail price index (RPI).

Given the derisking activities resulting from a revision to our retirement plan strategy, including the plan terminations of two of the North American pension plans effective December 31, 2025, and the purchase of a buy-out annuity contract in the fourth quarter of 2025 that transferred approximately 94% of the other North American pension plan’s liability to an insurance company, the key assumptions used to value the PBO of our North American plans as of December 31, 2025, were not considered critical accounting estimates.

For our United Kingdom plans, the December 31, 2025 PBO was computed based on a weighted-average discount rate of 5.5% for our United Kingdom plans, which was based on yields for high-quality (AA rated or better) fixed income debt securities that match the timing and amounts of expected benefit payments as of the measurement date of December 31, 2025. Declines in comparable bond yields would increase our PBO. For our United Kingdom plans, the 2.8% RPI used to calculate our PBO is developed using a U.K. government gilt prices only retail price inflation curve, which is based on the difference between yields on fixed interest government bonds and index-linked government bonds.

For our United Kingdom pension plans, our PBO was $335 million as of December 31, 2025, which was $22 million lower than pension plan assets. The table below estimates the impact of a 50 basis point increase or decrease in the key assumptions on our December 31, 2025 PBO for our United Kingdom pension plans:

Increase/(Decrease) in December 31, 2025 PBO
United Kingdom Plans
Assumption+50 bps-50 bps
(in millions)
Discount Rate$(17)$18
RPI9(9)

See Note 11—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits for further discussion of our pension plans.

Income Taxes

We are subject to the income tax laws of the many jurisdictions in which we operate, and we recognize expense, assets and liabilities based on estimates of amounts that ultimately will be determined to be taxable or deductible in tax returns filed in various jurisdictions. These tax laws are complex, and how they apply to our facts is sometimes open to interpretation. We recognize the effect of income tax positions only if sustaining those positions is more likely than not. Tax positions that meet the more likely than not recognition threshold but are not highly certain are measured based on the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement with the taxing authority. Differences in interpretation of the tax laws and regulations, including negotiations with taxing authorities in various jurisdictions and resolution of disputes arising from federal, state and international tax audits, can result in differences in taxes paid, which may be higher or lower than our estimates. The judgments made at a point in time may change from previous conclusions based on the outcome of tax audits, as well as changes to, or further interpretations of, tax laws and regulations, and these changes could significantly impact the provision for income taxes, the amount of taxes payable and the deferred tax asset and liability balances. We adjust our income tax provision in the period in which these changes occur. As of December 31, 2025, we have recorded a reserve for unrecognized tax benefits, including penalties and interest, of $357 million.

We also engage in a significant amount of cross-border transactions. The taxability of cross-border transactions has received an increasing level of scrutiny among regulators across the globe, including the jurisdictions in which we operate. The tax rules and regulations of the various jurisdictions in which we operate are complex, and in many cases, there is not symmetry between the rules of the various jurisdictions. As a result, there are instances where regulators within the jurisdictions involved in a cross-border transaction may reach different conclusions regarding the taxability of the transaction in their respective jurisdictions based on the same set of facts and circumstances. We work closely with regulators to reach a common understanding and conclusion regarding the taxability of cross-border transactions.

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 3—New Accounting Standards for a discussion of 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: 0001324404-25-000006.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2025-02-20. Report date: 2024-12-31.

ITEM 7.    MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. All references to “CF Holdings,” “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” refer to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, except where the context makes clear that the reference is to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. only and not its subsidiaries. All references to “CF Industries” refer to CF Industries, Inc., a 100% owned subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. References to tons refer to short tons. Notes referenced in this discussion and analysis refer to the notes to consolidated financial statements that are found in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data—Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. For a discussion and analysis of the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 22, 2024. The following is an outline of the discussion and analysis included herein:

•Overview of CF Holdings

•Market Conditions

•Financial Executive Summary

•Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility

•Items Affecting Comparability of Results

•Consolidated Results of Operations

•Operating Results by Business Segment

•Liquidity and Capital Resources

•Critical Accounting Estimates

•Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Overview of CF Holdings

Our Company

Our mission is to provide clean energy to feed and fuel the world sustainably. With our employees focused on safe and reliable operations, environmental stewardship, and disciplined capital and corporate management, we are on a path to decarbonize our ammonia production network – the world’s largest – to enable low-carbon hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities. Our manufacturing complexes in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, an extensive storage, transportation and distribution network in North America, and logistics capabilities enabling a global reach underpin our strategy to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy. Our principal customers are cooperatives, retailers, independent fertilizer distributors, traders, wholesalers and industrial users. Our core product is anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which contains 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. Products derived from ammonia that are most often used as nitrogen fertilizers include granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN) and ammonium nitrate (AN). AN is also used extensively by the commercial explosives industry as a component of explosives. Products derived from ammonia that are sold primarily to industrial customers include diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), urea liquor, nitric acid and aqua ammonia.

Our principal assets as of December 31, 2024 include:

•six U.S. manufacturing facilities, located in Donaldsonville, Louisiana (the largest ammonia production complex in the world); Sergeant Bluff, Iowa (our Port Neal complex); Yazoo City, Mississippi; Claremore, Oklahoma (our Verdigris complex); Woodward, Oklahoma; and Waggaman, Louisiana. The Waggaman facility is wholly owned by us, and the other five U.S. manufacturing facilities are wholly owned directly or indirectly by CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC (CFN), of which we own approximately 89% and CHS Inc. (CHS) owns the remainder (see Note 19—Noncontrolling Interest for additional information on our strategic venture with CHS);

•two Canadian manufacturing facilities, located in Medicine Hat, Alberta (the largest ammonia production complex in Canada) and Courtright, Ontario;

•a United Kingdom manufacturing facility located in Billingham;

•an extensive system of terminals and associated transportation equipment located primarily in the Midwestern United States; and

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•a 50% interest in Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited (PLNL), an ammonia production joint venture located in Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad) that we account for under the equity method.

Our Strategy

At our core, CF Industries is a producer of ammonia. We use the Haber-Bosch process to fix atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen from natural gas to produce anhydrous ammonia, whose chemical composition is NH3. We sell the ammonia itself or upgrade it to products such as granular urea, UAN and DEF. A majority of the ammonia and ammonia-derived products we manufacture are used as fertilizer, as the nitrogen content provides energy essential for crop growth. Other important uses of our products include emissions control.

Our strategy is to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy. We believe this strategy builds upon our leadership in ammonia production to capture emerging opportunities to produce ammonia with a lower carbon intensity (“low-carbon ammonia”) than that of ammonia produced through traditional processes. These opportunities include traditional applications in agriculture to help reduce the carbon footprint of food production and the life cycle carbon intensity of ethanol production, enabling production of sustainable aviation fuel, among other purposes. These opportunities also include new growth opportunities from energy-intensive industries, such as power generation and marine shipping, as ammonia represents an efficient mechanism to both ship and store hydrogen, as well as a clean energy fuel source in its own right as ammonia does not contain or emit carbon when combusted. Our strategy also strengthens our existing business.

We execute our strategy across four dimensions:

•decarbonizing our existing network to accelerate the availability of low-carbon ammonia and upgraded nitrogen products for traditional agricultural and industrial applications;

•evaluating new low-carbon ammonia capacity growth to supply emerging opportunities from power generation and marine shipping, among others;

•forging partnerships to accelerate our timeline, reducing risks and bridging gaps in areas where we do not have expertise; and

•collaborating to build understanding of ammonia’s clean energy capability, safety track record and regulatory environment.

At our Donaldsonville and Yazoo City complexes, our decarbonization projects are leveraging carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) to enable us to convert a portion of our existing ammonia production to low-carbon ammonia. CCS requires the construction of carbon dioxide (CO2) dehydration and compression units to enable process CO2 captured from the ammonia production process to be transported and sequestered, which prevents approximately 60% of the CO2 generated by ammonia production from being emitted to the atmosphere. Construction of the dehydration and compression unit at our Donaldsonville complex is in advanced stages, with an estimated total cost of approximately $200 million over the life of the project. Construction of the dehydration and compression unit at our Yazoo City complex is expected to cost approximately $100 million over the life of the project. For each facility we have contracted with ExxonMobil to transport and sequester the captured CO2 in permanent geologic storage. At Donaldsonville, CCS is expected to commence in 2025 and annually will sequester up to approximately 2 million metric tons of CO2 that would otherwise have been emitted to the atmosphere. At Yazoo City, CCS is expected to commence in 2028 and annually will sequester up to approximately 500,000 metric tons of CO2 that would otherwise have been emitted to the atmosphere. Each project is expected to qualify under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code for tax credits per metric ton of sequestered CO2.

Decarbonization projects in our existing network also include our electrolyzer project at our Donaldsonville complex to produce ammonia with hydrogen sourced from an electrolysis process that produces no CO2 emissions. Commissioning of the 20-megawatt alkaline water electrolysis plant to produce hydrogen was suspended due to an issue experienced in the fourth quarter of 2024. Upon identification and remediation of the issue, we expect to resume commissioning activities. At full electrolyzer capacity, we will be able to produce approximately 20,000 tons of low-carbon ammonia per year.

Our decarbonization projects also include front-end engineering and design (FEED) studies to inform our evaluation of whether, and how best, to invest in export-oriented, low-carbon ammonia capacity at our Blue Point complex in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, to supply developing clean energy markets and traditional ammonia markets where demand for low-carbon product is emerging.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, we received results from a FEED study evaluating the use of autothermal reforming (ATR) ammonia production technology alongside CCS to enable the production of low-carbon ammonia. ATR technology, when combined with CCS to capture and sequester process CO2 emissions, is expected to reduce CO2 emissions from the ammonia

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production process by more than 90% compared to conventional ammonia plants. The FEED study results estimate the costs of a project with these attributes to be approximately $4 billion for the approximately 1.4 million metric ton capacity greenfield ATR ammonia facility and CCS technologies. Additionally, we estimate approximately $500 million would be required for the scalable common infrastructure for our Blue Point complex, such as ammonia storage and a vessel loading dock.

We have entered into joint development agreements (JDAs) with two potential partners, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and JERA Co., Inc. for the development of the greenfield low-carbon ammonia capacity. Our evaluation includes assessing whether the ammonia production technology under consideration will satisfy carbon intensity and other requirements for potential end users. Should a positive final investment decision (FID) be reached to construct greenfield low-carbon ammonia capacity at our Blue Point complex, construction and commissioning is expected to take approximately four years from a positive FID.

In addition to discussions with existing customers who have interest in using low-carbon ammonia for traditional applications, we are engaged in discussions regarding the supply of low-carbon ammonia for new applications. We are evaluating and are in various stages of discussions with other companies for long-term offtake and/or potential joint investments related to new and traditional applications for low-carbon ammonia. These discussions continue to advance as we gain greater clarity regarding demand for low-carbon ammonia, including associated carbon intensity requirements, government incentives and regulatory developments.

Industry Factors

We operate in a highly competitive, global industry. Our operating results are influenced by a broad range of factors, including those outlined below.

Global Supply and Demand Factors

Our products are global commodities or derived from global commodities and are subject to price competition. The customers for our products make their purchasing decisions principally on the basis of delivered price and, to a lesser extent, on reliability, customer service and product quality. The selling prices of our products fluctuate in response to global market conditions, changes in supply and demand and cost factors.

Historically, global fertilizer demand has been driven primarily by population growth, gross domestic product growth, changes in dietary habits, planted acreage, and application rates, among other things. We expect these key variables to continue to have major impacts on long-term fertilizer demand for the foreseeable future. Short-term fertilizer demand growth may depend on global economic conditions, farm sector income, weather patterns, the level of global grain stocks relative to consumption, fertilizer application rates, and governmental regulations, including fertilizer subsidies or requirements mandating increased use of bio-fuels or industrial nitrogen products, such as DEF. Geopolitical factors such as temporary disruptions in fertilizer trade related to government intervention, shipping delays and/or cost increases resulting from regional conflicts or changes in the buying/selling patterns of key exporting/consuming countries, including China, India, Russia and Brazil, among others, often play a major role in shaping near-term market fundamentals. The economics of nitrogen-based fertilizer manufacturing play a key role in decisions to increase or reduce production capacity. Supply of fertilizers is generally driven by available capacity and operating rates, raw material costs and availability, government policies and global trade. Raw materials are dependent on energy sources such as natural gas or coal; therefore, supply costs are affected by the supply of and demand for those commodities.

Global Trade in Fertilizer

Profitability of our products within a particular geographic region is determined not only by the relationship between global supply and demand, but also by the supply/demand balance within that region. Regional supply and demand can be influenced significantly by factors affecting trade within regions. Some of these factors include the relative cost to produce and deliver product, relative currency values, the availability of credit, agricultural supply and demand, industrial product demand and policies such as emissions abatement, government support for manufacturers or purchasers and governmental nitrogen product trade policies, including the imposition of duties, tariffs or quotas, that affect foreign trade or investment. Government energy or carbon policies may also affect regional nitrogen supply and demand. The development of additional natural gas reserves in North America has decreased natural gas costs in North America relative to the rest of the world, making North American nitrogen fertilizer producers more competitive. Changes in currency values may also alter our cost competitiveness relative to producers in other regions of the world.

The North American nitrogen fertilizer market for certain products is dependent on imports to balance supply and demand, and imports traditionally account for a significant portion of nitrogen fertilizer products consumed in North America. Producers of nitrogen-based fertilizers located in the Middle East, Trinidad, Africa and Russia have been major exporters to North America in recent years.

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Farmers’ Economics

The demand for fertilizer is affected by the aggregate crop planting decisions and fertilizer application rate decisions of individual farmers. Individual farmers make planting decisions based largely on prospective profitability of a harvest, while the specific varieties and amounts of fertilizer they apply depend on factors like their current liquidity, soil conditions, weather patterns, crop and fertilizer prices, fertilizer products used and timing of applications, expected yields and the types of crops planted.

Market Conditions

Nitrogen Selling Prices and Sales Volume

Our nitrogen products are globally traded commodities with selling prices that fluctuate in response to global market conditions, changes in supply and demand, and other cost factors including domestic and local conditions. Intense global competition—reflected in import volumes and prices—strongly influences delivered prices for nitrogen fertilizers. In general, the prevailing global prices for nitrogen products must be at a level to incent the high-cost marginal producer to produce product at a breakeven or above price, or else they would cease production and leave a portion of global demand unsatisfied.

Average selling prices for all of our major products were lower in 2024 than in 2023, as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand. The average selling price for our products was $313 per ton in 2024 compared to $347 per ton in 2023. The 10% decrease in the average selling price for our products in 2024 compared to 2023 resulted in a year-over-year decrease in net sales of approximately $716 million.

Our total sales volume was 1% lower in 2024 than in 2023, due primarily to lower sales volume in our UAN, AN and Other segments, partially offset by higher sales volume in our Ammonia segment as a result of the Waggaman acquisition on December 1, 2023. We shipped 18.9 million tons of product in 2024 compared to 19.1 million tons in 2023.

In January 2024, a winter storm produced extremely cold temperatures that impacted our operations, including the temporary shut-down and lost production at certain of our plants. Due to the impact of plant downtime resulting from the adverse weather and additional plant maintenance activity in the first quarter of 2024, we purchased and resold approximately 62,000 tons of ammonia and 48,000 tons of granular urea at near breakeven margins in order to fulfill sales commitments. The plant downtime led to approximately $75 million of additional costs in the first quarter of 2024 for maintenance, repairs and certain unabsorbed fixed costs.

The acquisition of the Waggaman ammonia production facility closed on December 1, 2023, and therefore provided incremental net sales in the first eleven months of 2024. As a result, the Waggaman acquisition increased our 2024 sales volume by 644,000 tons and increased our net sales by $249 million due to the incremental eleven months of ownership compared to 2023.

Sales volume for our products in 2024, 2023 and 2022 is shown in the table below.

202420232022
Sales Volume (tons)Net SalesSales Volume (tons)Net SalesSales Volume (tons)Net Sales
(tons in thousands; dollars in millions)
Ammonia4,085$1,7363,546$1,6793,300$3,090
Granular Urea4,5221,6004,5701,8234,5722,892
UAN6,7711,6787,2372,0686,7883,572
AN1,4644191,5714971,594845
Other(1)2,1015032,2065642,077787
Total18,943$5,93619,130$6,63118,331$11,186

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)Other segment products primarily include DEF, urea liquor, nitric acid and aqua ammonia.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce our nitrogen products. Natural gas is both a chemical feedstock and a fuel used to produce nitrogen products. Natural gas is a significant cost component of our manufactured nitrogen products, representing approximately 28% and 40%, respectively, of our production costs in 2024 and 2023. Most of our

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manufacturing facilities are located in the United States and Canada. As a result, the price of natural gas in North America directly impacts a substantial portion of our operating expenses.

In the first quarter of 2024, warmer-than-normal average temperatures in North America drove lower heating demand for natural gas, in spite of a short-lived period of extremely cold temperatures in January 2024 that affected most of North America. North American natural gas supply remained strong through the quarter, with a decline in supply occurring near the end of the quarter as producers responded to a weaker price environment. In addition, although the higher cost for natural gas outside of North America incentivized liquefaction facilities in the United States to export domestic natural gas during the first quarter of 2024, an outage at the Freeport liquefied natural gas facility limited total gas exports, supporting domestic supply.

During the second quarter of 2024, there was a decline in natural gas supply as producers responded to a weaker price environment, limiting the domestic supply available to be injected into storage during the quarter. In addition, natural gas demand for power generation reached record levels in the second quarter of 2024 as higher-than-normal temperatures drove increased cooling demand.

In the third quarter of 2024, the decline in natural gas supply continued as producers curtailed production in response to low natural gas prices. Natural gas demand from the power generation sector set records despite increased solar and wind generation, as low natural gas prices increased demand for gas-fired power. Liquefied natural gas exports were steady through the quarter as delays on commissioning of new facilities and maintenance activities at existing plants held exports at levels reached during the second quarter of 2024. Natural gas in storage remained above historical levels despite continued below-average injections into storage during the third quarter.

During the fourth quarter of 2024, natural gas supply increased as producers responded to higher prices by restarting previously curtailed production. After a warm start to the quarter, December temperatures turned colder-than-normal, raising demand for heat and power generation. Liquefied natural gas exports increased to the highest level of the year due to strong global demand for natural gas and the startup of a new liquefaction facility in the U.S. Gulf. The higher demand decreased the storage surplus compared to historical levels. The average daily market price of natural gas at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America, was $4.25 per MMBtu for the period from January 1, 2025 through February 14, 2025.

The following table presents the average daily market price of natural gas at the Henry Hub for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:

Year ended December 31,
2024202320222024 v. 20232023 v. 2022
Average daily market price of natural gas Henry Hub (Louisiana)$2.25$2.53$6.38$(0.28)(11)%$(3.85)(60)%

The total cost of natural gas used for production at our manufacturing facilities, which includes the impact of realized natural gas derivatives, decreased 35% to $2.40 per MMBtu in 2024 from $3.67 per MMBtu in 2023. The decrease in natural gas costs in 2024 as compared to 2023 resulted in an increase in gross margin of approximately $436 million, excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition.

Financial Executive Summary

We reported net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $1.22 billion in 2024 compared to $1.53 billion in 2023, a decrease in net earnings of 20%, or $307 million. The decrease in net earnings primarily reflects a decrease in gross margin partially offset by a lower income tax provision and a decrease in net earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest.

Gross margin decreased by $489 million, or 19%, to $2.06 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $2.55 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in gross margin was due primarily to a 10% decrease in average selling prices to $313 per ton in 2024 from $347 per ton in 2023, which decreased gross margin by $716 million, excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, and a decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $123 million, excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition. These factors that decreased gross margin were partially offset by (i) lower natural gas costs, which increased gross margin by $436 million, excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, and (ii) the impact of the Waggaman acquisition completed on December 1, 2023, which increased our 2024 gross margin by $57 million due to the incremental eleven months of ownership compared to 2023.

Lower gross margin was partially offset by a decrease in the income tax provision of $125 million due primarily to lower pre-tax earnings in 2024 and a decrease of $54 million in net earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest.

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Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders decreased $1.13 per share, to $6.74 per share in 2024 compared to $7.87 per share in 2023 due primarily to lower net earnings, partially offset by lower weighted-average common shares outstanding as a result of shares repurchased under our share repurchase programs. Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding were 180.7 million shares for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of 7% compared to diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding of 193.8 million shares for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility

On December 1, 2023, we acquired an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana from Dyno Nobel Louisiana Ammonia, LLC (DNLA), a U.S. subsidiary of Australia-based Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL), pursuant to an asset purchase agreement with DNLA and IPL. The facility has a nameplate production capacity of 880,000 tons of ammonia annually. Our acquisition of the Waggaman facility expanded our ammonia manufacturing and distribution capacity.

In connection with the acquisition, we entered into a long-term ammonia offtake agreement providing for us to supply up to 200,000 tons of ammonia per year to IPL’s Dyno Nobel, Inc. subsidiary. Under the terms of the asset purchase agreement, $425 million of the purchase price of $1.675 billion, subject to adjustment, was allocated by the parties to the ammonia offtake agreement. We funded the balance of the initial purchase price on the acquisition date with $1.223 billion of cash on hand.

The consideration transferred on the acquisition date reflected an estimated net working capital adjustment and other adjustments to the purchase price, which was subject to further adjustment pursuant to the terms of the asset purchase agreement. The purchase price adjustments required under the asset purchase agreement were finalized in the second quarter of 2024, which resulted in a $2 million reduction in the purchase price with a corresponding reduction in goodwill. As a result, the final purchase price was $1.221 billion.

In connection with recording the acquisition, we recognized, among other items, goodwill, intangible assets and a supply contract liability. See Note 6—Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility for additional information.

Items Affecting Comparability of Results

During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we reported net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $1.22 billion and $1.53 billion, respectively. In addition to the impact of market conditions and the acquisition of the Waggaman ammonia production facility discussed above, certain items affected the comparability of our financial results during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. The following table and related discussion outline these items and their impact on the comparability of our financial results for these periods. The descriptions of items below that refer to amounts in the table refer to the pre-tax amounts unless otherwise noted.

20242023
Pre-TaxAfter-Tax(1)Pre-TaxAfter-Tax(1)
(in millions)
Unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives(2)$(35)$(27)$(39)$(30)
Impact of employee benefit plan policy change(3)(16)(13)
U.K. operations restructuring108
Acquisition and integration costs433929
Impairment of equity method investment in PLNL(4)4332
Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter:
Interest expense (income)—net(5)(39)(38)

______________________________________________________________________________

(1)The tax impact is calculated utilizing a marginal effective rate of 23.6% and 23.5% in 2024 and 2023, respectively, except for acquisition and integration costs related to the Waggaman acquisition, which reflects a 24.0% and 26.2% marginal effective rate in 2024 and 2023, respectively.

(2)Included in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations.

(3)Included in cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statement of operations.

(4)Included in equity in earnings (loss) of operating affiliate in our consolidated statement of operations.

(5)Included in interest expense and interest income in our consolidated statement of operations.

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Unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives

Natural gas is the largest and most volatile single component of the manufacturing cost for our nitrogen-based products. At certain times, we have managed the risk of changes in natural gas prices through the use of derivative financial instruments. The derivatives that we use for this purpose are primarily natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options. We use natural gas derivatives as an economic hedge of natural gas price risk, but without the application of hedge accounting. This can result in volatility in reported earnings due to the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments that occur from changes in the value of the derivatives, which are reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations. In 2024 and 2023, we recognized unrealized net mark-to-market gains on natural gas derivatives of $35 million and $39 million, respectively.

Impact of employee benefit plan policy change

In 2024, we recognized income of $16 million pertaining to a policy change to an employee benefit plan that is included in both cost of sales and selling, general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statement of operations.

U.K. operations restructuring

In 2023, we recognized total charges of $10 million, consisting primarily of the recognition of an asset retirement obligation and post-employment benefits related to contractual and statutory obligations due to employees as a result of our approved plan to permanently close the ammonia plant at our Billingham complex.

Acquisition and integration costs

On December 1, 2023, we acquired an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana, as described above under “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility.” In 2024, we incurred approximately $4 million of integration costs related to the Waggaman acquisition. In 2023, we incurred $36 million of acquisition-related costs and $3 million of integration costs related to the Waggaman acquisition. These costs are included in acquisition and integration costs in our consolidated statements of operations.

Impairment of equity method investment in PLNL

PLNL, our joint venture in Trinidad, operates an ammonia plant that relies on natural gas supplied, under a gas sales contract (the NGC Contract), by The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC). The NGC Contract had an expiration date of September 2023. In the third quarter of 2023, PLNL entered into a new gas sales contract with NGC (the New NGC Contract), which is effective October 2023 through December 2025.

In the third quarter of 2023 and due to the terms of the New NGC Contract, we assessed our investment in PLNL for impairment and determined that the carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL exceeded its fair value. As a result, we recorded an impairment of our equity method investment in PLNL of $43 million, which is reflected in equity in earnings (loss) of operating affiliate in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter

In the second half of 2022, as a result of the conclusion of arbitration proceedings and the settlement provisions between the United States and Canadian competent authorities related to tax years 2006 through 2011, we paid additional income taxes and related interest of $124 million and $100 million, respectively, to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Alberta Tax and Revenue Administration (Alberta TRA). In the third quarter of 2024, we were informed that the CRA granted us discretionary interest relief for certain tax years from 2006 through 2011. In the fourth quarter of 2024, we received the CRA portion of the interest relief consisting of interest refunds of $21 million and related interest of $2 million. The interest relief from the Alberta TRA is estimated to be approximately $16 million, consisting of interest refunds of $15 million and related interest of $1 million, based on current estimates and foreign currency exchange rates as of December 31, 2024. As a result, in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024, we recognized $39 million of income consisting of a $36 million reduction in interest expense and $3 million of interest income.

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Consolidated Results of Operations

The following table presents our consolidated results of operations and certain supplemental data for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022:

Year ended December 31,
2024202320222024 v. 20232023 v. 2022
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$5,936$6,631$11,186$(695)(10)%$(4,555)(41)%
Cost of sales (COS)3,8804,0865,325(206)(5)%(1,239)(23)%
Gross margin2,0562,5455,861(489)(19)%(3,316)(57)%
Gross margin percentage34.6%38.4%52.4%(3.8)%(14.0)%
Selling, general and administrative expenses3202892903111%(1)%
U.K. long-lived and intangible asset impairment239%(239)(100)%
U.K. operations restructuring1019(10)(100)%(9)(47)%
Acquisition and integration costs439(35)(90)%39N/M
Other operating—net(10)(31)102168%(41)N/M
Total other operating costs and expenses31430755872%(251)(45)%
Equity in earnings (loss) of operating affiliate4(8)9412N/M(102)N/M
Operating earnings1,7462,2305,397(484)(22)%(3,167)(59)%
Interest expense121150344(29)(19)%(194)(56)%
Interest income(123)(158)(65)3522%(93)(143)%
Loss on debt extinguishment8%(8)(100)%
Other non-operating—net(14)(10)15(4)(40)%(25)N/M
Earnings before income taxes1,7622,2485,095(486)(22)%(2,847)(56)%
Income tax provision2854101,158(125)(30)%(748)(65)%
Net earnings1,4771,8383,937(361)(20)%(2,099)(53)%
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest259313591(54)(17)%(278)(47)%
Net earnings attributable to common stockholders$1,218$1,525$3,346$(307)(20)%$(1,821)(54)%
Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders$6.74$7.87$16.38$(1.13)(14)%$(8.51)(52)%
Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding180.7193.8204.2(13.1)(7)%(10.4)(5)%
Dividends declared per common share$2.00$1.60$1.50$0.4025%$0.107%
Natural gas supplemental data (per MMBtu)
Natural gas costs in COS(1)$2.28$3.26$7.16$(0.98)(30)%$(3.90)(54)%
Realized derivatives loss in COS(2)0.120.410.02(0.29)(71)%0.39N/M
Cost of natural gas used for production in COS$2.40$3.67$7.18$(1.27)(35)%$(3.51)(49)%
Average daily market price of natural gas Henry Hub (Louisiana)$2.25$2.53$6.38$(0.28)(11)%$(3.85)(60)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(35)$(39)$41$410%$(80)N/M
Depreciation and amortization$925$869$850$566%$192%
Capital expenditures$518$499$453$194%$4610%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)18,94319,13018,331(187)(1)%7994%
Production volume by product tons (000s):
Ammonia(3)9,8009,4969,8073043%(311)(3)%
Granular urea4,4044,5444,561(140)(3)%(17)%
UAN (32%)(4)6,7536,8526,706(99)(1)%1462%
AN1,3921,5201,517(128)(8)%3%

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______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Includes the cost of natural gas used for production and related transportation that is included in cost of sales during the period under the first-in, first-out inventory cost method.

(2)Includes realized gains and losses on natural gas derivatives settled during the period. Excludes unrealized mark-to-market gains and losses on natural gas derivatives.

(3)Gross ammonia production, including amounts subsequently upgraded on-site into granular urea, UAN, or AN.

(4)UAN product tons assume a 32% nitrogen content basis for production volume.

The following is a discussion and analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. For a discussion and analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024.

Net Sales

Our net sales are derived primarily from the sale of nitrogen products and are determined by the quantities of nitrogen products we sell and the selling prices we realize. The volumes, mix and selling prices we realize are determined to a great extent by a combination of global and regional supply and demand factors. Net sales also include shipping and handling costs that are billed to our customers. Sales incentives are reported as a reduction in net sales.

Our total net sales decreased $695 million, or 10%, to $5.94 billion in 2024 compared to $6.63 billion in 2023. The change in our net sales reflects (i) the impact of the Waggaman acquisition completed on December 1, 2023, which increased our net sales by $249 million, and (ii) a $944 million, or 14%, decline in our net sales excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, due to a 10% decrease in average selling prices and a 4% decrease in sales volume.

Our average selling price was $313 per ton in 2024 compared to $347 per ton in 2023, a decrease of 10%, due to lower average selling prices across all of our segments, as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand. The impact of lower average selling prices, excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, was a decrease in net sales of approximately $716 million for 2024 compared to 2023.

Our total sales volume of 18.9 million product tons in 2024 was 1% lower compared to 19.1 million product tons in 2023, due primarily to lower sales volume in our UAN, AN and Other segments, partially offset by higher sales volume in our Ammonia segment driven by the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, which increased our 2024 sales volume by 644,000 tons due to the incremental eleven months of ownership compared to 2023. Excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, the impact of lower sales volume was a decrease in net sales of approximately $228 million.

Gross ammonia production for 2024 increased to approximately 9.8 million tons compared to 9.5 million tons in 2023. We expect gross ammonia production for 2025 will be approximately 10 million tons.

Cost of Sales

Our cost of sales includes manufacturing costs, purchased product costs, distribution and storage costs, and freight. Manufacturing costs, the most significant element of cost of sales, consist primarily of raw materials, realized and unrealized gains and losses on natural gas derivatives, maintenance, direct labor, depreciation and other plant overhead expenses. Purchased product costs primarily include the cost to purchase nitrogen fertilizers to augment or replace production at our facilities. Distribution costs consist of the cost of freight required to transport finished products from our manufacturing facilities to our distribution facilities, which are recognized in cost of sales when the product is sold to our customers. Storage costs consist of costs incurred prior to final shipment to customers. Freight consists of shipping and handling costs incurred by us to deliver the product to our customer’s intended destination.

Our total cost of sales decreased $206 million, or 5%, to $3.88 billion in 2024 as compared to $4.09 billion in 2023. The decrease in our cost of sales primarily reflects lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives. The impact of lower realized natural gas costs decreased cost of sales by $436 million, excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition. The impact of lower realized natural gas costs was partially offset by higher costs for planned and unplanned maintenance and repair activities in 2024, including the impact of the adverse weather in January 2024, as discussed above under “Nitrogen Selling Prices and Sales Volume,” and the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, which increased our cost of sales by $192 million due to the incremental eleven months of ownership compared to 2023.

Cost of sales also includes the impact of a $35 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2024 compared to a $39 million gain in 2023.

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Cost of sales averaged $204 per ton in 2024, a 5% decrease from $214 per ton in 2023. Our cost of natural gas, including the impact of realized derivatives, decreased 35% to $2.40 per MMBtu in 2024 from $3.67 per MMBtu in 2023.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Our selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of corporate office expenses such as salaries and other payroll-related costs for our executive, administrative, legal, financial, IT, and sales functions, as well as certain taxes and insurance and other professional service fees, including those for corporate initiatives, and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $31 million to $320 million in 2024 compared to $289 million in 2023. The increase was due primarily to an increase of $21 million in amortization expense related to the customer relationships recognized in conjunction with the Waggaman acquisition on December 1, 2023, and an increase in costs related to certain corporate initiatives.

U.K. Operations Restructuring

In 2023, related to our U.K. operations, we recognized total charges of $10 million, consisting primarily of the recognition of an asset retirement obligation and post-employment benefits related to contractual and statutory obligations due to employees as a result of our approved plan to permanently close the ammonia plant at our Billingham complex. See Note 7—United Kingdom Operations Restructuring and Impairment Charges for further discussion of the Billingham ammonia plant closure.

Acquisition and Integration Costs

On December 1, 2023, we acquired an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana, as described above under “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility.” In 2024, we incurred $4 million of integration costs related to the Waggaman acquisition. In 2023, we incurred $36 million of acquisition-related costs and $3 million of integration costs.

Other Operating—Net

Other operating—net includes administrative costs that do not relate directly to our central operations and can include foreign currency transaction gains and losses, unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency derivatives, litigation expenses, gains and losses on the disposal of fixed assets and FEED study costs related to our clean energy initiatives.

Other operating—net was $10 million of income in 2024 compared to $31 million of income in 2023. In both 2024 and 2023, the income recognized consists primarily of gains on sales of emission credits, partially offset by FEED study costs for our clean energy initiatives. See “Our Strategy,” above, for additional information related to our clean energy initiatives.

Equity in Earnings (Loss) of Operating Affiliate

Equity in earnings (loss) of operating affiliate consists of our 50% ownership interest in PLNL. We include our share of the net earnings from our equity method investment in PLNL as an element of earnings from operations because this investment provides additional production and is integrated with our other supply chain and sales activities.

Equity in earnings (loss) of operating affiliate was $4 million of earnings in 2024 compared to an $8 million loss in 2023, which includes an impairment of our equity method investment in PLNL of $43 million recognized in the third quarter of 2023. See “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Impairment of equity method investment in PLNL,” above, for further discussion. Lower equity in earnings of operating affiliate in 2024 compared to 2023, excluding the impact from the impairment charge, primarily reflects a decrease in the operating results of PLNL as a result of a plant turnaround in the second quarter of 2024 at the PLNL facility in Trinidad, lower ammonia selling prices, higher natural gas costs and lower operating rates at PLNL due to lower availability of natural gas.

Interest Expense

Interest expense includes interest on our long-term debt, amortization of the related fees required to execute financing agreements, annual fees pursuant to our revolving credit agreement and interest on tax liabilities. Capitalized interest relating to the construction of major capital projects reduces interest expense as the interest is capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful lives of the related assets.

Interest expense was $121 million in 2024 compared to $150 million in 2023. The decrease of $29 million was due primarily to a reduction in interest on tax liabilities driven by a $36 million reduction in interest expense recognized in 2024 related to discretionary interest relief granted to us by Canadian taxing authorities that is further described above under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter.”

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Interest Income

Interest income includes amounts earned on our cash, cash equivalents, and investments and any interest earned related to income tax refunds.

Interest income was $123 million in 2024 compared to $158 million in 2023. The decrease of $35 million was due primarily to a $52 million decrease in interest income on short-term investments in 2024, partially offset by $3 million of interest income in 2024 related to discretionary interest relief that is further described above under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter.”

Income Tax Provision

Our income tax provision for 2024 was $285 million on pre-tax income of $1.76 billion, or an effective tax rate of 16.2%, compared to an income tax provision of $410 million on pre-tax income of $2.25 billion, or an effective tax rate of 18.3%, in 2023.

Our effective tax rate is impacted by earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest in CFN, as our consolidated income tax provision does not include a tax provision on the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest. Our effective tax rate for 2024 of 16.2%, which is based on pre-tax income of $1.76 billion, would be 2.8 percentage points higher, or 19.0%, if based on pre-tax income exclusive of the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $259 million. Our effective tax rate for 2023 of 18.3%, which is based on pre-tax income of $2.25 billion, would be 2.9 percentage points higher, or 21.2%, if based on pre-tax income exclusive of the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $313 million.

Both 2024 and 2023 were impacted by additional discrete tax items. See Note 12—Income Taxes for additional information.

Net Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest includes the net earnings attributable to the approximately 11% CHS minority equity interest in CFN, a subsidiary of CF Holdings.

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest decreased $54 million, or 17%, to $259 million in 2024 compared to $313 million in 2023 due to lower earnings of CFN driven by lower average selling prices as described above under “Net Sales,” partially offset by lower natural gas costs.

Diluted Net Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

Net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders decreased 14% to $6.74 per diluted share in 2024 from $7.87 per diluted share in 2023. This decrease was due primarily to a decrease in gross margin, driven by lower average selling prices, partially offset by lower natural gas costs. Lower gross margin was partially offset by a decrease in the income tax provision resulting from lower profitability and a decrease in net earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest. Additionally, diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding declined 7% from 193.8 million shares for 2023 to 180.7 million shares for 2024, due primarily to repurchases of common shares under our share repurchase programs.

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Operating Results by Business Segment

Our reportable segment structure reflects how our chief operating decision maker, as defined in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP), assesses the performance of our reportable segments and makes decisions about resource allocation. These segments are differentiated by products. Our management uses gross margin to evaluate segment performance and allocate resources. Total other operating costs and expenses (consisting primarily of selling, general and administrative expenses and other operating—net) and non-operating expenses (consisting primarily of interest and income taxes), are centrally managed and are not included in the measurement of segment profitability reviewed by management. The following table presents summary operating results by business segment:

Ammonia(1)Granular Urea(2)UAN(2)AN(2)Other(2)Consolidated
(in millions)
Year ended December 31, 2024
Net sales$1,736$1,600$1,678$419$503$5,936
Cost of sales1,2439261,0693403023,880
Gross margin$493$674$609$79$201$2,056
Gross margin percentage28.4%42.1%36.3%18.9%40.0%34.6%
Year ended December 31, 2023
Net sales$1,679$1,823$2,068$497$564$6,631
Cost of sales1,1381,0101,2513593284,086
Gross margin$541$813$817$138$236$2,545
Gross margin percentage32.2%44.6%39.5%27.8%41.8%38.4%
Year ended December 31, 2022
Net sales$3,090$2,892$3,572$845$787$11,186
Cost of sales1,4911,3281,4895974205,325
Gross margin$1,599$1,564$2,083$248$367$5,861
Gross margin percentage51.7%54.1%58.3%29.3%46.6%52.4%

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)The financial results of the Waggaman facility are included in the Ammonia segment from the Waggaman acquisition date of December 1, 2023. See “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility” for additional information.

(2)The cost of ammonia and other products that are upgraded in the production of Granular Urea, UAN, AN and Other products is transferred at cost into the results of those products.

The following is a discussion and analysis of our operating results by business segment for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. For a discussion and analysis of our operating results by business segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024.

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Ammonia Segment

Our Ammonia segment produces anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which is the base product that we manufacture, containing 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. The results of our Ammonia segment consist of sales of ammonia to external customers for its nitrogen content as a fertilizer, in emissions control and in other industrial applications. In addition, we upgrade ammonia into other nitrogen products such as granular urea, UAN and AN.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Ammonia segment:

Year ended December 31,
2024(1)2023(1)20222024 v. 20232023 v. 2022
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$1,736$1,679$3,090$573%$(1,411)(46)%
Cost of sales1,2431,1381,4911059%(353)(24)%
Gross margin$493$541$1,599$(48)(9)%$(1,058)(66)%
Gross margin percentage28.4%32.2%51.7%(3.8)%(19.5)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)4,0853,5463,30053915%2467%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(2)3,3492,9082,70744115%2017%
Average selling price per product ton$425$473$936$(48)(10)%$(463)(49)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(2)$518$577$1,141$(59)(10)%$(564)(49)%
Gross margin per product ton$121$153$485$(32)(21)%$(332)(68)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(2)$147$186$591$(39)(21)%$(405)(69)%
Depreciation and amortization$239$171$166$6840%$53%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(13)$(11)$13$(2)(18)%$(24)N/M

_______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)The financial results of the Waggaman facility are included in the Ammonia segment from the Waggaman acquisition date of December 1, 2023. See “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility” for additional information.

(2)Ammonia represents 82% nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Net Sales. Net sales in our Ammonia segment increased by $57 million, or 3%, to $1.74 billion in 2024 from $1.68 billion in 2023. The increase in our net sales reflects a 15% increase in sales volume, including the impact of the Waggaman acquisition completed on December 1, 2023, partially offset by a 10% decrease in average selling prices. Average selling prices decreased to $425 per ton in 2024 compared to $473 per ton in 2023 as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand.

In January 2024, a winter storm produced extremely cold temperatures that impacted our operations, including the temporary shut-down of certain of our plants. As a result of the adverse weather, we incurred additional maintenance costs in the first quarter of 2024. Due to the impact of plant downtime resulting from the adverse weather and additional plant maintenance activity in the first quarter of 2024, we purchased and resold 62,000 tons of ammonia at near breakeven margins in order to fulfill sales commitments.

Ammonia sales volume in 2024 was 4.1 million tons, an increase of 15% compared to 3.5 million tons in 2023. The increase in sales volume reflects both the impact of the Waggaman acquisition completed on December 1, 2023, which increased our ammonia sales volume in 2024 by 644,000 tons due to the incremental eleven months of ownership compared to 2023, and 62,000 tons of ammonia purchased and resold as described above, partially offset by lower demand due to lower spring ammonia applications in North America compared to the prior year as a result of unfavorable weather.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Ammonia segment averaged $304 per ton in 2024, a 5% decrease from $320 per ton in 2023. The decrease was due primarily to lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, partially offset by higher costs for maintenance, repairs and certain unabsorbed fixed costs as a result of plant downtime, including the impact of the adverse weather in January 2024 as discussed above. The impact of the Waggaman acquisition on our cost of sales per ton in our Ammonia segment was not material.

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Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Ammonia segment decreased by $48 million, or 9%, to $493 million in 2024 from $541 million in 2023, and our gross margin percentage was 28.4% in 2024 compared to 32.2% in 2023. The decrease in gross margin was due primarily to a 10% decrease in average selling prices, which decreased gross margin by $160 million, a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which decreased gross margin by $121 million, and, excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, a decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $8 million. These factors that decreased gross margin were partially offset by the impact of a decrease in realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased gross margin by $182 million, and the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, which increased gross margin by $57 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $13 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2024 compared to an $11 million gain in 2023.

Granular Urea Segment

Our Granular Urea segment produces granular urea, which contains 46% nitrogen. Produced from ammonia and carbon dioxide, it has the highest nitrogen content of any of our solid nitrogen fertilizers. Granular urea is produced at our Donaldsonville, Port Neal and Medicine Hat complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Granular Urea segment:

Year ended December 31,
2024202320222024 v. 20232023 v. 2022
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$1,600$1,823$2,892$(223)(12)%$(1,069)(37)%
Cost of sales9261,0101,328(84)(8)%(318)(24)%
Gross margin$674$813$1,564$(139)(17)%$(751)(48)%
Gross margin percentage42.1%44.6%54.1%(2.5)%(9.5)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)4,5224,5704,572(48)(1)%(2)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)2,0802,1022,103(22)(1)%(1)%
Average selling price per product ton$354$399$633$(45)(11)%$(234)(37)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$769$867$1,375$(98)(11)%$(508)(37)%
Gross margin per product ton$149$178$342$(29)(16)%$(164)(48)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$324$387$744$(63)(16)%$(357)(48)%
Depreciation and amortization$284$285$272$(1)%$135%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(9)$(11)$13$218%$(24)N/M

______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Granular urea represents 46% nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Net Sales. Net sales in our Granular Urea segment decreased $223 million, or 12%, to $1.60 billion in 2024 compared to $1.82 billion in 2023 due primarily to an 11% decrease in average selling prices. Average selling prices decreased to $354 per ton in 2024 compared to $399 per ton in 2023 as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand. Sales volume in 2024 was 4.5 million tons, a decrease of 1% compared to 4.6 million tons in 2023. Lower sales volume in the first quarter of 2024, which was due primarily to a reduction in ammonia available for upgrade and lower supply availability from the impact of severe weather that caused urea plant outages, was largely offset by higher sales volume in the second and third quarters of 2024 due primarily to a production mix that favored granular urea production. Sales volume in 2024 includes the impact of 48,000 tons of granular urea purchased and resold in the first quarter of 2024 due to the impact of the severe weather described above.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Granular Urea segment averaged $205 per ton in 2024, a 7% decrease from $221 per ton in 2023, due primarily to lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, partially offset by higher costs associated with maintenance activity in 2024.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Granular Urea segment decreased by $139 million, or 17%, to $674 million in 2024 from $813 million in 2023, and our gross margin percentage was 42.1% in 2024 compared to 44.6% in 2023. The

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decrease in gross margin was driven by an 11% decrease in average selling prices, which decreased gross margin by approximately $185 million, a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which decreased gross margin by $37 million, and a 1% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $21 million. These factors that decreased gross margin were partially offset by lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased gross margin by $106 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $9 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2024 compared to an $11 million gain in 2023.

UAN Segment

Our UAN segment produces urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN). UAN, a liquid fertilizer product with a nitrogen content that typically ranges from 28% to 32%, is produced by combining urea and ammonium nitrate. UAN is produced at our Courtright, Donaldsonville, Port Neal, Verdigris, Woodward, and Yazoo City complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our UAN segment:

Year ended December 31,
2024202320222024 v. 20232023 v. 2022
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$1,678$2,068$3,572$(390)(19)%$(1,504)(42)%
Cost of sales1,0691,2511,489(182)(15)%(238)(16)%
Gross margin$609$817$2,083$(208)(25)%$(1,266)(61)%
Gross margin percentage36.3%39.5%58.3%(3.2)%(18.8)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)6,7717,2376,788(466)(6)%4497%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)2,1422,2832,148(141)(6)%1356%
Average selling price per product ton$248$286$526$(38)(13)%$(240)(46)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$783$906$1,663$(123)(14)%$(757)(46)%
Gross margin per product ton$90$113$307$(23)(20)%$(194)(63)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$284$358$970$(74)(21)%$(612)(63)%
Depreciation and amortization$268$288$269$(20)(7)%$197%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(10)$(11)$14$19%$(25)N/M

______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)UAN represents between 28% and 32% of nitrogen content, depending on the concentration specified by the customer. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Net Sales. Net sales in our UAN segment decreased $390 million, or 19%, to $1.68 billion in 2024 compared to $2.07 billion in 2023 due primarily to a 13% decrease in average selling prices and a 6% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices decreased to $248 per ton in 2024 compared to $286 per ton in 2023 due primarily to lower global energy costs reducing the global market clearing price required to meet global demand. The decrease in sales volume was due primarily to lower supply availability resulting from lower beginning inventory entering 2024 and the impact of a production mix that favored granular urea production.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our UAN segment averaged $158 per ton in 2024, a 9% decrease from $173 per ton in 2023, due primarily to the impact of lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our UAN segment decreased by $208 million, or 25%, to $609 million in 2024 from $817 million in 2023, and our gross margin percentage was 36.3% in 2024 compared to 39.5% in 2023. The decrease in gross margin was due primarily to a 13% decrease in average selling prices, which decreased gross margin by $274 million, and a 6% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $57 million. These factors that decreased gross margin were partially offset by a decrease in realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased gross margin by $113 million, and a net decrease in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which increased gross margin by $11 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $10 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2024 compared to an $11 million gain in 2023.

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AN Segment

Our AN segment produces ammonium nitrate (AN). AN, which has a nitrogen content between 29% and 35%, is produced by combining anhydrous ammonia and nitric acid. AN is used as nitrogen fertilizer and is also used extensively by the commercial explosives industry as a component of explosives. AN is produced at our Yazoo City and Billingham complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our AN segment:

Year ended December 31,
2024202320222024 v. 20232023 v. 2022
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$419$497$845$(78)(16)%$(348)(41)%
Cost of sales340359597(19)(5)%(238)(40)%
Gross margin$79$138$248$(59)(43)%$(110)(44)%
Gross margin percentage18.9%27.8%29.3%(8.9)%(1.5)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)1,4641,5711,594(107)(7)%(23)(1)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)501538545(37)(7)%(7)(1)%
Average selling price per product ton$286$316$530$(30)(9)%$(214)(40)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$836$924$1,550$(88)(10)%$(626)(40)%
Gross margin per product ton$54$88$156$(34)(39)%$(68)(44)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$158$257$455$(99)(39)%$(198)(44)%
Depreciation and amortization$39$48$61$(9)(19)%$(13)(21)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives$(1)$(2)$(2)$150%$%

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)AN represents between 29% and 35% of nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Net Sales. Net sales in our AN segment decreased $78 million, or 16%, to $419 million in 2024 from $497 million in 2023 due primarily to a 9% decrease in average selling prices and a 7% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices decreased to $286 per ton in 2024 compared to $316 per ton in 2023 as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand. Sales volume declined due primarily to lower supply availability resulting from lower production in 2024.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our AN segment averaged $232 per ton in 2024, a 2% increase from $228 per ton in 2023. The increase was due primarily to higher costs for maintenance activity in North America, which was partially offset by the impact of lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, and, for our United Kingdom operations, a lower cost per ton for purchased ammonia used for upgrading into AN.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our AN segment decreased by $59 million, or 43%, to $79 million in 2024 from $138 million in 2023, and our gross margin percentage was 18.9% in 2024 compared to 27.8% in 2023. The decrease in gross margin was due primarily to a 9% decrease in average selling prices, which decreased gross margin by $65 million, and a 7% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $14 million. These factors that decreased gross margin were partially offset by a decrease in realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased gross margin by $12 million, and a net decrease in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which increased gross margin by $9 million. The net decrease in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs primarily reflects lower costs for purchased ammonia in the United Kingdom, partially offset by higher costs for maintenance activity in North America. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $1 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2024 compared to a $2 million gain in 2023.

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Other Segment

Our Other segment primarily includes the following products:

•diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), an aqueous urea solution typically made with 32.5% or 50% high-purity urea and the remainder deionized water;

•urea liquor, a liquid product that we sell in concentrations of 40%, 50% and 70% high-purity urea as a chemical intermediate; and

•nitric acid, a nitrogen-based mineral acid that is used in the production of nitrate-based fertilizers, nylon precursors and other specialty chemicals.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Other segment:

Year ended December 31,
2024202320222024 v. 20232023 v. 2022
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$503$564$787$(61)(11)%$(223)(28)%
Cost of sales302328420(26)(8)%(92)(22)%
Gross margin$201$236$367$(35)(15)%$(131)(36)%
Gross margin percentage40.0%41.8%46.6%(1.8)%(4.8)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)2,1012,2062,077(105)(5)%1296%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)411434408(23)(5)%266%
Average selling price per product ton$239$256$379$(17)(7)%$(123)(32)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$1,224$1,300$1,929$(76)(6)%$(629)(33)%
Gross margin per product ton$96$107$177$(11)(10)%$(70)(40)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$489$544$900$(55)(10)%$(356)(40)%
Depreciation and amortization$61$64$67$(3)(5)%$(3)(4)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(2)$(4)$3$250%$(7)N/M

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Net Sales. Net sales in our Other segment decreased $61 million, or 11%, to $503 million in 2024 from $564 million in 2023 due to a 7% decrease in average selling prices and a 5% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices decreased to $239 per ton in 2024 compared to $256 per ton in 2023 as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand. The decrease in sales volume was due primarily to lower DEF sales volume, partially offset by higher nitric acid sales volume.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Other segment averaged $143 per ton in 2024, a 4% decrease from $149 per ton in 2023, due primarily to the impact of lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, partially offset by higher costs for maintenance activity.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Other segment decreased by $35 million, or 15%, to $201 million in 2024 from $236 million in 2023, and our gross margin percentage was 40.0% in 2024 compared to 41.8% in 2023. The decrease in gross margin was due primarily to a 7% decrease in average selling prices, which decreased gross margin by $32 million, a 5% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $23 million, and a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which decreased gross margin by $1 million. These factors that decreased gross margin were partially offset by a decrease in realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased gross margin by $23 million. Gross margin includes the impact of a $2 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2024 compared to a $4 million gain in 2023.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary uses of cash are generally for operating costs, working capital, capital expenditures, debt service, investments, taxes, share repurchases, dividends, and our clean energy initiatives. Our working capital requirements are affected by several factors, including demand for our products, selling prices, raw material costs, freight costs and seasonal factors inherent in the business. We may also utilize our cash to fund acquisitions. In addition, we may from time to time seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases, in open market or privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

Generally, our primary source of cash is cash from operations, which includes cash generated by customer advances. We may also from time to time access the capital markets or engage in borrowings under our revolving credit agreement.

As of December 31, 2024, our cash and cash equivalents balance was $1.61 billion, a decrease of $418 million from $2.03 billion at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all applicable covenant requirements under our revolving credit agreement and senior notes, and unused borrowing capacity under our revolving credit agreement was $750 million.

In each of the quarters of 2024, quarterly dividends of $0.50 per common share were declared and paid, representing a 25% increase from the quarterly dividends of $0.40 per common share that were declared and paid in each of the quarters of 2023.

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents include highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash with original maturities of three months or less. Under our short-term investment policy, we may invest our cash balances, either directly or through mutual funds, in several types of investment-grade securities, including notes and bonds issued by governmental entities or corporations. Securities issued by governmental entities include those issued directly by the U.S. and Canadian federal governments; those issued by state, local or other governmental entities; and those guaranteed by entities affiliated with governmental entities.

Capital Spending

We make capital expenditures to sustain our asset base, increase our capacity or capabilities, improve plant efficiency, comply with various environmental, health and safety requirements, and invest in our clean energy strategy. Capital expenditures totaled $518 million in 2024 compared to $499 million in 2023.

Capital expenditures in 2025 are estimated to be in the range of $500 million to $550 million. Planned capital expenditures are generally subject to change due to delays in regulatory approvals or permitting, unanticipated increases in cost, changes in scope and completion time, performance of third parties, delays in the receipt of equipment, adverse weather, defects in materials and workmanship, labor or material shortages, transportation constraints, acceleration or delays in the timing of the work and other unforeseen difficulties. Any of these changes in planned capital expenditures, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material impact on our results of operations and cash flows.

In addition, our decarbonization projects include FEED studies to inform our evaluation of whether, and how best, to invest in an export-oriented, low-carbon ammonia capacity at our Blue Point complex in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, to supply developing energy markets and traditional ammonia markets where demand for low-carbon product is emerging. Our estimated capital expenditures for 2025, which are described above, exclude any amounts that would be required in connection with this project, and such amounts could be significant. See “Overview of CF Holdings—Our Strategy,” above, for additional information on our clean energy initiatives.

Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility

On December 1, 2023, we acquired an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana from Dyno Nobel Louisiana Ammonia, LLC (DNLA), a U.S. subsidiary of Australia-based Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL), pursuant to an asset purchase agreement with DNLA and IPL. In connection with the acquisition, we entered into a long-term ammonia offtake agreement providing for us to supply up to 200,000 tons of ammonia per year to IPL’s Dyno Nobel, Inc. subsidiary. Under the terms of the asset purchase agreement, $425 million of the purchase price of $1.675 billion, subject to adjustment, was allocated by the parties to the ammonia offtake agreement. We funded the balance of the initial purchase price on the acquisition date with $1.223 billion of cash on hand.

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The consideration transferred on the acquisition date reflected an estimated net working capital adjustment and other adjustments to the purchase price, which was subject to further adjustment pursuant to the terms of the asset purchase agreement. The purchase price adjustments required under the asset purchase agreement were finalized in the second quarter of 2024, which resulted in a $2 million reduction in the purchase price. As a result, the final purchase price was $1.221 billion.

Share Repurchase Programs

On November 3, 2021, our Board of Directors (the Board) authorized the repurchase of up to $1.5 billion of CF Holdings common stock through December 31, 2024 (the 2021 Share Repurchase Program). The 2021 Share Repurchase Program was completed in the second quarter of 2023. On November 2, 2022, the Board authorized the repurchase of up to $3 billion of CF Holdings common stock commencing upon completion of the 2021 Share Repurchase Program and effective through December 31, 2025 (the 2022 Share Repurchase Program). Repurchases under our share repurchase programs may be made from time to time in the open market, through privately negotiated transactions, through block transactions, through accelerated share repurchase programs, or otherwise. The manner, timing and amount of repurchases will be determined by our management based on the evaluation of market conditions, stock price, and other factors.

The following table summarizes the share repurchases under the 2022 Share Repurchase Program.

SharesAmounts(1)
(in millions)
Shares repurchased in 2023:
Second quarter0.8$50
Third quarter1.9150
Fourth quarter2.9225
Total shares repurchased in 20235.6$425
Shares repurchased in 2024:
First quarter4.3$347
Second quarter4.0305
Third quarter6.1476
Fourth quarter4.4385
Total shares repurchased in 202418.8$1,513
Shares repurchased as of December 31, 202424.4$1,938

______________________________________________________________________________

(1)As defined in the 2022 Share Repurchase Program, amounts reflect the price paid for the shares of common stock repurchased, excluding commissions paid to brokers and excise taxes.

In 2024, we repurchased approximately 18.8 million shares under the 2022 Share Repurchase Program for approximately $1.51 billion, of which $10 million was accrued and unpaid as of December 31, 2024. In 2024, we retired approximately 18.7 million shares of repurchased stock, and we held approximately 0.4 million shares of treasury stock as of December 31, 2024.

In 2023, we completed the 2021 Share Repurchase Program with the repurchase of approximately 2.3 million shares for $155 million, and we repurchased 5.6 million shares under the 2022 Share Repurchase Program for $425 million.

Government Policies

The policies or laws of governments around the world can result in the imposition of taxes, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or regulatory requirements on imports and exports of raw materials, finished goods or services from a particular country or region of the world. The policies and laws of governments can also impact the subsidization of natural gas prices, and subsidies or quotas applied to domestic producers or farmers. Due to the critical role that fertilizers play in food production, the construction and operation of fertilizer plants often are influenced by economic, political and social objectives. Additionally, the import or export of fertilizer can be subject to local taxes imposed by governments which can have the effect of either encouraging or discouraging import and export activity. The impact of changes in governmental policies or laws or the political or social objectives of a country could have a material impact on fertilizer demand and selling prices and therefore could impact our liquidity. In addition, changing political leadership, including the new U.S. presidential administration and regulatory leadership, have proposed, and may propose further, policy, regulatory, and enforcement changes, which are and may continue to be subject to administrative and judicial challenges, that create additional uncertainty for our business.

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Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter

In connection with the matter described above under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter,” in the third quarter of 2024, we were informed that the CRA granted us discretionary interest relief for certain tax years from 2006 through 2011. In the fourth quarter of 2024, we received interest relief from the CRA consisting of interest refunds of $21 million and related interest of $2 million. In addition, interest relief from the Alberta TRA is estimated to be approximately $16 million, consisting of interest refunds of $15 million and related interest of $1 million, based on current estimates and foreign currency exchange rates as of December 31, 2024. We expect to receive the interest refunds from the Alberta TRA in the first half of 2025.

Repatriation of Foreign Earnings and Income Taxes

We have operations in Canada, the United Kingdom and a 50% interest in a joint venture in Trinidad. Historically, the estimated additional U.S. and foreign income taxes due upon repatriation of the earnings of these foreign operations to the United States were recognized in our consolidated financial statements as the earnings were recognized, unless the earnings were considered to be permanently reinvested based upon our then current plans. However, the cash payment of the income tax liabilities associated with repatriation of earnings from foreign operations occurred at the time of the repatriation. As a result, the recognition of income tax expense related to foreign earnings, as applicable, and the payment of taxes resulting from repatriation of those earnings could occur in different periods.

In light of changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, commencing with the 2018 tax year, the United States no longer taxes earnings of foreign subsidiaries even when such earnings are earned or repatriated to the United States, unless such earnings are subject to U.S. rules on passive income or certain anti-abuse provisions. Foreign subsidiary earnings may still be subject to withholding taxes when repatriated to the United States.

Cash balances held by our joint venture are maintained at sufficient levels to fund local operations as accumulated earnings are repatriated from the joint venture on a periodic basis.

As of December 31, 2024, approximately $346 million of our consolidated cash and cash equivalents balance of $1.61 billion was held by our Canadian and United Kingdom subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2024, we recorded a deferred tax liability of $14 million on the undistributed earnings of our Canadian subsidiaries for which the Company does not have an indefinite reinvestment assertion. We have not provided for deferred taxes on the remainder of undistributed earnings from our foreign subsidiaries because such earnings would not give rise to additional tax liabilities upon repatriation.

Debt

Revolving Credit Agreement

We have a senior unsecured revolving credit agreement (the Revolving Credit Agreement), which provides for a revolving credit facility of up to $750 million with a maturity of October 26, 2028 and includes a letter of credit sub-limit of $125 million. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement may be used for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, share repurchases and other general corporate purposes. CF Industries is the lead borrower, and CF Holdings is the sole guarantor, under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement can be denominated in U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, euros and British pounds. Borrowings in U.S. dollars bear interest at a per annum rate equal to, at our option, an applicable adjusted term Secured Overnight Financing Rate or base rate plus, in either case, a specified margin. We are required to pay an undrawn commitment fee on the undrawn portion of the commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement and customary letter of credit fees. The specified margin and the amount of the commitment fee depend on CF Holdings’ credit rating at the time.

The Revolving Credit Agreement contains representations and warranties and affirmative and negative covenants, including one financial covenant. The financial covenant requires that the total net leverage ratio (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) be not greater than 3.75:1.00 (the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio) as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, provided that, if any borrower or subsidiary consummates a material acquisition during any fiscal quarter, CF Industries may elect to increase the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio to 4.25:1.00 for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters commencing with such fiscal quarter (and no further such election may be made unless and until the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 3.75:1.00 as of the end of two consecutive fiscal quarters after the end of such period).

As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all covenants under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

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The Revolving Credit Agreement contains events of default (with notice requirements and cure periods, as applicable) customary for a financing of this type, including, but not limited to, non-payment of principal, interest or fees; inaccuracy of representations and warranties in any material respect; and failure to comply with specified covenants. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an event of default under the Revolving Credit Agreement and after any applicable cure period, subject to specified exceptions, the administrative agent may, and at the request of the requisite lenders is required to, accelerate the loans under the Revolving Credit Agreement or terminate the lenders’ commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

As of December 31, 2024, we had unused borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Agreement of $750 million and no outstanding letters of credit under the Revolving Credit Agreement. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and during the years then ended, there were no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

Letters of Credit Under Bilateral Agreement

We are party to a bilateral agreement providing for the issuance of up to $425 million of letters of credit. As of December 31, 2024, approximately $324 million of letters of credit were outstanding under this agreement.

Senior Notes

Long-term debt presented on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 consisted of the following debt securities issued by CF Industries:

Effective Interest RateDecember 31, 2024December 31, 2023
Principal OutstandingCarrying Amount(1)Principal OutstandingCarrying Amount(1)
(in millions)
Public Senior Notes:
5.150% due March 20345.293%$750$742$750$741
4.950% due June 20435.040%750742750742
5.375% due March 20445.478%750741750741
Senior Secured Notes:
4.500% due December 2026(2)4.783%750746750744
Total long-term debt$3,000$2,971$3,000$2,968

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)Carrying amount is net of unamortized debt discount and deferred debt issuance costs. Total unamortized debt discount was $6 million and $7 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and total deferred debt issuance costs were $23 million and $25 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

(2)Effective August 23, 2021, these notes are no longer secured, in accordance with the terms of the applicable indenture.

Public Senior Notes

Under the indentures (including the applicable supplemental indentures) governing our senior notes due 2034, 2043 and 2044 identified in the table above (the Public Senior Notes), each series of Public Senior Notes is guaranteed by CF Holdings. Interest on the Public Senior Notes is payable semiannually, and the Public Senior Notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at specified make-whole redemption prices.

The indentures governing the Public Senior Notes contain covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries, including CF Industries, to incur liens on certain assets to secure debt, to engage in sale and leaseback transactions, to merge or consolidate with other entities and to sell, lease or transfer all or substantially all of the assets of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries to another entity. Each of the indentures governing the Public Senior Notes provides for customary events of default, which include (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), among others, nonpayment of principal or interest on the applicable Public Senior Notes; failure to comply with other covenants or agreements under the indenture; certain defaults on other indebtedness; the failure of CF Holdings’ guarantee of the applicable Public Senior Notes to be enforceable; and specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency. Under each indenture governing the Public Senior Notes, in the case of an event of default arising from one of the specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency, the applicable Public Senior Notes would become due and payable immediately, and, in the case of any other event of default (other than an event of default related to CF Industries’ and CF Holdings’ reporting obligations), the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the applicable Public Senior Notes then outstanding may declare all of such Public Senior Notes to be due and payable immediately.

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Under each of the indentures governing the Public Senior Notes, specified changes of control involving CF Holdings or CF Industries, when accompanied by a ratings downgrade, as defined with respect to the applicable series of Public Senior Notes, constitute change of control repurchase events. Upon the occurrence of a change of control repurchase event with respect to a series of Public Senior Notes, unless CF Industries has exercised its option to redeem such Public Senior Notes, CF Industries will be required to offer to repurchase them at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of repurchase.

Senior Secured Notes

Under the terms of the indenture governing the 4.500% senior secured notes due 2026 (the 2026 Notes), the 2026 Notes are guaranteed by CF Holdings. Interest on the 2026 Notes is payable semiannually, and the 2026 Notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at specified make-whole redemption prices.

Under the indenture governing the 2026 Notes, specified changes of control involving CF Holdings or CF Industries, when accompanied by a ratings downgrade, as defined with respect to the 2026 Notes, constitute change of control repurchase events. Upon the occurrence of a change of control repurchase event with respect to the 2026 Notes, unless CF Industries has exercised its option to redeem such notes, CF Industries will be required to offer to repurchase them at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of repurchase.

The indenture governing the 2026 Notes contains covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries, including CF Industries, to incur liens on certain assets to secure debt, to engage in sale and leaseback transactions, to merge or consolidate with other entities and to sell, lease or transfer all or substantially all of the assets of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries to another entity. The indenture governing the 2026 Notes provides for customary events of default, which include (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), among others, nonpayment of principal or interest of the 2026 Notes; failure to comply with other covenants or agreements under the indenture; certain defaults on other indebtedness; the failure of CF Holdings’ guarantee of the 2026 Notes to be enforceable; and specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the indenture governing the 2026 Notes, in the case of an event of default arising from one of the specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency, the 2026 Notes would become due and payable immediately, and, in the case of any other event of default (other than an event of default related to CF Industries’ and CF Holdings’ reporting obligations), the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes then outstanding may declare all of such notes to be due and payable immediately.

Forward Sales and Customer Advances

We offer our customers the opportunity to purchase products from us on a forward basis at prices and on delivery dates we propose. Therefore, our reported fertilizer selling prices and margins may differ from market spot prices and margins available at the time of shipment.

Customer advances, which typically represent a portion of the contract’s value, are received shortly after the contract is executed, with any remaining unpaid amount generally being collected by the time control transfers to the customer, thereby reducing or eliminating the accounts receivable related to such sales. Any cash payments received in advance from customers in connection with forward sales contracts are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as a current liability until control transfers and revenue is recognized. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had $118 million and $130 million, respectively, in customer advances on our consolidated balance sheets.

While customer advances are generally a significant source of liquidity, the level of forward sales contracts is affected by many factors, including current market conditions, our customers’ outlook of future market fundamentals and seasonality. During periods of declining prices, customers tend to delay purchasing fertilizer in anticipation that prices in the future will be lower than the current prices. If the level of sales under our forward sales programs were to decrease in the future, our cash received from customer advances would likely decrease and our accounts receivable balances would likely increase. Additionally, borrowing under the Revolving Credit Agreement could become necessary. Due to the volatility inherent in our business and changing customer expectations, we cannot estimate the amount of future forward sales activity.

Under our forward sales programs, a customer may delay delivery of an order due to weather conditions or other factors. These delays generally subject the customer to potential charges for storage or may be grounds for termination of the contract by us. Such a delay in scheduled shipment or termination of a forward sales contract due to a customer’s inability or unwillingness to perform may negatively impact our reported sales.

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Natural Gas

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce our nitrogen products. We use natural gas both as a chemical feedstock and as a fuel to produce ammonia, granular urea, UAN, AN and other products. Expenditures on natural gas are a significant portion of our production costs, representing approximately 28% of our total production costs in 2024. As a result of these factors, natural gas prices have a significant impact on our operating expenses and can thus affect our liquidity. Natural gas costs in our cost of sales, including the impact of realized natural gas derivatives, decreased 35% to $2.40 per MMBtu in 2024 from $3.67 per MMBtu in 2023.

We enter into agreements for a portion of our future natural gas supply and related transportation. As of December 31, 2024, our natural gas purchase agreements have remaining terms that range from five months to five years and a total minimum commitment of approximately $2.64 billion, and our natural gas transportation agreements have terms that range from one to eight years and a total minimum commitment of approximately $62 million. Our minimum commitments to purchase and transport natural gas are based on prevailing market-based forward prices excluding reductions for plant maintenance and turnaround activities.

Most of our nitrogen manufacturing facilities are located in the United States and Canada. As a result, the price of natural gas in North America directly impacts a substantial portion of our operating expenses. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2024, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America, reached a low of $1.23 per MMBtu on four consecutive days in November 2024 and a high of $12.97 per MMBtu on four consecutive days in January 2024.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in prices for natural gas that will be purchased in the future. Natural gas is the largest and most volatile component of our manufacturing cost for nitrogen-based products. From time to time, we may also use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Volatility in reported quarterly earnings can result from the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments in the value of the derivatives. In 2024 and 2023, we recognized unrealized net mark-to-market gains on natural gas derivatives of $35 million and $39 million, respectively, which is reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations.

Derivatives expose us to counterparties and the risks associated with their ability to meet the terms of the contracts. For derivatives that are in net asset positions, we are exposed to credit loss from nonperformance by the counterparties. We control our credit risk through the use of multiple counterparties that are multinational commercial banks, other major financial institutions or large energy companies, and the use of International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) master netting arrangements. The ISDA agreements are master netting arrangements commonly used for over-the-counter derivatives that mitigate exposure to counterparty credit risk, in part, by creating contractual rights of netting and setoff, the specifics of which vary from agreement to agreement.

The ISDA agreements for most of our derivative instruments contain credit-risk-related contingent features, such as cross default provisions. In the event of certain defaults or termination events, our counterparties may request early termination and net settlement of certain derivative trades or may require us to collateralize derivatives in a net liability position. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the aggregate fair value of the derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features in net liability positions was zero and $34 million, respectively, which also approximates the fair value of the assets that may be needed to settle the obligations if the credit-risk-related contingent features were triggered at the reporting dates.

As of December 31, 2024, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas fixed price swaps and basis swaps for 16.0 million MMBtus. As of December 31, 2023, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options for 49.0 million MMBtus. At both December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had no cash collateral on deposit with counterparties for derivative contracts. The credit support documents executed in connection with certain of our ISDA agreements generally provide us and our counterparties the right to set off collateral against amounts owing under the ISDA agreements upon the occurrence of a default or a specified termination event.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans

We made cash contributions of $22 million to our pension plans in 2024. We expect to contribute approximately $6 million in total to our U.S. and U.K. pension plans in 2025, and, as currently agreed with the plans’ trustees, approximately $13 million to our U.K. pension plans in 2026.

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Distributions to Noncontrolling Interest in CFN

The CFN Board of Managers approved semi-annual distribution payments for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, in accordance with CFN’s limited liability company agreement, as follows:

Approved and paidDistribution PeriodDistribution Amount (in millions)
First quarter of 2025Six months ended December 31, 2024$129
Third quarter of 2024Six months ended June 30, 2024164
First quarter of 2024Six months ended December 31, 2023144
Third quarter of 2023Six months ended June 30, 2023204
First quarter of 2023Six months ended December 31, 2022255
Third quarter of 2022Six months ended June 30, 2022372

Cash Flows

Net cash provided by operating activities in 2024 was $2.27 billion, a decrease of $486 million compared to $2.76 billion in 2023. The decrease in cash flow from operations was due primarily to lower net earnings. Net earnings in 2024 was $1.48 billion, a decrease of $361 million compared to $1.84 billion in 2023. The decrease in net earnings was due primarily to a decrease in gross margin, driven by lower average selling prices, partially offset by lower natural gas costs, a lower income tax provision and a decrease in net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest. During 2024, net changes in working capital also impacted cash flow from operations by contributing $63 million more toward net cash from operations in 2024 than in 2023. These changes primarily occurred in changes in accounts payable, accrued expenses and customer advances, partially offset by changes in inventories.

Net cash used in investing activities was $469 million in 2024 compared to $1.68 billion in 2023, or a decrease of $1.21 billion. The decrease was due primarily to the consideration paid of $1.223 billion for the Waggaman acquisition in 2023. See “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility,” above for additional information. During 2024, capital expenditures totaled $518 million compared to $499 million in 2023.

Net cash used in financing activities was $2.21 billion in 2024 compared to $1.37 billion in 2023. The increase was due primarily to an increase in share repurchases and dividends paid, partially offset by a decrease in distributions to the noncontrolling interest. In 2024, we paid $1.51 billion for share repurchases compared to $580 million for share repurchases in 2023. In 2024, dividends paid on common stock were $364 million compared to $311 million in 2023. The increase in dividends paid on common stock reflects quarterly dividends of $0.50 per common share declared and paid in 2024, compared to quarterly dividends of $0.40 per common share that were declared and paid in 2023. In 2024, distributions to the noncontrolling interest were $308 million compared to $459 million in 2023 due to lower earnings of CFN.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. U.S. GAAP requires that we select policies and make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates. We base our estimates on historical experience, technological assessment, opinions of appropriate outside experts, and the most recent information available to us. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Changes in estimates that may have a material impact on our results are discussed in the context of the underlying financial statements to which they relate. The following discussion presents information about our most critical accounting estimates.

Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets, Goodwill and Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate

We review the carrying values of our property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets, including our finite-lived intangible assets, goodwill and our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate in accordance with U.S. GAAP in order to assess recoverability. Factors that we must estimate when performing impairment tests include production and sales volumes, selling prices, raw material costs, operating rates, operating expenses, inflation, discount rates, exchange rates, tax rates, capital spending and the impact that future market dynamics and geopolitical events could have on these factors. Judgment is involved in estimating each of these factors, which include inherent uncertainties. The factors we use are consistent with those used in our internal planning process. The recoverability of the values associated with our goodwill, long-lived assets and our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate is dependent upon future operating performance of the specific businesses to which

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they are attributed. Certain of the operating assumptions are particularly sensitive to the cyclical nature of the fertilizer industry. Adverse changes in demand for our products, increases in supply and the availability and costs of key raw materials could significantly affect the results of our review.

The recoverability and impairment tests of long-lived assets are required only when conditions exist that indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. For goodwill, impairment tests are required at least annually, or more frequently whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate is reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that its carrying value may not be recoverable. When circumstances indicate that the fair value of our investment is less than its carrying value, and the reduction in value is other than temporary, the reduction in value would be recognized immediately in earnings.

We evaluate goodwill for impairment in the fourth quarter at the reporting unit level. Our evaluation generally begins with a qualitative assessment of the factors that could impact the significant inputs used to estimate fair value. If after performing the qualitative assessment, we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill, then no further analysis is necessary. However, if it is unclear based on the results of the qualitative test, we perform a quantitative test, which involves comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. We use an income-based valuation method, determining the present value of future cash flows, to estimate the fair value of a reporting unit. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, no further testing is necessary. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, goodwill impairment would be recognized equal to the amount of the carrying value in excess of the reporting unit’s fair value, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.

We review property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets at the asset group level in order to assess recoverability based on expected future undiscounted cash flows. If the sum of the expected future net undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying value, an impairment loss would be recognized. The impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived assets.

PLNL is our joint venture investment in Trinidad and operates an ammonia plant that relies on natural gas supplied, under a gas sales contract, by the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC). The joint venture is accounted for under the equity method. The joint venture experienced past curtailments in the supply of natural gas from NGC, which reduced the ammonia production at PLNL. The prior gas sales contract had an expiration date of September 2023. In the third quarter of 2023, PLNL entered into a new gas sales contract with NGC (the New NGC Contract), which is effective October 2023 through December 2025. In the third quarter of 2023 and due to the terms of the New NGC Contract, we assessed our investment in PLNL for impairment and determined that the carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL exceeded its fair value. As a result, we recorded an impairment of our equity method investment in PLNL of $43 million, which is reflected in equity in earnings (loss) of operating affiliate in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Any NGC commitment to supply gas beyond December 2025 will be based on new agreements. If NGC does not make sufficient quantities of natural gas available to PLNL at prices that permit profitable operations, PLNL may cease operating its facility and we would write off the remaining investment in PLNL. The carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL at December 31, 2024 was $29 million.

Projected Benefit Obligations

The projected benefit obligations (PBOs) for our defined benefit pension plans are affected by plan design, actuarial estimates and discount rates. Key assumptions that affect our PBO are discount rates and, in addition for our United Kingdom plans, inflation rates, including an adjusted U.K. retail price index (RPI).

The December 31, 2024 PBO was computed based on a weighted-average discount rate of 5.2% for our North America plans and 5.5% for our United Kingdom plans, which were based on yields for high-quality (AA rated or better) fixed income debt securities that match the timing and amounts of expected benefit payments as of the measurement date of December 31, 2024. Declines in comparable bond yields would increase our PBO. For our United Kingdom plans, the 3.1% RPI used to calculate our PBO is developed using a U.K. government gilt prices only retail price inflation curve, which is based on the difference between yields on fixed interest government bonds and index-linked government bonds.

For North America qualified pension plans, our PBO was $278 million as of December 31, 2024, which was $21 million lower than pension plan assets. For our United Kingdom pension plans, our PBO was $317 million as of December 31, 2024, which was $28 million lower than pension plan assets. The table below estimates the impact of a 50 basis point increase or decrease in the key assumptions on our December 31, 2024 PBO:

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Increase/(Decrease) in December 31, 2024 PBO
North America PlansUnited Kingdom Plans
Assumption+50 bps-50 bps+50 bps-50 bps
(in millions)
Discount Rate$(15)$17$(16)$17
RPIn/an/a9(9)

_______________________________________________________________________________

n/a—not applicable

See Note 13—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits for further discussion of our pension plans.

Income Taxes

We are subject to the income tax laws of the many jurisdictions in which we operate, and we recognize expense, assets and liabilities based on estimates of amounts that ultimately will be determined to be taxable or deductible in tax returns filed in various jurisdictions. These tax laws are complex, and how they apply to our facts is sometimes open to interpretation. We recognize the effect of income tax positions only if sustaining those positions is more likely than not. Tax positions that meet the more likely than not recognition threshold but are not highly certain are measured based on the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement with the taxing authority. Differences in interpretation of the tax laws and regulations, including negotiations with taxing authorities in various jurisdictions and resolution of disputes arising from federal, state and international tax audits, can result in differences in taxes paid, which may be higher or lower than our estimates. The judgments made at a point in time may change from previous conclusions based on the outcome of tax audits, as well as changes to, or further interpretations of, tax laws and regulations, and these changes could significantly impact the provision for income taxes, the amount of taxes payable and the deferred tax asset and liability balances. We adjust our income tax provision in the period in which these changes occur. As of December 31, 2024, we have recorded a reserve for unrecognized tax benefits, including penalties and interest, of $285 million.

We also engage in a significant amount of cross border transactions. The taxability of cross border transactions has received an increasing level of scrutiny among regulators across the globe, including the jurisdictions in which we operate. The tax rules and regulations of the various jurisdictions in which we operate are complex, and in many cases, there is not symmetry between the rules of the various jurisdictions. As a result, there are instances where regulators within the jurisdictions involved in a cross-border transaction may reach different conclusions regarding the taxability of the transaction in their respective jurisdictions based on the same set of facts and circumstances. We work closely with regulators to reach a common understanding and conclusion regarding the taxability of cross border transactions.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 3—New Accounting Standards for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements.

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FY 2023 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0001324404-24-000008.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2024-02-22. Report date: 2023-12-31.

ITEM 7.    MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. All references to “CF Holdings,” “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” refer to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, except where the context makes clear that the reference is to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. only and not its subsidiaries. All references to “CF Industries” refer to CF Industries, Inc., a 100% owned subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. References to tons refer to short tons and references to tonnes refer to metric tons. Notes referenced in this discussion and analysis refer to the notes to consolidated financial statements that are found in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data—Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. For a discussion and analysis of the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 23, 2023. The following is an outline of the discussion and analysis included herein:

•Overview of CF Holdings

•Market Conditions

•Financial Executive Summary

•Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility

•Items Affecting Comparability of Results

•Consolidated Results of Operations

•Operating Results by Business Segment

•Liquidity and Capital Resources

•Critical Accounting Estimates

•Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Overview of CF Holdings

Our Company

Our mission is to provide clean energy to feed and fuel the world sustainably. With our employees focused on safe and reliable operations, environmental stewardship, and disciplined capital and corporate management, we are on a path to decarbonize our ammonia production network – the world’s largest – to enable green and low-carbon hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities. Our nitrogen manufacturing complexes in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, an extensive storage, transportation and distribution network in North America, and logistics capabilities enabling a global reach underpin our strategy to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy. Our principal customers are cooperatives, independent fertilizer distributors, traders, wholesalers and industrial users. Our core product is anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which contains 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. Our nitrogen products that are upgraded from ammonia are granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN) and ammonium nitrate (AN). Our other nitrogen products include diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), urea liquor, nitric acid and aqua ammonia, which are sold primarily to our industrial customers.

Our principal assets as of December 31, 2023 include:

•six U.S. nitrogen manufacturing facilities, located in Donaldsonville, Louisiana (the largest nitrogen complex in the world); Sergeant Bluff, Iowa (our Port Neal complex); Yazoo City, Mississippi; Claremore, Oklahoma (our Verdigris complex); Woodward, Oklahoma; and Waggaman, Louisiana. The Waggaman facility is wholly owned by us, and the other five U.S. nitrogen manufacturing facilities are wholly owned directly or indirectly by CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC (CFN), of which we own approximately 89% and CHS Inc. (CHS) owns the remainder (see Note 19—Noncontrolling Interest for additional information on our strategic venture with CHS);

•two Canadian nitrogen manufacturing facilities, located in Medicine Hat, Alberta (the largest nitrogen complex in Canada) and Courtright, Ontario;

•a United Kingdom nitrogen manufacturing facility located in Billingham;

•an extensive system of terminals and associated transportation equipment located primarily in the Midwestern United States; and

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•a 50% interest in Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited (PLNL), an ammonia production joint venture located in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad) that we account for under the equity method.

Our Strategy

Our strategy is to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy. We believe this strategy builds upon the Company’s leadership in ammonia production to capture emerging opportunities available to ammonia produced with a lower carbon intensity than that of ammonia produced through traditional processes. These opportunities include traditional applications in agriculture to help reduce the carbon footprint of food production and the life cycle carbon intensity of ethanol production, enabling its use for sustainable aviation fuel, among other purposes. They also include new applications, such as power generation and marine shipping, that would use the hydrogen component of the ammonia molecule for clean energy given that ammonia does not contain or emit carbon when combusted.

We execute our strategy across four dimensions: decarbonizing our existing network to accelerate the availability of low-carbon ammonia; evaluating new low-carbon ammonia capacity growth; forging partnerships to accelerate our timeline and bridge gaps in areas where we do not have expertise; and collaborating to build understanding of ammonia’s clean energy capability, safety track record and regulatory environment.

Decarbonization projects in our existing network include our green ammonia project at our Donaldsonville, Louisiana complex. Green ammonia refers to ammonia produced with hydrogen sourced through an electrolysis process that produces no carbon emissions. In April 2021, we signed an engineering and procurement contract with thyssenkrupp to supply a 20 MW alkaline water electrolysis plant to produce green hydrogen at our Donaldsonville complex. We will integrate the green hydrogen generated by the electrolysis plant into existing ammonia synthesis loops to enable the production of approximately 20,000 tons per year of green ammonia. The green hydrogen production facility is mechanically complete, and commissioning activities began in early 2024. We believe that the Donaldsonville green ammonia project will be the largest of its kind in North America at the time of its startup.

Decarbonization projects in our existing network also include the production of low-carbon ammonia. Low-carbon ammonia is ammonia produced by conventional processes but with approximately 60-98% of the process and flue gas CO2 generated by ammonia production removed through carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). We are executing a project also at our Donaldsonville complex that will enable us to produce a significant volume of low-carbon ammonia. At an estimated cost of $200 million, we are constructing a CO2 dehydration and compression facility to enable CCS at the facility. Engineering activities for the construction of the dehydration and compression unit continue to advance, all major equipment for the facility has been procured, fabrication of the CO2 compressors is proceeding, and construction activities at the Donaldsonville site are underway. Once the dehydration and compression unit is in service and sequestration is initiated, we expect that the Donaldsonville complex will have the capacity to dehydrate and compress up to 2 million tons per year of process CO2, thereby converting a portion of our existing ammonia production to low-carbon ammonia. In October 2022, we announced that we had entered into a definitive CO2 offtake agreement with ExxonMobil to transport and permanently sequester the CO2 from Donaldsonville. Start-up for the project is planned for 2025. Under current regulations, the project would be expected to qualify for tax credits under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code, which provides a credit per tonne of CO2 sequestered.

Alongside these projects, we are also evaluating the construction of greenfield low-carbon ammonia capacity in Louisiana. In the fourth quarter of 2023, we and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui) completed a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study on a greenfield steam methane reforming (SMR) ammonia facility with CCS technologies. The FEED study estimates the cost of a project with these attributes to be in the range of $3 billion, with approximately $2.5 billion allocated to the ammonia facility and CCS technologies and approximately $500 million allocated to scalable common infrastructure for the site, such as ammonia storage and vessel loading docks.

We and Mitsui are progressing two additional FEED studies focused on technologies with the potential to further reduce the carbon intensity of the proposed low-carbon ammonia facility, including a FEED study evaluating autothermal reforming (ATR) ammonia production technology and a FEED study assessing the cost and viability of adding flue gas capture to an SMR ammonia facility. We expect to complete both FEED studies in the second half of 2024.

We and Mitsui are targeting the second half of 2024 for the final investment decision on the proposed greenfield low-carbon ammonia facility. Should the companies agree to move forward, the ammonia facility would be constructed at our new Blue Point complex. We own the land for the complex, which is located on the west bank of the Mississippi river in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. Construction and commissioning of a new world-scale ammonia plant typically takes approximately four years from the time construction begins.

In addition to ongoing discussions with existing customers who have interest in forthcoming availability of low-carbon ammonia for traditional applications, we are engaged in advanced discussions regarding the supply of low-carbon ammonia for

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new applications. In the first quarter of 2023, we signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with JERA Co., Inc. (JERA), Japan’s largest energy generator, regarding the long-term supply of up to 500,000 tonnes per year of clean ammonia beginning in 2027. The execution of the MOU was the result of a supplier comparison and evaluation process for the procurement of clean ammonia that JERA initiated in February 2022 for the world’s first commercial scale ammonia co-firing operations that JERA is developing. The MOU establishes a framework for JERA and us to assess how we would best supply JERA with clean ammonia, which will be required to be produced with at least 60% lower carbon emissions than conventionally produced ammonia, under a long-term offtake agreement. We and JERA are evaluating a range of potential supply options, including JERA making an equity investment with us to develop a clean ammonia facility in Louisiana and a supplementary long-term offtake agreement.

We are also evaluating and in various stages of developing discussions and agreements with other companies for clean ammonia long-term offtake opportunities related to new applications of ammonia.

Industry Factors

We operate in a highly competitive, global industry. Our operating results are influenced by a broad range of factors, including those outlined below.

Global Supply and Demand Factors

Our products are globally traded commodities and are subject to price competition. The customers for our products make their purchasing decisions principally on the basis of delivered price and, to a lesser extent, on reliability, customer service and product quality. The selling prices of our products fluctuate in response to global market conditions, changes in supply and demand and cost factors.

Historically, global fertilizer demand has been driven primarily by population growth, gross domestic product growth, changes in dietary habits, planted acreage, and application rates, among other things. We expect these key variables to continue to have major impacts on long-term fertilizer demand for the foreseeable future. Short-term fertilizer demand growth may depend on global economic conditions, farm sector income, weather patterns, the level of global grain stocks relative to consumption, fertilizer application rates, and governmental regulations, including fertilizer subsidies or requirements mandating increased use of bio-fuels or industrial nitrogen products, such as DEF. Geopolitical factors such as temporary disruptions in fertilizer trade related to government intervention, shipping delays and/or cost increases resulting from regional conflicts or changes in the buying/selling patterns of key exporting/consuming countries, including China, India, Russia and Brazil, among others, often play a major role in shaping near-term market fundamentals. The economics of nitrogen-based fertilizer manufacturing play a key role in decisions to increase or reduce production capacity. Supply of fertilizers is generally driven by available capacity and operating rates, raw material costs and availability, government policies and global trade. Raw materials are dependent on energy sources such as natural gas or coal; therefore, supply costs are affected by the supply of and demand for those commodities.

Global Trade in Fertilizer

Profitability of our products within a particular geographic region is determined not only by the relationship between global supply and demand, but also by the supply/demand balance within that region. Regional supply and demand can be influenced significantly by factors affecting trade within regions. Some of these factors include the relative cost to produce and deliver product, relative currency values, the availability of credit, agricultural supply and demand, industrial product demand and policies such as emissions abatement, government support for manufacturers or purchasers and governmental nitrogen product trade policies, including the imposition of duties, tariffs or quotas, that affect foreign trade or investment. Government energy or carbon policies may also affect regional nitrogen supply and demand. The development of additional natural gas reserves in North America has decreased natural gas costs in North America relative to the rest of the world, making North American nitrogen fertilizer producers more competitive. Changes in currency values may also alter our cost competitiveness relative to producers in other regions of the world.

The North American nitrogen fertilizer market for certain nitrogen products is dependent on imports to balance supply and demand, and imports traditionally account for a significant portion of nitrogen fertilizer products consumed in North America. Producers of nitrogen-based fertilizers located in the Middle East, Trinidad, Africa and Russia have been major exporters to North America in recent years.

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Farmers’ Economics

The demand for fertilizer is affected by the aggregate crop planting decisions and fertilizer application rate decisions of individual farmers. Individual farmers make planting decisions based largely on prospective profitability of a harvest, while the specific varieties and amounts of fertilizer they apply depend on factors like their current liquidity, soil conditions, weather patterns, crop and fertilizer prices, fertilizer products used and timing of applications, expected yields and the types of crops planted.

Market Conditions

Geopolitical Environment

Changes in the geopolitical environment can have significant effects on our financial results. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the resulting war between Russia and Ukraine, disrupted global markets for certain commodities, including natural gas, nitrogen fertilizers and certain commodity grains and oilseeds, leading to production curtailments, export reductions and logistical complications involving these commodities. Additionally, energy, financial and transportation sanctions were announced by U.S., Canadian, European and other governments against Russia in response to the war. During 2022 and 2023, market participants continued to adjust trade flows and manufacturers have continued to adjust production levels in response to changing conditions resulting from these factors. As of the date of filing of this report, nitrogen fertilizers have largely been explicitly exempted from sanctions against Russia by the United States and certain other governments, and as a result, there has been an increase in Russian fertilizer exports into the United States and other parts of the world.

As further described below, natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce our nitrogen products. Natural gas is a globally traded commodity that experiences price fluctuations based on supply and demand balances and has been impacted by geopolitical events, including the war between Russia and Ukraine. European energy markets, which have historically sourced a substantial portion of their natural gas from Russia, were disrupted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent reduction of Russian natural gas supply to Europe during 2022. This led to further increases in natural gas prices and natural gas price volatility, which in turn have led to disruptions in manufacturing and distribution activities at other nitrogen manufacturers and suppliers in our industry, resulting in changes in nitrogen product trade flows and reductions in global fertilizer supply. In September 2022, in response to the high prices for natural gas in the United Kingdom, we idled ammonia production at our Billingham complex and since that time have been importing ammonia from one of our other manufacturing facilities or from purchases in the open market for upgrade into AN and other nitrogen products at our Billingham complex. In the third quarter of 2023, we approved our plan to permanently close the ammonia plant at our Billingham complex.

The geopolitical developments that began in 2022 relating to the war in Ukraine also led to some supply chain disruptions for Russian and other producers of fertilizer, contributing to reduced global nitrogen fertilizer supply. In particular, disruptions in nitrogen exports from Russia, a leading exporter of nitrogen fertilizer products globally, and nitrogen production in Europe, as a result of higher and more volatile natural gas prices as Russian-sourced natural gas supply declined, contributed to reduced nitrogen supply globally. In addition, Russia and Ukraine have been large exporters of commodity grains such as wheat, corn and soybeans. The direct and indirect impacts of the war in Ukraine, and the related uncertainty, resulted in reduced commodity grain supply from Russia and Ukraine, causing increased prices for grains globally. The increase in commodity grain prices in turn supported strong demand for nitrogen fertilizer in 2022.

These geopolitical developments further contributed to an already tight global supply and demand balance for nitrogen fertilizers, causing changes in global trade flows as both manufacturers and customers reacted to the changing market dynamics. As a result, global nitrogen fertilizer prices remained high and experienced significant volatility in 2022.

As Russian-sourced natural gas supply declined due to geopolitical factors, European purchasers of natural gas increased imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to build storage levels leading up to the winter 2022/2023 peak demand season. As storage levels of natural gas increased due to the increased LNG imports, in conjunction with a warmer than normal winter in Europe, prices for natural gas fell during the first half of 2023 and then stabilized during the third quarter of 2023. As natural gas prices decreased, certain nitrogen producers restarted previously idled production, leading to an increase in global nitrogen production operating rates. The increased global nitrogen product supply availability resulting from the increase in operating rates, in addition to new global production coming on line and an increase in imports of Russian UAN into the United States, resulted in an increase in supply and lower average selling prices in 2023 compared to average selling prices realized in 2022. Russian exports of ammonia, which had been curtailed due to reduced pipeline flow, may also increase in 2024 as Russian producers develop alternative avenues to export product.

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We expect that these geopolitical events, and any further government-imposed sanctions or other government actions affecting food or energy security, will continue to have an impact on the supply and demand balance of nitrogen fertilizer products globally and selling prices for our nitrogen fertilizer products.

In addition, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2023 and continuing into 2024, there have been escalating conflicts in the Middle East. This has led to shipping disruptions as shippers avoid conflicts in the Red Sea, which increases shipping times and costs as both producers and customers adjust shipping routes and trade flows. These regional conflicts could lead to more widespread geopolitical disruption.

Nitrogen Selling Prices and Sales Volume

Our nitrogen products are globally traded commodities with selling prices that fluctuate in response to global market conditions, changes in supply and demand, and other cost factors including domestic and local conditions. Intense global competition—reflected in import volumes and prices—strongly influences delivered prices for nitrogen fertilizers. In general, the prevailing global prices for nitrogen products must be at a level to incent the high cost marginal producer to produce product at a breakeven or above price, or else they would cease production and leave a portion of global demand unsatisfied.

Average selling prices for all of our major products were lower in 2023 than in 2022, as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand. In addition, the higher average selling prices in 2022 were driven in part by the geopolitical environment, as described above. The average selling price for our products was $347 per ton in 2023 compared to $610 per ton in 2022. The 43% decrease in the average selling prices for our products in 2023 compared to 2022 resulted in a year-over-year decrease in net sales of approximately $4.98 billion.

Our total sales volume was 4% higher in 2023 than in 2022, due primarily to higher sales volume in our UAN, Ammonia and Other segments. We shipped 19.1 million tons of product in 2023 compared to 18.3 million tons in 2022. The increase in total sales volume resulted in an increase in net sales of approximately $426 million. The impact of the Waggaman acquisition, which is included in our operating results since the acquisition on December 1, 2023, increased our sales volume by 57,000 tons and our net sales by $28 million.

Sales volume for our products in 2023, 2022 and 2021 is shown in the table below.

202320222021
Sales Volume (tons)Net SalesSales Volume (tons)Net SalesSales Volume (tons)Net Sales
(tons in thousands; dollars in millions)
Ammonia3,546$1,6793,300$3,0903,589$1,787
Granular Urea4,5701,8234,5722,8924,2901,880
UAN7,2372,0686,7883,5726,5841,788
AN1,5714971,5948451,720510
Other2,2065642,0777872,318573
Total19,130$6,63118,331$11,18618,501$6,538

Natural Gas

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce our nitrogen products. Natural gas is both a chemical feedstock and a fuel used to produce nitrogen products. Natural gas is a significant cost component of our manufactured nitrogen products, representing approximately 40% and 50%, respectively, of our production costs in 2023 and 2022.

The following table presents the average daily market price of natural gas at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America:

Year ended December 31,
2023202220212023 v. 20222022 v. 2021
Average daily market price of natural gas Henry Hub (Louisiana)$2.53$6.38$3.82$(3.85)(60)%$2.5667%

Most of our nitrogen manufacturing facilities are located in the United States and Canada. As a result, the price of natural gas in North America directly impacts a substantial portion of our operating expenses. Throughout 2023, there were several factors that led to lower average North American natural gas prices compared to 2022. Warmer-than-normal temperatures in the

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first quarter of 2023 drove lower heating demand for natural gas, while North American supply remained strong, as there were few weather-related production disruptions. In addition, although the higher cost for natural gas outside of North America incentivized liquefaction facilities in the United States to export domestic natural gas during 2023, the outage at the Freeport LNG facility in the first quarter of 2023 as well as planned maintenance in 2023 at several other LNG facilities limited total gas exports, resulting in greater domestic supply availability. In the fourth quarter of 2023, a warmer-than-average start to the winter season led to lower-than-expected heating demand, while North American natural gas production during the fourth quarter of 2023 was at historical highs. As a result, injection rates into natural gas storage in the United States during the fourth quarter of 2023 exceeded historical averages, leading to end-of-year storage levels that were 19% higher than one year earlier and 13% higher than the five-year average.

Our Billingham U.K. nitrogen manufacturing facility, prior to its ceasing ammonia production beginning in September 2022, was subject to fluctuations associated with the price of natural gas in Europe. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 disrupted European energy markets and threatened security of supply, driving natural gas prices in Europe upward to unprecedented levels. The average daily market price of natural gas at the National Balancing Point (NBP), the major trading point for natural gas in the United Kingdom, was $24.56 for 2022. In September 2022, as a result of extremely high and volatile natural gas prices and the lack of a corresponding increase in global nitrogen product market prices, we idled ammonia production at our Billingham complex. Since that time, we have imported ammonia for upgrade into AN and other nitrogen products at our Billingham complex. In the third quarter of 2023, we approved our plan to permanently close the ammonia plant at our Billingham complex. As a result, we continue to import ammonia for upgrade.

The total cost of natural gas used for production at our manufacturing facilities, which includes the impact of realized natural gas derivatives, decreased 49% to $3.67 per MMBtu in 2023 from $7.18 per MMBtu in 2022. The decrease in natural gas costs in 2023 as compared to 2022 resulted in an increase in gross margin of approximately $1.16 billion.

Financial Executive Summary

We reported net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $1.53 billion in 2023 compared to $3.35 billion in 2022, a decrease in net earnings of 54%, or $1.82 billion. The decrease in net earnings reflects a decrease in gross margin partially offset by the following: a lower income tax provision, lower net interest expense, a decrease in net earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest, and impairment charges related to our U.K. operations in 2022 that did not recur in 2023.

Gross margin decreased by $3.32 billion to $2.55 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in gross margin was due primarily to a 43% decrease in average selling prices to $347 per ton in 2023 from $610 per ton in 2022, which decreased gross margin by $4.98 billion. The impact of lower selling prices was partially offset by lower natural gas costs, which increased gross margin by $1.16 billion.

Lower gross margin was partially offset by the following: a decrease in the income tax provision of $748 million due primarily to lower pre-tax earnings in 2023, a $287 million decrease in net interest expense, and a decrease of $278 million in net earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest. In addition, pre-tax impairment and restructuring charges of $258 million related to our U.K. operations were recognized in 2022 compared to $10 million in 2023.

Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders decreased $8.51 per share, to $7.87 per share in 2023 compared to $16.38 per share in 2022 due primarily to lower net earnings, partially offset by lower weighted-average common shares outstanding as a result of shares repurchased under our share repurchase programs.

Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility

On December 1, 2023, we acquired an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana from Dyno Nobel Louisiana Ammonia, LLC (DNLA), a U.S. subsidiary of Australia-based Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL), pursuant to an asset purchase agreement with DNLA and IPL. The facility has a nameplate capacity of 880,000 tons of ammonia annually.

In connection with the acquisition, we entered into a long-term ammonia offtake agreement providing for us to supply up to 200,000 tons of ammonia per year to IPL’s Dyno Nobel, Inc. subsidiary. Under the terms of the asset purchase agreement, $425 million of the purchase price of $1.675 billion, subject to adjustment, was allocated by the parties to the ammonia offtake agreement. We funded the balance of the purchase price with $1.223 billion of cash on hand.

The consideration transferred reflects an estimated net working capital adjustment and other adjustments to the purchase price, which is subject to further adjustment pursuant to the terms of the asset purchase agreement. We expect any further purchase price adjustments required under the asset purchase agreement will be completed in 2024.

The financial results of the Waggaman facility are included in our consolidated statement of operations and in our

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Ammonia segment from the acquisition date of December 1, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the amount of net sales and net earnings of the Waggaman facility since the acquisition date was $28 million and $7 million, respectively.

In connection with recording the acquisition, we recognized, among other items, goodwill, intangible assets and a supply contract liability. See Note 6—Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility for additional information.

Items Affecting Comparability of Results

During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we reported net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $1.53 billion and $3.35 billion, respectively. In addition to the impact of market conditions and the acquisition of the Waggaman ammonia production facility discussed above, certain items affected the comparability of our financial results during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The following table and related discussion outline these items and their impact on the comparability of our financial results for these periods. The descriptions of items below that refer to amounts in the table refer to the pre-tax amounts unless otherwise noted.

20232022
Pre-TaxAfter-Tax(1)Pre-TaxAfter-Tax(1)
(in millions)
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives(2)$(39)$(30)$41$31
Loss on foreign currency transactions, including intercompany loans(3)2821
U.K. operations:
U.K. long-lived and intangible asset impairment239180
U.K. operations restructuring1081914
Acquisition and integration costs3929
Unrealized gain on embedded derivative liability(3)(14)(11)
Impairment of equity method investment in PLNL(4)4332
Pension settlement loss and curtailment gains—net(5)1713
Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter and Transfer pricing positions:
Interest expense170168
Interest income(29)(22)
Income tax provision(6)65
Loss on debt extinguishment86

______________________________________________________________________________

(1)The tax impact is calculated utilizing a marginal effective rate of 23.5% in both 2023 and 2022, except for acquisition and integration costs related to the Waggaman acquisition, which reflects a 26.2% marginal effective rate, and U.K. long-lived and intangible asset impairment, which reflects the amount of income tax benefit recognized. An income tax benefit for the U.K. goodwill impairment was not recorded as it is nondeductible for income tax purposes.

(2)Included in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations.

(3)Included in other operating—net in our consolidated statements of operations.

(4)Included in equity in (loss) earnings of operating affiliate in our consolidated statements of operations.

(5)Included in other non-operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations.

(6)The after-tax income tax provision amount of $65 million reflects an income tax provision of $70 million, consisting of the $78 million income tax provision referenced below under “Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter” and the $8 million of income tax benefit referenced below under “Transfer pricing positions,” net of $5 million of income tax provision that is reflected in the after-tax interest expense and interest income amounts shown in this table.

Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives

Natural gas is the largest and most volatile single component of the manufacturing cost for our nitrogen-based products. At certain times, we have managed the risk of changes in natural gas prices through the use of derivative financial instruments. The derivatives that we use for this purpose are primarily natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options. We use natural gas derivatives as an economic hedge of natural gas price risk, but without the application of hedge accounting. This can result in volatility in reported earnings due to the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments that occur from changes in the value of the derivatives, which are reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations. In 2023 and 2022, we recognized an unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives of $(39) million and $41 million, respectively.

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Loss on foreign currency transactions, including intercompany loans

In 2022, we recognized a loss on foreign currency transactions of $28 million, which consists of foreign currency exchange rate impacts on foreign currency denominated transactions, including the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on intercompany loans that were not permanently invested.

U.K. operations

In 2023, we recognized total charges of $10 million, consisting primarily of the recognition of an asset retirement obligation and post-employment benefits related to contractual and statutory obligations due to employees as a result of our approved plan to permanently close the ammonia plant at our Billingham complex.

In 2022, we recognized total charges of $258 million, consisting primarily of asset impairment charges related to property, plant and equipment at our Billingham and Ince facilities and definite-lived intangible assets. See Note 7—United Kingdom Operations Restructuring and Impairment Charges for further information.

Acquisition and integration costs

On December 1, 2023, we acquired an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana, as described above under “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility.” In 2023, we incurred $39 million of acquisition and integration costs related to the Waggaman acquisition.

Unrealized gain on embedded derivative liability

Under the terms of our strategic venture with CHS, if our credit rating as determined by two of three specified credit rating agencies is below certain levels, we are required to make a non-refundable yearly payment of $5 million to CHS until the earlier of the date that our credit rating is upgraded to above such levels by two of the three specified credit rating agencies or February 1, 2026. This obligation is recorded at fair value and has been recognized on our consolidated balance sheets as an embedded derivative. Beginning in 2016, our credit ratings were below such levels and, as a result, under the terms of the strategic venture, we made an annual payment of $5 million to CHS in the fourth quarter of each year from 2016 through 2021. Our credit rating was upgraded above certain levels in July 2022 by one of the specified credit rating agencies and in October 2022 by another one of the specified credit rating agencies. As a result of these upgrades, in the fourth quarter of 2022, there was a reduction in the fair value of the embedded derivative liability, and we recognized an unrealized gain of $14 million.

Impairment of equity method investment in PLNL

PLNL, our joint venture in Trinidad, operates an ammonia plant that relies on natural gas supplied, under a gas sales contract (the NGC Contract), by The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC). The NGC Contract had an expiration date of September 2023. In the third quarter of 2023, PLNL entered into a new gas sales contract with NGC (the New NGC Contract), which is effective October 2023 through December 2025.

In the third quarter of 2023 and due to the terms of the New NGC Contract, we assessed our investment in PLNL for impairment and determined that the carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL exceeded its fair value. As a result, we recorded an impairment of our equity method investment in PLNL of $43 million, which is reflected in equity in (loss) earnings of operating affiliate in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Pension settlement loss and curtailment gains—net

On July 15, 2022, we entered into an agreement with an insurance company to purchase a non-participating group annuity contract and transfer approximately $375 million of our primary U.S. defined benefit pension plan’s projected benefit obligation. The transaction closed on July 22, 2022 and was funded with plan assets. Under the transaction, the insurance company assumed responsibility for pension benefits and annuity administration for approximately 4,000 retirees or their beneficiaries. As a result of this transaction, in the third quarter of 2022, we remeasured the plan’s projected benefit obligation and plan assets, and we recognized a non-cash pre-tax pension settlement loss of $24 million, reflecting the unamortized net unrecognized postretirement benefit costs related to the settled obligations, with a corresponding offset to accumulated other comprehensive loss. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the final settlement of the non-participating group annuity contract resulted in a refund of $4 million to us, which decreased the non-cash pre-tax pension settlement loss recognized by $3 million to $21 million. The settlement loss is reflected in other non-operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022.

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In October 2022, we remeasured certain of our U.S. and Canadian defined benefit pension plans due to plan amendments resulting from a revision to our North American retirement plan strategy. As a result of these plan amendments, we recognized $4 million of curtailment gains, which is reflected in other non-operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022. See Note 13—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits for further information.

Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter

In 2016, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Alberta Tax and Revenue Administration (Alberta TRA) issued Notices of Reassessment for tax years 2006 through 2009 to one of our Canadian subsidiaries asserting a disallowance of certain patronage deductions. We filed Notices of Objection with respect to the Notices of Reassessment with the CRA and Alberta TRA and posted letters of credit in lieu of paying the additional tax liability assessed. The letters of credit served as security until the matter was resolved. In 2018, the matter, including the related transfer pricing topic regarding the allocation of profits between Canada and the United States, was accepted for consideration under the bilateral settlement provisions of the U.S.-Canada tax treaty (the Treaty) by the United States and Canadian competent authorities, and included tax years 2006 through 2011. In the second quarter of 2021, the Company submitted the transfer pricing aspect of the matter into the arbitration process under the terms of the Treaty.

In February 2022, we were informed that a decision was reached by the arbitration panel for tax years 2006 through 2011. In March 2022, we received further details of the results of the arbitration proceedings and the settlement provisions between the United States and Canadian competent authorities, and we accepted the decision of the arbitration panel. Under the terms of the arbitration decision, additional income for tax years 2006 through 2011 was subject to tax in Canada, resulting in our having additional Canadian tax liability for those tax years. See Note 12—Income Taxes for additional information.

In 2022, as a result of the impact of these events on our Canadian and U.S. federal and state income taxes, we recognized an income tax provision of $78 million, reflecting the net impact of $129 million of accrued income taxes payable to Canada for tax years 2006 through 2011, partially offset by net income tax receivables of approximately $51 million in the United States, and we accrued net interest of $102 million, primarily reflecting the estimated interest payable to Canada.

Transfer pricing positions

As a result of the outcome of the arbitration decision discussed above, we also evaluated our transfer pricing positions between Canada and the United States for open years 2012 and after. Based on this evaluation, we recorded the following in 2022:

•liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits of $159 million, with a corresponding income tax provision, and accrued interest of $59 million related to the liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits, and

•noncurrent income tax receivables of $188 million, with a corresponding income tax benefit, and accrued interest income of $20 million related to the noncurrent income tax receivables.

In 2022, the impact of these evaluations of transfer pricing positions on our consolidated statement of operations, including $21 million of net deferred income tax provision for other transfer pricing tax effects, was $8 million of income tax benefit and $39 million of net interest expense before tax ($44 million after tax).

Loss on debt extinguishment

On April 21, 2022, we redeemed in full all of the $500 million outstanding principal amount of the 3.450% senior notes due June 2023 (the 2023 Notes) in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the April 2022 redemption of the 2023 Notes was $513 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $8 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $500 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

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Consolidated Results of Operations

The following table presents our consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021:

Year ended December 31,
2023202220212023 v. 20222022 v. 2021
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$6,631$11,186$6,538$(4,555)(41)%$4,64871%
Cost of sales (COS)4,0865,3254,151(1,239)(23)%1,17428%
Gross margin2,5455,8612,387(3,316)(57)%3,474146%
Gross margin percentage38.4%52.4%36.5%(14.0)%15.9%
Selling, general and administrative expenses289290223(1)%6730%
U.K. goodwill impairment285%(285)(100)%
U.K. long-lived and intangible asset impairment239236(239)(100)%31%
U.K. operations restructuring1019(9)(47)%19N/M
Acquisition and integration costs3939N/M%
Other operating—net(31)10(39)(41)N/M49N/M
Total other operating costs and expenses307558705(251)(45)%(147)(21)%
Equity in (loss) earnings of operating affiliate(8)9447(102)N/M47100%
Operating earnings2,2305,3971,729(3,167)(59)%3,668212%
Interest expense150344184(194)(56)%16087%
Interest income(158)(65)(1)(93)(143)%(64)N/M
Loss on debt extinguishment819(8)(100)%(11)(58)%
Other non-operating—net(10)15(16)(25)N/M31N/M
Earnings before income taxes2,2485,0951,543(2,847)(56)%3,552230%
Income tax provision4101,158283(748)(65)%875309%
Net earnings1,8383,9371,260(2,099)(53)%2,677212%
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest313591343(278)(47)%24872%
Net earnings attributable to common stockholders$1,525$3,346$917$(1,821)(54)%$2,429265%
Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders$7.87$16.38$4.24$(8.51)(52)%$12.14286%
Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding193.8204.2216.2(10.4)(5)%(12.0)(6)%
Dividends declared per common share$1.60$1.50$1.20$0.107%$0.3025%

______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

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The following table presents certain supplemental data for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021:

Year ended December 31,
2023202220212023 v. 20222022 v. 2021
Natural gas supplemental data (per MMBtu)
Natural gas costs in COS(1)$3.26$7.16$4.21$(3.90)(54)%$2.9570%
Realized derivatives loss in COS(2)0.410.020.39N/M0.02N/M
Cost of natural gas used for production in COS$3.67$7.18$4.21$(3.51)(49)%$2.9771%
Average daily market price of natural gas Henry Hub (Louisiana)$2.53$6.38$3.82$(3.85)(60)%$2.5667%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(39)$41$25$(80)N/M$1664%
Depreciation and amortization$869$850$888$192%$(38)(4)%
Capital expenditures$499$453$514$4610%$(61)(12)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)19,13018,33118,5017994%(170)(1)%
Production volume by product tons (000s):
Ammonia(3)9,4969,8079,349(311)(3)%4585%
Granular urea4,5444,5614,123(17)%43811%
UAN (32%)6,8526,7066,7631462%(57)(1)%
AN1,5201,5171,6463%(129)(8)%

______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Includes the cost of natural gas and related transportation that is included in cost of sales during the period under the first-in, first-out inventory cost method.

(2)Includes realized gains and losses on natural gas derivatives settled during the period. Excludes unrealized mark-to-market gains and losses on natural gas derivatives.

(3)Gross ammonia production, including amounts subsequently upgraded on-site into granular urea, UAN, or AN.

The following is a discussion and analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. For a discussion and analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2023.

Net Sales

Our net sales are derived primarily from the sale of nitrogen products and are determined by the quantities of nitrogen products we sell and the selling prices we realize. The volumes, mix and selling prices we realize are determined to a great extent by a combination of global and regional supply and demand factors. Net sales also include shipping and handling costs that are billed to our customers. Sales incentives are reported as a reduction in net sales.

Our net sales decreased $4.56 billion, or 41%, to $6.63 billion in 2023 compared to $11.19 billion in 2022. The decrease in our net sales reflects (i) the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, which is included in our operating results since the acquisition on December 1, 2023, and increased our net sales by $28 million, and (ii) a $4.58 billion, or 41%, decline in our net sales excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, due to a 43% decrease in average selling prices, partially offset by a 4% increase in sales volume.

Our average selling price was $347 per ton in 2023 compared to $610 per ton in 2022, a decrease of 43%, due to lower average selling prices across all of our segments, as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand. The impact of lower average selling prices was a decrease in net sales of approximately $4.98 billion for 2023 compared to 2022.

Our sales volume of 19.1 million product tons in 2023 was 4% higher compared to 18.3 million product tons in 2022, due primarily to higher sales volume in our UAN, Ammonia and Other segments. The impact of the Waggaman acquisition increased our ammonia sales volume by 57,000 tons.

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Gross ammonia production for 2023 decreased to approximately 9.5 million tons compared to 9.8 million tons in 2022, due primarily to our Billingham ammonia plant, which was idled in late 2022 and permanently closed in 2023. We expect gross ammonia production for 2024 will be approximately 10 million tons. The expected increase in gross ammonia production for 2024 compared to 2023 reflects the inclusion of the Waggaman facility, which we acquired on December 1, 2023.

Cost of Sales

Our cost of sales includes manufacturing costs, purchased product costs, distribution costs and storage costs. Manufacturing costs, the most significant element of cost of sales, consist primarily of raw materials, realized and unrealized gains and losses on natural gas derivatives, maintenance, direct labor, depreciation and other plant overhead expenses. Purchased product costs primarily include the cost to purchase nitrogen fertilizers to augment or replace production at our facilities. Distribution costs consist of the cost of freight required to transport finished products from our plants to our distribution facilities, which are recognized in cost of sales when the product is sold to our customers. Storage costs consist of costs incurred prior to final shipment to customers.

Our cost of sales decreased $1.24 billion, or 23%, to $4.09 billion in 2023 as compared to $5.33 billion in 2022. The decrease in our cost of sales reflects (i) the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, which increased our cost of sales by $14 million, (ii) lower costs for natural gas including the impact of realized derivatives, excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, which decreased cost of sales by $1.16 billion, and (iii) lower costs for ammonia purchased from PLNL, our joint venture in Trinidad. Lower natural gas costs include the benefit of ceasing ammonia production in the United Kingdom and the corresponding reduction in natural gas purchases. For our U.K. operations, the decrease in our cost of sales from lower natural gas costs was partially offset by the cost to import ammonia for upgrading into AN and other nitrogen products.

Cost of sales also includes the impact of a $39 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2023 compared to a $41 million loss in 2022.

Cost of sales averaged $214 per ton in 2023, a 26% decrease from $290 per ton in 2022. Our cost of natural gas, including the impact of realized derivatives, decreased 49% to $3.67 per MMBtu in 2023 from $7.18 per MMBtu in 2022.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Our selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of corporate office expenses such as salaries and other payroll-related costs for our executive, administrative, legal, financial, IT, and sales functions, as well as certain taxes and insurance and other professional service fees, including those for corporate initiatives, and amortization of definite-lived intangible assets.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $289 million in 2023 as compared to $290 million in 2022. The decrease was due primarily to charitable contributions in 2022 for the initial funding of the CF Industries Foundation formed in December 2022 that did not recur in 2023, partially offset by higher costs related to certain corporate initiatives, including higher amortization due to our recently implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

U.K. Operations

In 2023, related to our U.K. operations, we recognized total charges of $10 million, consisting primarily of the recognition of an asset retirement obligation and post-employment benefits related to contractual and statutory obligations due to employees as a result of our approved plan to permanently close the ammonia plant at our Billingham complex.

In 2022, related to our U.K. operations, we recognized total charges of $258 million, consisting of $239 million of asset impairment charges primarily related to property, plant and equipment at our Billingham and Ince facilities and definite-lived intangible assets and $19 million of restructuring charges primarily related to post-employment benefits related to contractual and statutory obligations and one-time termination benefits. See Note 7—United Kingdom Operations Restructuring and Impairment Charges for further information.

Acquisition and Integration Costs

On December 1, 2023, we acquired an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana, as described above under “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility.” In 2023, we incurred $39 million of acquisition and integration costs related to the Waggaman acquisition.

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Other Operating—Net

Other operating—net includes administrative costs that do not relate directly to our central operations. Costs included in “other operating costs” can include foreign currency transaction gains and losses, unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency derivatives, litigation expenses, gains and losses on the disposal of fixed assets and FEED study costs related to our clean energy initiatives.

Other operating—net was $31 million of income in 2023 compared to $10 million of expense in 2022. The income in 2023 consists primarily of gains on sales of emission credits, partially offset by FEED study costs for our clean energy initiatives. See “Our Strategy,” above, for additional information related to our clean energy initiatives.

The expense in 2022 primarily includes a loss on foreign currency transactions of $28 million, which consists of foreign currency exchange rate impacts on foreign currency denominated transactions, including the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on intercompany loans that were not permanently invested. The loss on foreign currency transactions in 2022 was partially offset by an unrealized gain of $14 million related to an embedded derivative liability. See “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Unrealized gain on embedded derivative liability,” above, for further information.

Equity in (Loss) Earnings of Operating Affiliate

Equity in (loss) earnings of operating affiliate consists of our 50% ownership interest in PLNL. We include our share of the net earnings from our equity method investment in PLNL as an element of earnings from operations because this investment provides additional production and is integrated with our other supply chain and sales activities.

Equity in (loss) earnings of operating affiliate was an $8 million loss in 2023 compared to $94 million of earnings in 2022. The $8 million loss in 2023 includes an impairment of our equity method investment in PLNL of $43 million recognized in the third quarter of 2023. See “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Impairment of equity method investment in PLNL,” above, for further discussion. Lower equity in earnings of operating affiliate also reflects a decrease in the operating results of PLNL as a result of lower ammonia selling prices, partially offset by lower natural gas costs.

Interest Expense

Interest expense includes interest on our long-term debt, amortization of the related fees required to execute financing agreements, annual fees pursuant to our revolving credit agreement and interest on tax liabilities. Capitalized interest relating to the construction of major capital projects reduces interest expense as the interest is capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful lives of the related assets.

Interest expense was $150 million in 2023 compared to $344 million in 2022. The decrease of $194 million was due primarily to $184 million of tax-related interest expense recorded in 2022, including $170 million of interest expense related to income tax matters described under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter” and “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Transfer pricing positions,” above. The decrease in interest expense was also due in part to lower interest expense on borrowings due to the redemption in full of all of the $500 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes in April 2022 prior to their scheduled maturity.

Interest Income

Interest income includes amounts earned on our cash, cash equivalents, and investments and any interest earned related to income tax refunds.

Interest income was $158 million in 2023 compared to $65 million in 2022. The increase of $93 million reflects a $102 million increase in interest income on short-term investments in 2023 due primarily to higher interest rates. Partially offsetting this effect of higher interest rates was interest income recorded in 2022 that did not recur in 2023, which was related to income tax matters described under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter” and “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Transfer pricing positions,” above.

Loss on Debt Extinguishment

Loss on debt extinguishment of $8 million in 2022 is described under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Loss on debt extinguishment,” above.

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Other Non-Operating—Net

Other non-operating—net was $10 million of income in 2023 compared to $15 million of expense in 2022. The variance was due primarily to the impact of defined benefit pension plan transactions in 2022, including a pension settlement loss of $21 million and curtailment gains of $4 million, which are described under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Pension settlement loss and curtailment gains—net,” above.

Income Tax Provision

Our income tax provision for 2023 was $410 million on pre-tax income of $2.25 billion, or an effective tax rate of 18.3%, compared to an income tax provision of $1.16 billion on pre-tax income of $5.10 billion, or an effective tax rate of 22.7%, in 2022.

Our effective tax rate is impacted by earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest in CFN, as our consolidated income tax provision does not include a tax provision on the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest. Our effective tax rate for 2023 of 18.3%, which is based on pre-tax income of $2.25 billion, would be 2.9 percentage points higher, or 21.2%, if based on pre-tax income exclusive of the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $313 million. Our effective tax rate for 2022 of 22.7%, which is based on pre-tax income of $5.10 billion, would be 3.0 percentage points higher, or 25.7%, if based on pre-tax income exclusive of the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $591 million.

For 2022, our income tax provision includes $22 million of income tax expense to record a valuation allowance in the United Kingdom, $23 million of income tax benefit for the excess tax benefit related to certain share-based compensation activity and $78 million of income tax provision related to the Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter, which is described above under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results.”

Both 2023 and 2022 were impacted by additional discrete tax items. See Note 12—Income Taxes for additional information.

Net Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest includes the net earnings attributable to the approximately 11% CHS minority equity interest in CFN, a subsidiary of CF Holdings.

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest decreased $278 million, or 47%, to $313 million in 2023 compared to $591 million in 2022 due to lower earnings of CFN driven by lower average selling prices as described above under “Net Sales.”

Diluted Net Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

Net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders decreased 52% to $7.87 per diluted share in 2023 from $16.38 per diluted share in 2022. This decrease was due primarily to a decrease in gross margin, driven by lower average selling prices, partially offset by lower costs for natural gas. Lower gross margin was partially offset by a decrease in the income tax provision resulting from lower profitability, a decrease in interest expense due primarily to interest expense on tax liabilities in 2022 related to Canadian-U.S. transfer pricing matters that did not recur in 2023, a decrease in net earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $278 million, and pre-tax impairment and restructuring charges related to our U.K. operations of $258 million in 2022 compared to $10 million in 2023. Additionally, diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding declined 5% from 204.2 million shares for 2022 to 193.8 million shares for 2023, due primarily to repurchases of common shares under our share repurchase programs.

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Operating Results by Business Segment

Our reportable segment structure reflects how our chief operating decision maker, as defined in accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP), assesses the performance of our reportable segments and makes decisions about resource allocation. These segments are differentiated by products. Our management uses gross margin to evaluate segment performance and allocate resources. Total other operating costs and expenses (consisting primarily of selling, general and administrative expenses and other operating—net) and non-operating expenses (consisting primarily of interest and income taxes), are centrally managed and are not included in the measurement of segment profitability reviewed by management. The following table presents summary operating results by business segment:

Ammonia(1)Granular Urea(2)UAN(2)AN(2)Other(2)Consolidated
(in millions)
Year ended December 31, 2023
Net sales$1,679$1,823$2,068$497$564$6,631
Cost of sales1,1381,0101,2513593284,086
Gross margin$541$813$817$138$236$2,545
Gross margin percentage32.2%44.6%39.5%27.8%41.8%38.4%
Year ended December 31, 2022
Net sales$3,090$2,892$3,572$845$787$11,186
Cost of sales1,4911,3281,4895974205,325
Gross margin$1,599$1,564$2,083$248$367$5,861
Gross margin percentage51.7%54.1%58.3%29.3%46.6%52.4%
Year ended December 31, 2021
Net sales$1,787$1,880$1,788$510$573$6,538
Cost of sales1,1629921,1194754034,151
Gross margin$625$888$669$35$170$2,387
Gross margin percentage35.0%47.2%37.4%6.9%29.7%36.5%

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)The financial results of the Waggaman facility are included in the Ammonia segment from the Waggaman acquisition date of December 1, 2023. See “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility” for additional information.

(2)The cost of the products that are upgraded into other products is transferred at cost into the upgraded product results.

The following is a discussion and analysis of our operating results by business segment for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. For a discussion and analysis of our operating results by business segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2023.

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Ammonia Segment

Our Ammonia segment produces anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which is the base product that we manufacture, containing 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. The results of our Ammonia segment consist of sales of ammonia to external customers for its nitrogen content as a fertilizer, in emissions control and in other industrial applications. In addition, we upgrade ammonia into other nitrogen products such as granular urea, UAN and AN.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Ammonia segment:

Year ended December 31,
2023(1)202220212023 v. 20222022 v. 2021
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$1,679$3,090$1,787$(1,411)(46)%$1,30373%
Cost of sales1,1381,4911,162(353)(24)%32928%
Gross margin$541$1,599$625$(1,058)(66)%$974156%
Gross margin percentage32.2%51.7%35.0%(19.5)%16.7%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)3,5463,3003,5892467%(289)(8)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(2)2,9082,7072,9442017%(237)(8)%
Average selling price per product ton$473$936$498$(463)(49)%$43888%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(2)$577$1,141$607$(564)(49)%$53488%
Gross margin per product ton$153$485$174$(332)(68)%$311179%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(2)$186$591$212$(405)(69)%$379179%
Depreciation and amortization$171$166$209$53%$(43)(21)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(11)$13$7$(24)N/M$686%

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)The financial results of the Waggaman facility are included in the Ammonia segment from the Waggaman acquisition date of December 1, 2023. See “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility” for additional information.

(2)Ammonia represents 82% nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022

Net Sales. Net sales in our Ammonia segment decreased by $1.41 billion, or 46%, to $1.68 billion in 2023 from $3.09 billion in 2022. The decrease in our net sales reflects (i) the impact of the Waggaman acquisition completed on December 1, 2023, which increased net sales by $28 million, and (ii) a $1.44 billion, or 47%, decline in our net sales excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, due to a 49% decrease in average selling prices, partially offset by a 6% increase in sales volume. Average selling prices decreased to $473 per ton in 2023 compared to $936 per ton in 2022 as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand. Sales volume was higher in 2023 due primarily to higher supply availability resulting from higher beginning inventory.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Ammonia segment averaged $320 per ton in 2023, a 29% decrease from $451 per ton in 2022. The decrease was due primarily to lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, and a lower cost per ton for ammonia purchased from PLNL, our joint venture in Trinidad. The impact of the Waggaman acquisition on our cost of sales per ton in our Ammonia segment was not material.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Ammonia segment decreased by $1.06 billion to $541 million in 2023 from $1.60 billion in 2022, and our gross margin percentage was 32.2% in 2023 compared to 51.7% in 2022. These results reflect (i) the impact of the Waggaman acquisition completed on December 1, 2023, which increased gross margin by $14 million, and (ii) a decrease in gross margin of $1.07 billion excluding the impact of the Waggaman acquisition, due primarily to a 49% decrease in average selling prices, which decreased gross margin by $1.60 billion. The decrease in average selling prices was partially offset by a decrease in realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased gross margin by $293 million, a net decrease in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which increased gross margin by $167 million, and a 6% increase in sales volume, which increased gross margin by $40 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of an $11 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2023 compared to a $13 million loss in 2022.

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Granular Urea Segment

Our Granular Urea segment produces granular urea, which contains 46% nitrogen. Produced from ammonia and carbon dioxide, it has the highest nitrogen content of any of our solid nitrogen fertilizers. Granular urea is produced at our Donaldsonville, Port Neal and Medicine Hat complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Granular Urea segment:

Year ended December 31,
2023202220212023 v. 20222022 v. 2021
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$1,823$2,892$1,880$(1,069)(37)%$1,01254%
Cost of sales1,0101,328992(318)(24)%33634%
Gross margin$813$1,564$888$(751)(48)%$67676%
Gross margin percentage44.6%54.1%47.2%(9.5)%6.9%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)4,5704,5724,290(2)%2827%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)2,1022,1031,973(1)%1307%
Average selling price per product ton$399$633$438$(234)(37)%$19545%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$867$1,375$953$(508)(37)%$42244%
Gross margin per product ton$178$342$207$(164)(48)%$13565%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$387$744$450$(357)(48)%$29465%
Depreciation and amortization$285$272$235$135%$3716%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(11)$13$6$(24)N/M$7117%

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Granular urea represents 46% nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022

Net Sales. Net sales in our Granular Urea segment decreased $1.07 billion, or 37%, to $1.82 billion in 2023 compared to $2.89 billion in 2022 due primarily to a 37% decrease in average selling prices. Average selling prices decreased to $399 per ton in 2023 compared to $633 per ton in 2022 as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Granular Urea segment averaged $221 per ton in 2023, a 24% decrease from $291 per ton in 2022, due primarily to lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Granular Urea segment decreased by $751 million to $813 million in 2023 from $1.56 billion in 2022, and our gross margin percentage was 44.6% in 2023 compared to 54.1% in 2022. The decrease in gross margin was driven by a 37% decrease in average selling prices, which decreased gross margin by approximately $1.10 billion, and a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which decreased gross margin by $3 million. These factors that decreased gross margin were partially offset by lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased gross margin by $262 million, and the impact of changes in sales volume and mix, which increased gross margin by $68 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of an $11 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2023 compared to a $13 million loss in 2022.

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UAN Segment

Our UAN segment produces urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN). UAN, a liquid fertilizer product with a nitrogen content that typically ranges from 28% to 32%, is produced by combining urea and ammonium nitrate. UAN is produced at our Courtright, Donaldsonville, Port Neal, Verdigris, Woodward, and Yazoo City complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our UAN segment:

Year ended December 31,
2023202220212023 v. 20222022 v. 2021
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$2,068$3,572$1,788$(1,504)(42)%$1,784100%
Cost of sales1,2511,4891,119(238)(16)%37033%
Gross margin$817$2,083$669$(1,266)(61)%$1,414211%
Gross margin percentage39.5%58.3%37.4%(18.8)%20.9%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)7,2376,7886,5844497%2043%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)2,2832,1482,0751356%734%
Average selling price per product ton$286$526$272$(240)(46)%$25493%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$906$1,663$862$(757)(46)%$80193%
Gross margin per product ton$113$307$102$(194)(63)%$205201%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$358$970$322$(612)(63)%$648201%
Depreciation and amortization$288$269$259$197%$104%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(11)$14$5$(25)N/M$9180%

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)UAN represents between 28% and 32% of nitrogen content, depending on the concentration specified by the customer. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022

Net Sales. Net sales in our UAN segment decreased $1.50 billion, or 42%, to $2.07 billion in 2023 compared to $3.57 billion in 2022 due primarily to a 46% decrease in average selling prices, partially offset by a 7% increase in sales volume. Average selling prices decreased to $286 per ton in 2023 compared to $526 per ton in 2022 due primarily to lower global energy costs reducing the global market clearing price required to meet global demand and an increase in imports of Russian UAN into the United States. The increase in sales volume was due primarily to strong customer participation in our post-application season sales program as well as higher supply availability resulting from higher production.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our UAN segment averaged $173 per ton in 2023, a 21% decrease from $219 per ton in 2022, due primarily to the impact of lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our UAN segment decreased by $1.27 billion to $817 million in 2023 from $2.08 billion in 2022, and our gross margin percentage was 39.5% in 2023 compared to 58.3% in 2022. The decrease in gross margin was due primarily to a 46% decrease in average selling prices, which decreased gross margin by $1.73 billion. This decrease in gross margin was partially offset by lower realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased gross margin by $287 million, a 7% increase in sales volume, which increased gross margin by $146 million and a net decrease in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which increased gross margin by $10 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of an $11 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2023 compared to a $14 million loss in 2022.

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AN Segment

Our AN segment produces ammonium nitrate (AN). AN, which has a nitrogen content between 29% and 35%, is produced by combining anhydrous ammonia and nitric acid. AN is used as nitrogen fertilizer and is also used by industrial customers for commercial explosives and blasting systems. AN is produced at our Yazoo City and Billingham complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our AN segment:

Year ended December 31,
2023202220212023 v. 20222022 v. 2021
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$497$845$510$(348)(41)%$33566%
Cost of sales359597475(238)(40)%12226%
Gross margin$138$248$35$(110)(44)%$213N/M
Gross margin percentage27.8%29.3%6.9%(1.5)%22.4%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)1,5711,5941,720(23)(1)%(126)(7)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)538545582(7)(1)%(37)(6)%
Average selling price per product ton$316$530$297$(214)(40)%$23378%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$924$1,550$876$(626)(40)%$67477%
Gross margin per product ton$88$156$20$(68)(44)%$136N/M
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$257$455$60$(198)(44)%$395N/M
Depreciation and amortization$48$61$77$(13)(21)%$(16)(21)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(2)$(2)$4$%$(6)N/M

_______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)AN represents between 29% and 35% of nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022

In September 2022, as a result of extremely high and volatile natural gas prices and the lack of a corresponding increase in global nitrogen product market prices, we idled ammonia production at our Billingham complex. Since that time, we have imported ammonia for upgrade at our Billingham complex into AN and other nitrogen products, which are included in our Other segment. In the third quarter of 2023, we approved our plan to permanently close the ammonia plant at our Billingham complex.

Net Sales. Net sales in our AN segment decreased $348 million, or 41%, to $497 million in 2023 from $845 million in 2022 due primarily to a 40% decrease in average selling prices. Average selling prices decreased to $316 per ton in 2023 compared to $530 per ton in 2022 as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our AN segment averaged $228 per ton in 2023, a 39% decrease from $374 per ton in 2022. The decrease was due primarily to lower production costs for our Billingham complex in 2023, as purchased ammonia was used for upgrading into AN as compared to the higher-cost natural gas used to produce ammonia to upgrade into AN in 2022. In addition, the decrease in cost of sales per ton reflects lower realized natural gas costs in North America in 2023 compared to 2022.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our AN segment decreased by $110 million to $138 million in 2023 from $248 million in 2022, and our gross margin percentage was 27.8% in 2023 compared to 29.3% in 2022. The decrease in gross margin reflects the following:

•a 40% decrease in average selling prices, which decreased gross margin by $286 million, and a 1% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $10 million; and

•a decrease in realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased gross margin by $207 million, due primarily to the closure of the ammonia plant at our Billingham complex, partially offset by a net increase of $21 million in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, driven by the cost for purchased ammonia for upgrade at our Billingham complex.

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Other Segment

Our Other segment primarily includes the following products:

•diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), an aqueous urea solution typically made with 32.5% or 50% high-purity urea and the remainder deionized water;

•urea liquor, a liquid product that we sell in concentrations of 40%, 50% and 70% urea as a chemical intermediate; and

•nitric acid, a nitrogen-based mineral acid that is used in the production of nitrate-based fertilizers, nylon precursors and other specialty chemicals.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Other segment:

Year ended December 31,
2023202220212023 v. 20222022 v. 2021
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$564$787$573$(223)(28)%$21437%
Cost of sales328420403(92)(22)%174%
Gross margin$236$367$170$(131)(36)%$197116%
Gross margin percentage41.8%46.6%29.7%(4.8)%16.9%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)2,2062,0772,3181296%(241)(10)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)434408458266%(50)(11)%
Average selling price per product ton$256$379$247$(123)(32)%$13253%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$1,300$1,929$1,251$(629)(33)%$67854%
Gross margin per product ton$107$177$73$(70)(40)%$104142%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$544$900$371$(356)(40)%$529143%
Depreciation and amortization$64$67$87$(3)(4)%$(20)(23)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(4)$3$3$(7)N/M$%

_______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022

In June 2022, we approved and announced our proposed plan to restructure our U.K. operations, including the planned permanent closure of our Ince facility. In August 2022, the final restructuring plan was approved, and decommissioning activities were initiated. We produced compound fertilizer products (NPKs), which are solid granular fertilizer products for which the nutrient content is a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, only at our Ince facility, and closure of this facility resulted in our discontinuation of the NPK product line, which was included in our Other segment.

In September 2022, as a result of extremely high and volatile natural gas prices in the United Kingdom and the lack of a corresponding increase in global nitrogen product market prices, we idled ammonia production at our Billingham complex. Since that time, we have imported ammonia for upgrade at our Billingham complex into AN and other nitrogen products, including nitric acid and aqua ammonia, which are included in our Other segment. In the third quarter of 2023, we approved our plan to permanently close the ammonia plant at our Billingham complex.

Net Sales. Net sales in our Other segment decreased $223 million, or 28%, to $564 million in 2023 from $787 million in 2022 due to a 32% decrease in average selling prices, partially offset by a 6% increase in sales volume. Average selling prices decreased to $256 per ton in 2023 compared to $379 per ton in 2022 as lower global energy costs reduced the global market clearing price required to meet global demand. The increase in sales volume was due primarily to higher DEF sales volume.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Other segment averaged $149 per ton in 2023, a 26% decrease from $202 per ton in 2022, due primarily to lower production costs for our Billingham complex in 2023, as purchased ammonia was used for upgrading into other nitrogen products as compared to the higher-cost natural gas used to produce ammonia to upgrade into other nitrogen products in 2022. In addition, the decrease in cost of sales per ton reflects lower realized natural gas costs in North America in 2023 compared to 2022.

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Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Other segment decreased by $131 million to $236 million in 2023 from $367 million in 2022, and our gross margin percentage was 41.8% in 2023 compared to 46.6% in 2022. The decrease in gross margin reflects the following:

•a 32% decrease in average selling prices, which decreased gross margin by $263 million, partially offset by a 6% increase in sales volume, which increased gross margin by $29 million;

•a decrease in realized natural gas costs, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased gross margin by $106 million, partially offset by a net increase of $10 million in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, driven by the cost for purchased ammonia for upgrade at our Billingham complex; and

•the impact of a $4 million unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2023 compared to a $3 million loss in 2022.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary uses of cash are generally for operating costs, working capital, capital expenditures, debt service, investments, taxes, share repurchases, and dividends. Our working capital requirements are affected by several factors, including demand for our products, selling prices, raw material costs, freight costs and seasonal factors inherent in the business. We may also utilize our cash to fund acquisitions. In addition, we may from time to time seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases, in open market or privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

Generally, our primary source of cash is cash from operations, which includes cash generated by customer advances. We may also from time to time access the capital markets or engage in borrowings under our revolving credit agreement.

On December 1, 2023, we acquired an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana. See “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility,” below, for additional information.

As of December 31, 2023, our cash and cash equivalents balance was $2.03 billion, a decrease of $291 million from $2.32 billion at December 31, 2022. At December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with all applicable covenant requirements under our revolving credit agreement and senior notes, and unused borrowing capacity under our revolving credit agreement was $750 million.

On January 31, 2024, our Board of Directors (the Board) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per common share, representing an increase from the quarterly dividend of $0.40 per common share that was declared and paid in the fourth quarter of 2023. The dividend will be paid on February 29, 2024 to stockholders of record as of February 15, 2024.

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents include highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash with original maturities of three months or less. Under our short-term investment policy, we may invest our cash balances, either directly or through mutual funds, in several types of investment-grade securities, including notes and bonds issued by governmental entities or corporations. Securities issued by governmental entities include those issued directly by the U.S. and Canadian federal governments; those issued by state, local or other governmental entities; and those guaranteed by entities affiliated with governmental entities.

Capital Spending

We make capital expenditures to sustain our asset base, increase our capacity or capabilities, improve plant efficiency, comply with various environmental, health and safety requirements, and invest in our clean energy strategy. Capital expenditures totaled $499 million in 2023 compared to $453 million in 2022.

Capital expenditures in 2024 are estimated to be in the range of $550 million. Planned capital expenditures are generally subject to change due to delays in regulatory approvals or permitting, unanticipated increases in cost, changes in scope and completion time, performance of third parties, delays in the receipt of equipment, adverse weather, defects in materials and workmanship, labor or material shortages, transportation constraints, acceleration or delays in the timing of the work and other unforeseen difficulties.

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Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility

On December 1, 2023, we acquired an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana from Dyno Nobel Louisiana Ammonia, LLC (DNLA), a U.S. subsidiary of Australia-based Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL), pursuant to an asset purchase agreement with DNLA and IPL. The facility has a nameplate capacity of 880,000 tons of ammonia annually.

In connection with the acquisition, we entered into a long-term ammonia offtake agreement providing for us to supply up to 200,000 tons of ammonia per year to IPL’s Dyno Nobel, Inc. subsidiary. Under the terms of the asset purchase agreement, $425 million of the purchase price of $1.675 billion, subject to adjustment, was allocated by the parties to the ammonia offtake agreement. We funded the balance of the purchase price with $1.223 billion of cash on hand. The consideration transferred reflects an estimated net working capital adjustment and other adjustments to the purchase price, which is subject to further adjustment pursuant to the terms of the asset purchase agreement. We expect any further purchase price adjustments required under the asset purchase agreement will be completed in 2024.

The financial results of the Waggaman facility are included in our consolidated statement of operations and in our Ammonia segment from the acquisition date of December 1, 2023. See Note 6—Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility for additional information.

Share Repurchase Programs

On November 3, 2021, the Board authorized the repurchase of up to $1.5 billion of CF Holdings common stock through December 31, 2024 (the 2021 Share Repurchase Program). On November 2, 2022, the Board authorized the repurchase of up to $3 billion of CF Holdings common stock commencing upon completion of the 2021 Share Repurchase Program and effective through December 31, 2025 (the 2022 Share Repurchase Program). Repurchases under our share repurchase programs may be made from time to time in the open market, through privately negotiated transactions, through block transactions, through accelerated share repurchase programs, or otherwise. The manner, timing and amount of repurchases will be determined by our management based on the evaluation of market conditions, stock price, and other factors. Shares repurchased, including those repurchased under share repurchase programs, are retired as approved by the Board.

The following table summarizes the share repurchases under the 2022 Share Repurchase Program and 2021 Share Repurchase Program.

2022 Share Repurchase Program2021 Share Repurchase Program
SharesAmounts(1)SharesAmounts(1)
(in millions)
Shares repurchased in 2022:
First quarter$1.3$100
Second quarter5.3490
Third quarter6.1532
Fourth quarter2.2223
Total shares repurchased in 202214.91,345
Shares repurchased as of December 31, 2022$14.9$1,345
Shares repurchased in 2023:
First quarter$1.1$75
Second quarter0.8501.280
Third quarter1.9150
Fourth quarter2.9225
Total shares repurchased in 20235.64252.3155
Shares repurchased as of December 31, 20235.6$42517.2$1,500

______________________________________________________________________________

(1)As defined in the share repurchase programs, amounts reflect the price paid for the shares of common stock repurchased, excluding commissions paid to brokers and excise taxes.

In the first half of 2023, we completed the 2021 Share Repurchase Program with the repurchase of approximately 2.3 million shares for $155 million. In 2023, we repurchased 5.6 million shares under the 2022 Share Repurchase Program for $425 million.

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Government Policies

The policies or laws of governments around the world can result in the imposition of taxes, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or regulatory requirements on imports and exports of raw materials, finished goods or services from a particular country or region of the world. The policies and laws of governments can also impact the subsidization of natural gas prices, and subsidies or quotas applied to domestic producers or farmers. Due to the critical role that fertilizers play in food production, the construction and operation of fertilizer plants often are influenced by economic, political and social objectives. Additionally, the import or export of fertilizer can be subject to local taxes imposed by governments which can have the effect of either encouraging or discouraging import and export activity. The impact of changes in governmental policies or laws or the political or social objectives of a country could have a material impact on fertilizer demand and selling prices and therefore could impact our liquidity.

Repatriation of Foreign Earnings and Income Taxes

We have operations in Canada, the United Kingdom and a 50% interest in a joint venture in Trinidad. Historically, the estimated additional U.S. and foreign income taxes due upon repatriation of the earnings of these foreign operations to the United States were recognized in our consolidated financial statements as the earnings were recognized, unless the earnings were considered to be permanently reinvested based upon our then current plans. However, the cash payment of the income tax liabilities associated with repatriation of earnings from foreign operations occurred at the time of the repatriation. As a result, the recognition of income tax expense related to foreign earnings, as applicable, and the payment of taxes resulting from repatriation of those earnings could occur in different periods.

In light of changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, commencing with the 2018 tax year, the United States no longer taxes earnings of foreign subsidiaries even when such earnings are earned or repatriated to the United States, unless such earnings are subject to U.S. rules on passive income or certain anti-abuse provisions. Foreign subsidiary earnings may still be subject to withholding taxes when repatriated to the United States.

Cash balances held by our joint venture are maintained at sufficient levels to fund local operations as accumulated earnings are repatriated from the joint venture on a periodic basis.

As of December 31, 2023, approximately $205 million of our consolidated cash and cash equivalents balance of $2.03 billion was held by our Canadian and United Kingdom subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2023, we recorded a deferred tax liability of $9 million on the undistributed earnings of our Canadian subsidiaries for which the Company does not have an indefinite reinvestment assertion. We have not provided for deferred taxes on the remainder of undistributed earnings from our foreign subsidiaries because such earnings would not give rise to additional tax liabilities upon repatriation or are considered to be indefinitely reinvested.

Debt

Revolving Credit Agreement

On October 26, 2023, we entered into a new senior unsecured revolving credit agreement (the New Revolving Credit Agreement), which replaced our prior senior unsecured revolving credit agreement (the Prior Revolving Credit Agreement) that was scheduled to mature on December 5, 2024. The Prior Revolving Credit Agreement provided for a revolving credit facility of up to $750 million and included a letter of credit sub-limit of $125 million.

The New Revolving Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility of up to $750 million with a maturity of October 26, 2028 and includes a letter of credit sub-limit of $125 million. Borrowings under the New Revolving Credit Agreement may be used for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, share repurchases and other general corporate purposes. CF Industries is the lead borrower, and CF Holdings is the sole guarantor, under the New Revolving Credit Agreement.

Borrowings under the New Revolving Credit Agreement can be denominated in U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, euros and British pounds. Borrowings in U.S. dollars bear interest at a per annum rate equal to, at our option, an applicable adjusted term Secured Overnight Financing Rate or base rate plus, in either case, a specified margin. We are required to pay an undrawn commitment fee on the undrawn portion of the commitments under the New Revolving Credit Agreement and customary letter of credit fees. The specified margin and the amount of the commitment fee depend on CF Holdings’ credit rating at the time.

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The New Revolving Credit Agreement contains representations and warranties and affirmative and negative covenants, including one financial covenant. The financial covenant requires that the total net leverage ratio (as defined in the New Revolving Credit Agreement) be not greater than 3.75:1.00 (the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio) as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, provided that, if any borrower or subsidiary consummates a material acquisition during any fiscal quarter, CF Industries may elect to increase the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio to 4.25:1.00 for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters commencing with such fiscal quarter (and no further such election may be made unless and until the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 3.75:1.00 as of the end of two consecutive fiscal quarters after the end of such period).

As of December 31, 2023, we were in compliance with all covenants under the New Revolving Credit Agreement.

The New Revolving Credit Agreement contains events of default (with notice requirements and cure periods, as applicable) customary for a financing of this type, including, but not limited to, non-payment of principal, interest or fees; inaccuracy of representations and warranties in any material respect; and failure to comply with specified covenants. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an event of default under the New Revolving Credit Agreement and after any applicable cure period, subject to specified exceptions, the administrative agent may, and at the request of the requisite lenders is required to, accelerate the loans under the New Revolving Credit Agreement or terminate the lenders’ commitments under the New Revolving Credit Agreement.

As of December 31, 2023, we had unused borrowing capacity under the New Revolving Credit Agreement of $750 million and no outstanding letters of credit under the New Revolving Credit Agreement. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and during the years then ended, there were no borrowings outstanding under either the Prior Revolving Credit Agreement or the New Revolving Credit Agreement.

Letters of Credit Under Bilateral Agreement

We are party to a bilateral agreement providing for the issuance of up to $425 million (reflecting an increase of $75 million in December 2023) of letters of credit. As of December 31, 2023, approximately $291 million of letters of credit were outstanding under this agreement.

Senior Notes

Long-term debt presented on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 consisted of the following debt securities issued by CF Industries:

Effective Interest RateDecember 31, 2023December 31, 2022
Principal OutstandingCarrying Amount(1)Principal OutstandingCarrying Amount(1)
(in millions)
Public Senior Notes:
5.150% due March 20345.293%$750$741$750$741
4.950% due June 20435.040%750742750742
5.375% due March 20445.478%750741750740
Senior Secured Notes:
4.500% due December 2026(2)4.783%750744750742
Total long-term debt$3,000$2,968$3,000$2,965

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)Carrying amount is net of unamortized debt discount and deferred debt issuance costs. Total unamortized debt discount was $7 million as of both December 31, 2023 and 2022, and total deferred debt issuance costs were $25 million and $28 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

(2)Effective August 23, 2021, these notes are no longer secured, in accordance with the terms of the applicable indenture.

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Public Senior Notes

On April 21, 2022, we redeemed in full all of the $500 million outstanding principal amount of the 2023 Notes in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the April 2022 redemption of the 2023 Notes, which was funded with cash on hand, was $513 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $8 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $500 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

Under the indentures (including the applicable supplemental indentures) governing our senior notes due 2034, 2043 and 2044 identified in the table above (the Public Senior Notes), each series of Public Senior Notes is guaranteed by CF Holdings. Interest on the Public Senior Notes is payable semiannually, and the Public Senior Notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at specified make-whole redemption prices.

The indentures governing the Public Senior Notes contain covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries, including CF Industries, to incur liens on certain assets to secure debt, to engage in sale and leaseback transactions, to merge or consolidate with other entities and to sell, lease or transfer all or substantially all of the assets of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries to another entity. Each of the indentures governing the Public Senior Notes provides for customary events of default, which include (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), among others, nonpayment of principal or interest on the applicable Public Senior Notes; failure to comply with other covenants or agreements under the indenture; certain defaults on other indebtedness; the failure of CF Holdings’ guarantee of the applicable Public Senior Notes to be enforceable; and specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency. Under each indenture governing the Public Senior Notes, in the case of an event of default arising from one of the specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency, the applicable Public Senior Notes would become due and payable immediately, and, in the case of any other event of default (other than an event of default related to CF Industries’ and CF Holdings’ reporting obligations), the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the applicable Public Senior Notes then outstanding may declare all of such Public Senior Notes to be due and payable immediately.

Under each of the indentures governing the Public Senior Notes, specified changes of control involving CF Holdings or CF Industries, when accompanied by a ratings downgrade, as defined with respect to the applicable series of Public Senior Notes, constitute change of control repurchase events. Upon the occurrence of a change of control repurchase event with respect to a series of Public Senior Notes, unless CF Industries has exercised its option to redeem such Public Senior Notes, CF Industries will be required to offer to repurchase them at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of repurchase.

Senior Secured Notes

Under the terms of the indenture governing the 4.500% senior secured notes due 2026 (the 2026 Notes), the 2026 Notes are guaranteed by CF Holdings. Interest on the 2026 Notes is payable semiannually, and the 2026 Notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at specified make-whole redemption prices.

Under the indenture governing the 2026 Notes, specified changes of control involving CF Holdings or CF Industries, when accompanied by a ratings downgrade, as defined with respect to the 2026 Notes, constitute change of control repurchase events. Upon the occurrence of a change of control repurchase event with respect to the 2026 Notes, unless CF Industries has exercised its option to redeem such notes, CF Industries will be required to offer to repurchase them at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of repurchase.

The indenture governing the 2026 Notes contains covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries, including CF Industries, to incur liens on certain assets to secure debt, to engage in sale and leaseback transactions, to merge or consolidate with other entities and to sell, lease or transfer all or substantially all of the assets of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries to another entity. The indenture governing the 2026 Notes provides for customary events of default, which include (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), among others, nonpayment of principal or interest of the 2026 Notes; failure to comply with other covenants or agreements under the indenture; certain defaults on other indebtedness; the failure of CF Holdings’ guarantee of the 2026 Notes to be enforceable; and specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the indenture governing the 2026 Notes, in the case of an event of default arising from one of the specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency, the 2026 Notes would become due and payable immediately, and, in the case of any other event of default (other than an event of default related to CF Industries’ and CF Holdings’ reporting obligations), the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes then outstanding may declare all of such notes to be due and payable immediately.

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Forward Sales and Customer Advances

We offer our customers the opportunity to purchase products from us on a forward basis at prices and on delivery dates we propose. Therefore, our reported fertilizer selling prices and margins may differ from market spot prices and margins available at the time of shipment.

Customer advances, which typically represent a portion of the contract’s value, are received shortly after the contract is executed, with any remaining unpaid amount generally being collected by the time control transfers to the customer, thereby reducing or eliminating the accounts receivable related to such sales. Any cash payments received in advance from customers in connection with forward sales contracts are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as a current liability until control transfers and revenue is recognized. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had $130 million and $229 million, respectively, in customer advances on our consolidated balance sheets.

While customer advances are generally a significant source of liquidity, the level of forward sales contracts is affected by many factors including current market conditions, our customers’ outlook of future market fundamentals and seasonality. During periods of declining prices, customers tend to delay purchasing fertilizer in anticipation that prices in the future will be lower than the current prices. If the level of sales under our forward sales programs were to decrease in the future, our cash received from customer advances would likely decrease and our accounts receivable balances would likely increase. Additionally, borrowing under the New Revolving Credit Agreement could become necessary. Due to the volatility inherent in our business and changing customer expectations, we cannot estimate the amount of future forward sales activity.

Under our forward sales programs, a customer may delay delivery of an order due to weather conditions or other factors. These delays generally subject the customer to potential charges for storage or may be grounds for termination of the contract by us. Such a delay in scheduled shipment or termination of a forward sales contract due to a customer’s inability or unwillingness to perform may negatively impact our reported sales.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce our nitrogen products. We use natural gas both as a chemical feedstock and as a fuel to produce ammonia, granular urea, UAN, AN and other products. Expenditures on natural gas are a significant portion of our production costs, representing approximately 40% of our total production costs in 2023. As a result of these factors, natural gas prices have a significant impact on our operating expenses and can thus affect our liquidity. Natural gas costs in our cost of sales, including the impact of realized natural gas derivatives, decreased 49% to $3.67 per MMBtu in 2023 from $7.18 per MMBtu in 2022.

We enter into agreements for a portion of our future natural gas supply and related transportation. As of December 31, 2023, our natural gas purchase agreements have terms that range from four months to three years and a total minimum commitment of approximately $736 million, and our natural gas transportation agreements have terms that range from one to ten years and a total minimum commitment of approximately $106 million. Our minimum commitments to purchase and transport natural gas are based on prevailing market-based forward prices excluding reductions for plant maintenance and turnaround activities.

Most of our nitrogen manufacturing facilities are located in the United States and Canada. As a result, the price of natural gas in North America directly impacts a substantial portion of our operating expenses. During 2023, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America, reached a low of $1.72 per MMBtu on three consecutive days in June 2023 and a high of $3.81 per MMBtu on January 5, 2023. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2023, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub reached a low of $1.72 per MMBtu on three consecutive days in June 2023 and a high of $23.61 per MMBtu on February 18, 2021.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in prices for natural gas that will be purchased in the future. Natural gas is the largest and most volatile component of our manufacturing cost for nitrogen-based products. From time to time, we may also use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Volatility in reported quarterly earnings can result from the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments in the value of the derivatives. In 2023 and 2022, we recognized an unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives of $(39) million and $41 million, respectively, which is reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations.

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Derivatives expose us to counterparties and the risks associated with their ability to meet the terms of the contracts. For derivatives that are in net asset positions, we are exposed to credit loss from nonperformance by the counterparties. We control our credit risk through the use of multiple counterparties that are multinational commercial banks, other major financial institutions or large energy companies, and the use of International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) master netting arrangements. The ISDA agreements are master netting arrangements commonly used for over-the-counter derivatives that mitigate exposure to counterparty credit risk, in part, by creating contractual rights of netting and setoff, the specifics of which vary from agreement to agreement.

The ISDA agreements for most of our derivative instruments contain credit-risk-related contingent features, such as cross default provisions. In the event of certain defaults or termination events, our counterparties may request early termination and net settlement of certain derivative trades or may require us to collateralize derivatives in a net liability position. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the aggregate fair value of the derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features in net liability positions was $34 million and $73 million, respectively, which also approximates the fair value of the assets that may be needed to settle the obligations if the credit-risk-related contingent features were triggered at the reporting dates.

As of December 31, 2023, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options for 49.0 million MMBtus. As of December 31, 2022, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options for 66.3 million MMBtus. At both December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had no cash collateral on deposit with counterparties for derivative contracts. The credit support documents executed in connection with certain of our ISDA agreements generally provide us and our counterparties the right to set off collateral against amounts owing under the ISDA agreements upon the occurrence of a default or a specified termination event.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans

We contributed $44 million to our pension plans in 2023. In 2024 and 2025, we expect to contribute approximately $27 million and $11 million, respectively, to our U.K. pension plans as currently agreed with the plans’ trustees.

Distributions on Noncontrolling Interest in CFN

The CFN Board of Managers approved semi-annual distribution payments for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, in accordance with CFN’s limited liability company agreement, as follows:

Approved and paidDistribution PeriodDistribution Amount (in millions)
First quarter of 2024Six months ended December 31, 2023$144
Third quarter of 2023Six months ended June 30, 2023204
First quarter of 2023Six months ended December 31, 2022255
Third quarter of 2022Six months ended June 30, 2022372
First quarter of 2022Six months ended December 31, 2021247
Third quarter of 2021Six months ended June 30, 2021130

Cash Flows

Net cash provided by operating activities in 2023 was $2.76 billion, a decrease of $1.10 billion compared to $3.86 billion in 2022. The decrease in cash flow from operations was due primarily to lower net earnings, partially offset by changes in net working capital. Net earnings in 2023 was $1.84 billion compared to $3.94 billion in 2022. The decrease in net earnings was due primarily to a decrease in gross margin, driven by lower average selling prices, partially offset by lower natural gas costs, a lower income tax provision, lower net interest expense, a decrease in net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest, and impairment charges related to our U.K. operations in 2022 that did not recur in 2023. During 2023, net changes in working capital increased cash flow from operations by $20 million, while in 2022, net changes in working capital reduced cash flow from operations by $900 million. The difference in the impact of changes in working capital on cash flow from operations in 2023 as compared to 2022 was attributable primarily to favorable changes in 2023 as compared to 2022 in accounts receivable, inventory, customer advances and income tax liabilities.

Net cash used in investing activities was $1.68 billion in 2023 compared to $440 million in 2022, or an increase of $1.24 billion. The increase was due primarily to the consideration paid of $1.223 billion for the Waggaman acquisition. See “Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility,” above for additional information. During 2023, capital expenditures totaled $499 million compared to $453 million in 2022.

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Net cash used in financing activities was $1.37 billion in 2023 compared to $2.70 billion in 2022. The decrease was due primarily to a decrease in share repurchases and lower distributions to the noncontrolling interest. In 2023, we paid $580 million for share repurchases compared to $1.35 billion for share repurchases in 2022. In 2023, distributions to the noncontrolling interest were $459 million compared to $619 million in 2022. In addition, we paid $507 million in connection with the redemption of the 2023 Notes in 2022.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. U.S. GAAP requires that we select policies and make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates. We base our estimates on historical experience, technological assessment, opinions of appropriate outside experts, and the most recent information available to us. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Changes in estimates that may have a material impact on our results are discussed in the context of the underlying financial statements to which they relate. The following discussion presents information about our most critical accounting estimates.

Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility

On December 1, 2023, we acquired an ammonia production facility located in Waggaman, Louisiana from DNLA, a U.S. Subsidiary of Australia-based IPL, pursuant to an asset purchase agreement with DNLA and IPL. We accounted for the acquisition as a business combination. In connection with the acquisition, we entered into a long-term ammonia offtake agreement providing for us to supply up to 200,000 tons of ammonia per year to IPL’s Dyno Nobel, Inc. subsidiary (the Supply Contract). In connection with recording the acquisition, we recognized, among other items, property, plant and equipment, goodwill, intangible assets consisting primarily of customer relationships, and a supply contract liability. See Note 6—Acquisition of Waggaman Ammonia Production Facility for additional information.

The valuation of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as a result of our acquisition of the Waggaman ammonia production facility on December 1, 2023, requires us to make significant estimates and assumptions.

We estimated the fair value of the customer relationships of $455 million using the multi-period excess earnings method of the income approach, which incorporated the estimated future cash flows associated with the net earnings attributable to the acquired customer relationships. The estimated future cash flows were discounted to their present value using an appropriate risk-adjusted discount rate from the perspective of a market participant. Key assumptions used in estimating future cash flows include forecasted product selling prices, future production and sales volumes, probability of renewal, projected natural gas costs, operating rates, operating expenses, inflation, tax rates, capital spending, and contributory asset charges, among other factors. The discount rate utilized in estimating the fair value of the customer relationships was 9.0% and was derived using a capital asset pricing model and publicly available data for comparable companies to estimate the cost of equity financing. We used Moody’s Baa corporate bonds as a benchmark to estimate the cost of debt. Additional assumptions utilized in the valuation of the customer relationships included the duration of the forecasted cash flows and the tax amortization benefit, among other factors.

The terms of the Supply Contract were determined to be unfavorable compared to market as of the acquisition date. Therefore, we estimated the fair value of the Supply Contract liability of $757 million using the with and without method of the income approach. This method included estimating the future cash flows by applying both a market price and the contract price in determining the respective forecasted sales. The difference in the estimated future cash flows using the resulting forecasted sales was then discounted to present value at the date of acquisition using an appropriate risk-adjusted discount rate from the perspective of a market participant. Key assumptions used in estimating future cash flows include forecasted product selling price, specifically the market price in excess of the contract price, future production and sales volumes, probability of renewal, and inflation, among other factors. The discount rate utilized in estimating the fair value of the Supply Contract liability was 6.2% and was derived based on the historical cost of our issued debt and treasury and corporate bond yields as of the acquisition date. Additional assumptions utilized in the valuation of the Supply Contract liability included the duration of the forecasted cash flows, among other factors.

Due to the inherent uncertainties involved in making estimates and assumptions, actual results may differ from those assumed in our forecasts. Of the factors discussed above, the following assumptions are more sensitive than others:

•forecasted product selling prices included in the estimated future cash flows utilized in the valuation of the customer relationships and the Supply Contract liability,

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•projected natural gas costs included in the estimated future cash flows utilized in the valuation of the customer relationships, and

•the discount rate utilized in each of these valuations to discount the cash flows in arriving at the fair values.

Assuming that all other assumptions and estimates utilized in our valuation of the customer relationships and Supply Contract liability remain unchanged, a change in each of these inputs would have the following effect on the estimated fair value used to allocate the purchase price in the Waggaman acquisition as of December 1, 2023:

Increase/(Decrease) in Fair Value
Customer RelationshipsSupply Contract Liability
Assumption(in millions)
+$5.00-$5.00+$5.00-$5.00
Average Selling Price per Product Ton$26$(25)$16$(15)
+$0.05-$0.05
Natural Gas Cost per MMBtu$(9)$9n/an/a
+50 bps-50 bps+50 bps-50 bps
Discount Rate$(25)$27$(35)$38

_______________________________________________________________________________

n/a—not applicable

Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets, Goodwill and Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate

We review the carrying values of our property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets, including our finite-lived intangible assets, goodwill and our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate in accordance with U.S. GAAP in order to assess recoverability. Factors that we must estimate when performing impairment tests include production and sales volumes, selling prices, raw material costs, operating rates, operating expenses, inflation, discount rates, exchange rates, tax rates, capital spending and the impact that future market dynamics and geopolitical events could have on these factors. Judgment is involved in estimating each of these factors, which include inherent uncertainties. The factors we use are consistent with those used in our internal planning process. The recoverability of the values associated with our goodwill, long-lived assets and our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate is dependent upon future operating performance of the specific businesses to which they are attributed. Certain of the operating assumptions are particularly sensitive to the cyclical nature of the fertilizer business. Adverse changes in demand for our products, increases in supply and the availability and costs of key raw materials could significantly affect the results of our review.

The recoverability and impairment tests of long-lived assets are required only when conditions exist that indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. For goodwill, impairment tests are required at least annually, or more frequently whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate is reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that its carrying value may not be recoverable. When circumstances indicate that the fair value of our investment is less than its carrying value, and the reduction in value is other than temporary, the reduction in value would be recognized immediately in earnings.

We evaluate goodwill for impairment in the fourth quarter at the reporting unit level. Our evaluation generally begins with a qualitative assessment of the factors that could impact the significant inputs used to estimate fair value. If after performing the qualitative assessment, we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill, then no further analysis is necessary. However, if it is unclear based on the results of the qualitative test, we perform a quantitative test, which involves comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. We use an income-based valuation method, determining the present value of future cash flows, to estimate the fair value of a reporting unit. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, no further testing is necessary. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, goodwill impairment would be recognized equal to the amount of the carrying value in excess of the reporting unit’s fair value, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.

We review property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets at the asset group level in order to assess recoverability based on expected future undiscounted cash flows. If the sum of the expected future net undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying value, an impairment loss would be recognized. The impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived assets.

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PLNL is our joint venture investment in Trinidad and operates an ammonia plant that relies on natural gas supplied, under a gas sales contract, by the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC). The joint venture is accounted for under the equity method. The joint venture experienced past curtailments in the supply of natural gas from NGC, which reduced the ammonia production at PLNL. The prior gas sales contract had an expiration date of September 2023. In the third quarter of 2023, PLNL entered into a new gas sales contract with NGC (the New NGC Contract), which is effective October 2023 through December 2025. Any NGC commitment to supply gas beyond December 2025 will be based on new agreements.

In the third quarter of 2023 and due to the terms of the New NGC Contract, we assessed our investment in PLNL for impairment and determined that the carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL exceeded its fair value. As a result, we recorded an impairment of our equity method investment in PLNL of $43 million, which is reflected in equity in (loss) earnings of operating affiliate on our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023. If NGC does not make sufficient quantities of natural gas available to PLNL at prices that permit profitable operations, PLNL may cease operating its facility and we would write off the remaining investment in PLNL. The carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL at December 31, 2023 was $26 million.

Projected Benefit Obligations

The projected benefit obligations (PBOs) for our defined benefit pension plans are affected by plan design, actuarial estimates and discount rates. Key assumptions that affect our PBO are discount rates and, in addition for our United Kingdom plans, inflation rates, including an adjusted U.K. retail price index (RPI).

The December 31, 2023 PBO was computed based on a weighted-average discount rate of 4.8% for our North America plans and 4.6% for our United Kingdom plans, which were based on yields for high-quality (AA rated or better) fixed income debt securities that match the timing and amounts of expected benefit payments as of the measurement date of December 31, 2023. Declines in comparable bond yields would increase our PBO. For our United Kingdom plans, the 3.0% RPI used to calculate our PBO is developed using a U.K. government gilt prices only retail price inflation curve, which is based on the difference between yields on fixed interest government bonds and index-linked government bonds.

For North America qualified pension plans, our PBO was $292 million as of December 31, 2023, which was $21 million lower than pension plan assets. For our United Kingdom pension plans, our PBO was $367 million as of December 31, 2023, which was $7 million higher than pension plan assets. The table below estimates the impact of a 50 basis point increase or decrease in the key assumptions on our December 31, 2023 PBO:

Increase/(Decrease) in December 31, 2023 PBO
North America PlansUnited Kingdom Plans
Assumption+50 bps-50 bps+50 bps-50 bps
(in millions)
Discount Rate$(16)$18$(21)$22
RPIn/an/a9(9)

_______________________________________________________________________________

n/a—not applicable

See Note 13—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits for further discussion of our pension plans.

Income Taxes

We are subject to the income tax laws of the many jurisdictions in which we operate, and we recognize expense, assets and liabilities based on estimates of amounts that ultimately will be determined to be taxable or deductible in tax returns filed in various jurisdictions. These tax laws are complex, and how they apply to our facts is sometimes open to interpretation. We recognize the effect of income tax positions only if sustaining those positions is more likely than not. Tax positions that meet the more likely than not recognition threshold but are not highly certain are measured based on the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement with the taxing authority. Differences in interpretation of the tax laws and regulations, including negotiations with taxing authorities in various jurisdictions and resolution of disputes arising from federal, state and international tax audits, can result in differences in taxes paid, which may be higher or lower than our estimates. The judgments made at a point in time may change from previous conclusions based on the outcome of tax audits, as well as changes to, or further interpretations of, tax laws and regulations, and these changes could significantly impact the provision for income taxes, the amount of taxes payable and the deferred tax asset and liability balances. We adjust our income tax provision in the period in which these changes occur. As of December 31, 2023, we have recorded a reserve for unrecognized tax benefits, including penalties and interest, of $273 million.

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We also engage in a significant amount of cross border transactions. The taxability of cross border transactions has received an increasing level of scrutiny among regulators across the globe, including the jurisdictions in which we operate. The tax rules and regulations of the various jurisdictions in which we operate are complex, and in many cases, there is not symmetry between the rules of the various jurisdictions. As a result, there are instances where regulators within the jurisdictions involved in a cross-border transaction may reach different conclusions regarding the taxability of the transaction in their respective jurisdictions based on the same set of facts and circumstances. We work closely with regulators to reach a common understanding and conclusion regarding the taxability of cross border transactions.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 3—New Accounting Standards for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements.

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FY 2022 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0001324404-23-000006.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2023-02-23. Report date: 2022-12-31.

ITEM 7.    MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. All references to “CF Holdings,” “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” refer to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, except where the context makes clear that the reference is only to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. itself and not its subsidiaries. All references to “CF Industries” refer to CF Industries, Inc., a 100% owned subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. References to tons refer to short tons and references to tonnes refer to metric tons. Notes referenced in this discussion and analysis refer to the notes to consolidated financial statements that are found in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data—Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. For a discussion and analysis of the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to December 31, 2020, you should read Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 24, 2022. The following is an outline of the discussion and analysis included herein:

•Overview of CF Holdings

•Market Conditions and Current Developments

•Financial Executive Summary

•Items Affecting Comparability of Results

•Consolidated Results of Operations

•Operating Results by Business Segment

•Liquidity and Capital Resources

•Critical Accounting Estimates

Overview of CF Holdings

Our Company

Our mission is to provide clean energy to feed and fuel the world sustainably. With our employees focused on safe and reliable operations, environmental stewardship, and disciplined capital and corporate management, we are on a path to decarbonize our ammonia production network – the world’s largest – to enable green and blue hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities. Our nitrogen manufacturing complexes in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, an extensive storage, transportation and distribution network in North America, and logistics capabilities enabling a global reach underpin our strategy to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy. Our principal customers are cooperatives, independent fertilizer distributors, traders, wholesalers and industrial users. Our core product is anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which contains 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. Our nitrogen products that are upgraded from ammonia are granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN) and ammonium nitrate (AN). Our other nitrogen products include diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), urea liquor, nitric acid and aqua ammonia, which are sold primarily to our industrial customers.

Our principal assets as of December 31, 2022 include:

•five U.S. nitrogen manufacturing facilities, located in Donaldsonville, Louisiana (the largest nitrogen complex in the world); Sergeant Bluff, Iowa (our Port Neal complex); Yazoo City, Mississippi; Claremore, Oklahoma (our Verdigris complex); and Woodward, Oklahoma. These facilities are wholly owned directly or indirectly by CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC (CFN), of which we own approximately 89% and CHS Inc. (CHS) owns the remainder (see Note 17—Noncontrolling Interest for additional information on our strategic venture with CHS);

•two Canadian nitrogen manufacturing facilities, located in Medicine Hat, Alberta (the largest nitrogen complex in Canada) and Courtright, Ontario;

•a United Kingdom nitrogen manufacturing facility located in Billingham;

•an extensive system of terminals and associated transportation equipment located primarily in the Midwestern United States; and

•a 50% interest in Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited (PLNL), an ammonia production joint venture located in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad) that we account for under the equity method.

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We previously operated a United Kingdom nitrogen manufacturing facility located in Ince. In June 2022, we approved and announced our proposed plan to restructure our U.K. operations, including the planned permanent closure of our Ince facility. In August 2022, the final restructuring plan was approved, and decommissioning activities were initiated. See “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Operations,” below, for more information.

Our Commitment to a Clean Energy Economy

We are taking significant steps to support a global hydrogen and clean fuel economy, through the production of green and blue ammonia. Since ammonia is one of the most efficient ways to transport and store hydrogen and is also a fuel in its own right, we believe that the Company, as the world’s largest producer of ammonia with an unparalleled manufacturing and distribution network and deep technical expertise, is uniquely positioned to fulfill anticipated demand for hydrogen and ammonia from green and blue sources. Our approach includes green ammonia production, which refers to ammonia produced through a carbon-free process, and blue ammonia production, which relates to ammonia produced by conventional processes but with CO2 byproduct removed through carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

In April 2021, we signed an engineering and procurement contract with thyssenkrupp to supply a 20 MW alkaline water electrolysis plant to produce green hydrogen at our Donaldsonville complex. Construction and installation, which is being managed by us, and is expected to finish in 2023, with an estimated total cost of approximately $100 million. We will integrate the green hydrogen generated by the electrolysis plant into existing ammonia synthesis loops to enable the production of approximately 20,000 tons per year of green ammonia. We believe that the Donaldsonville green ammonia project will be the largest of its kind in North America.

In July 2022, we and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui) signed a joint development agreement for the companies’ proposed plans to construct an export-oriented blue ammonia facility. We and Mitsui continue to progress a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for the project, and expect to make a final investment decision on the proposed facility in the second half of 2023. Should the companies agree to move forward, the ammonia facility would be constructed at our new Blue Point complex. We acquired the land on the west bank of the Mississippi river in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, for the complex during the third quarter of 2022. Construction and commissioning of a new world-scale ammonia plant typically takes approximately four years from the time construction begins.

We are also exploring opportunities to produce blue ammonia from our existing ammonia production network. We have announced a project with an estimated cost of $200 million to construct a CO2 dehydration and compression facility at our Donaldsonville complex to enable the transport and permanent sequestration of the ammonia process CO2 byproduct. Engineering activities and procurement of major equipment for the facility are in progress, and modification of the site’s existing equipment to allow integration with existing operations has begun. Once the dehydration and compression unit is in service and sequestration is initiated, we expect that the Donaldsonville complex will have the capacity to dehydrate and compress up to 2 million tons per year of CO2, enabling the production of blue ammonia. In October 2022, we announced that we had entered into a definitive CO2 offtake agreement with ExxonMobil to transport and permanently sequester the CO2 from Donaldsonville. Start-up for the project is scheduled for early 2025. Under current regulations, the project would be expected to qualify for tax credits under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code, which provides a credit per tonne of CO2 sequestered.

Industry Factors

We operate in a highly competitive, global industry. Our operating results are influenced by a broad range of factors, including those outlined below.

Global Supply and Demand Factors

Our products are globally traded commodities and are subject to price competition. The customers for our products make their purchasing decisions principally on the basis of delivered price and, to a lesser extent, on customer service and product quality. The selling prices of our products fluctuate in response to global market conditions, changes in supply and demand and cost factors.

Historically, global fertilizer demand has been driven primarily by population growth, gross domestic product growth, changes in dietary habits, planted acreage, and application rates, among other things. We expect these key variables to continue to have major impacts on long-term fertilizer demand for the foreseeable future. Short-term fertilizer demand growth may depend on global economic conditions, farm sector income, weather patterns, the level of global grain stocks relative to consumption, fertilizer application rates, and governmental regulations, including fertilizer subsidies or requirements mandating increased use of bio-fuels or industrial nitrogen products, such as DEF. Geopolitical factors such as temporary disruptions in fertilizer trade related to government intervention or changes in the buying/selling patterns of key exporting/consuming countries, including China, India, Russia and Brazil, among others, often play a major role in shaping near-term market

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fundamentals. The economics of nitrogen-based fertilizer manufacturing play a key role in decisions to increase or reduce production capacity. Supply of fertilizers is generally driven by available capacity and operating rates, raw material costs and availability, government policies and global trade. Raw materials are dependent on energy sources such as natural gas or coal; therefore, supply costs are affected by the supply of and demand for those commodities.

Global Trade in Fertilizer

Profitability of our products within a particular geographic region is determined not only by the relationship between global supply and demand, but also by the supply/demand balance within that region. Regional supply and demand can be influenced significantly by factors affecting trade within regions. Some of these factors include the relative cost to produce and deliver product, relative currency values, the availability of credit, agricultural supply and demand, industrial product demand and policies such as emissions abatement, government support for manufacturers or purchasers and governmental nitrogen product trade policies, including the imposition of duties, tariffs or quotas, that affect foreign trade or investment. The development of additional natural gas reserves in North America over the last decade has decreased natural gas costs in North America relative to the rest of the world, making North American nitrogen fertilizer producers more competitive. Changes in currency values may also alter our cost competitiveness relative to producers in other regions of the world.

The North American nitrogen fertilizer market for certain nitrogen products is dependent on imports to balance supply and demand, and imports traditionally account for a significant portion of nitrogen fertilizer products consumed in North America. Producers of nitrogen-based fertilizers located in the Middle East, Trinidad, North Africa and Russia have been major exporters to North America in recent years.

Farmers’ Economics

The demand for fertilizer is affected by the aggregate crop planting decisions and fertilizer application rate decisions of individual farmers. Individual farmers make planting decisions based largely on prospective profitability of a harvest, while the specific varieties and amounts of fertilizer they apply depend on factors like their current liquidity, soil conditions, weather patterns, crop and fertilizer prices, fertilizer products used and timing of applications, expected yields and the types of crops planted.

Market Conditions and Current Developments

Geopolitical Environment

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the resulting war between Russia and Ukraine, have disrupted global markets for certain commodities, including natural gas, nitrogen fertilizers and certain commodity grains, leading to production curtailments, export reductions and logistical complications involving these commodities. Additionally, energy, financial and transportation sanctions have been announced by U.S., Canadian, European and other governments against Russia in response to the war. Market participants have been adjusting trade flows and manufacturers have been adjusting production levels in response to these factors. Continued market disruption is expected given the uncertainty of the situation. As of the date of filing of this report, nitrogen fertilizers have largely been explicitly exempted from these Russian sanctions by the United States and certain other governments.

As further described below, natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce our nitrogen products. Natural gas is a globally traded commodity that experiences price fluctuations based on supply and demand balances and has been impacted by the recent geopolitical events. European energy markets, which have historically sourced a substantial portion of their natural gas from Russia, have been disrupted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent reduction of Russian natural gas supply to Europe. This has led to further increases in natural gas prices and natural gas price volatility, which in turn have led to disruptions in manufacturing and distribution activities at other nitrogen manufacturers and suppliers in our industry, resulting in changes in nitrogen product trade flows and reductions in global fertilizer supply. In addition, as discussed under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Operations,” below, in September 2022, we temporarily idled ammonia production at our Billingham complex due to the high price of natural gas. Several European governments, including the United Kingdom, and the European Union (EU) are seeking to address energy market supply and volatility with a variety of government programs and policy changes. These programs, some of which are evolving and may change over time, may reduce the costs of natural gas in the United Kingdom and, to some extent, the EU but the full impact of these programs remains to be seen.

The geopolitical developments relating to the war in Ukraine have also led to some supply chain disruptions for Russian producers of fertilizer, contributing to reduced global nitrogen fertilizer supply. Prior to its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia in recent years had been a significant supplier of nitrogen fertilizer products to North America and Europe and a leading exporter of nitrogen fertilizer products globally. Since that invasion, the closure of a pipeline historically transporting ammonia

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from Russia through Ukraine for export has been a large contributor to reduced global exportable ammonia supply. In addition, Russia and Ukraine have been large exporters of commodity grains such as wheat, corn and soybeans. The direct and indirect impacts of the war in Ukraine, and the related uncertainty, have resulted in reduced commodity grain supply from Russia and Ukraine, causing increased prices for grains globally. The increase in commodity grain prices in turn supported strong demand for nitrogen fertilizer in 2022.

These events have further contributed to an already tight global supply and demand balance for nitrogen fertilizers. These factors are causing changes in global trade flows as both manufacturers and customers react to the changing market dynamics. As a result, global nitrogen fertilizer prices remained high and also experienced significant volatility in 2022.

We expect that the recent geopolitical events, and any further government-imposed sanctions or other government actions affecting food or energy security, will continue to have an impact on the supply and demand balance of nitrogen fertilizer products globally and selling prices for our nitrogen fertilizer products, but the ultimate scope and duration of these impacts remain to be seen.

Nitrogen Selling Prices and Sales Volume

Our nitrogen products are globally traded commodities with selling prices that fluctuate in response to global market conditions, changes in supply and demand, and other cost factors including domestic and local conditions. Intense global competition—reflected in import volumes and prices—strongly influences delivered prices for nitrogen fertilizers. In general, the prevailing global prices for nitrogen products must be at a level to incent the high cost marginal producer to produce product at a breakeven or above price, or else they would cease production and leave a portion of global demand unsatisfied.

The selling prices for all of our major products were higher in 2022 than in 2021, driven by the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance, as a result of strong global demand and a decrease in global supply availability as higher global energy costs continued to drive lower global operating rates, and exacerbated by the geopolitical environment described above. The average selling price for our products for 2022 and 2021 was $610 per ton and $353 per ton, respectively. The increase in average selling prices of 73% in 2022 from 2021 resulted in an increase in net sales of approximately $4.80 billion.

Our total sales volume was 1% lower in 2022 than in 2021 as lower sales volume in our Ammonia, Other and AN segments was mostly offset by higher sales volume in our Granular Urea and UAN segments. We shipped 18.3 million tons of product in 2022 compared to 18.5 million tons in 2021. The lower sales volume reflects the impact of our Ince facility closure, which is further discussed below.

Sales volume for our products in 2022, 2021 and 2020 is shown in the table below.

202220212020
Sales Volume (tons)Net SalesSales Volume (tons)Net SalesSales Volume (tons)Net Sales
(tons in thousands; dollars in millions)
Ammonia3,300$3,0903,589$1,7873,767$1,020
Granular Urea4,5722,8924,2901,8805,1481,248
UAN6,7883,5726,5841,7886,8431,063
AN1,5948451,7205102,216455
Other2,0777872,3185732,322338
Total18,331$11,18618,501$6,53820,296$4,124

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Natural Gas

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce our nitrogen products. Natural gas is both a chemical feedstock and a fuel to produce nitrogen products. Natural gas is a significant cost component of our manufactured nitrogen products, representing approximately 50% of our production costs in 2022 and 40% of our production costs in 2021.

The following table presents the average daily market price of natural gas at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America, and the National Balancing Point (NBP), the major trading point for natural gas in the United Kingdom:

Year ended December 31,
2022202120202022 v. 20212021 v. 2020
Natural gas supplemental data (per MMBtu)
Average daily market price of natural gas Henry Hub (Louisiana)$6.38$3.82$1.99$2.5667%$1.8392%
Average daily market price of natural gas National Balancing Point (United Kingdom)$24.56$15.50$3.20$9.0658%$12.30384%

Most of our nitrogen manufacturing facilities are located in the United States and Canada. As a result, the price of natural gas in North America directly impacts a substantial portion of our operating expenses. North American natural gas prices during 2022 were higher on average than during 2021 due to tighter supply and demand conditions within the market. Natural gas prices increased steadily through the first half of 2022 as the increase in demand for natural gas for power generation and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports exceeded production increases. Late in the second quarter of 2022, prices declined as the Freeport LNG facility outage reduced demand for natural gas for LNG exports and allowed natural gas injections to refill storage at an accelerated pace. Record high temperatures in the United States in the summer of 2022 and the limited substitution to coal generation due to high coal prices and available coal supply increased demand for natural gas in the electricity sector, raising natural gas prices to over $9.00 per MMBtu. Natural gas prices decreased late in the third quarter of 2022 due to increasing production, cooler temperatures and above average storage injections. Prices continued to decline during the fourth quarter of 2022 until late December when extreme cold weather covered much of the United States, increasing demand for natural gas for use in residential and commercial heating.

The average daily market price at the Henry Hub was $6.38 per MMBtu for 2022 compared to $3.82 per MMBtu for 2021, an increase of 67%. During 2022, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub reached a low of $3.45 per MMBtu on November 10, 2022 and a high of $9.85 per MMBtu on August 23, 2022. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub reached a low of $1.34 per MMBtu on September 22, 2020 and three consecutive days in October 2020 and a high of $23.61 per MMBtu on February 18, 2021. The average daily market price of natural gas at the Henry Hub for January 2023 was $3.29 per MMBtu.

In the first quarter of 2021, the central portion of the United States experienced extreme and unprecedented cold weather due to the impact of Winter Storm Uri. Certain natural gas suppliers and natural gas pipelines declared force majeure events due to frozen equipment. This occurred at the same time as large increases in natural gas demand were occurring due to the cold temperatures. Due to these unprecedented factors, several states declared a state of emergency, and natural gas was redirected for residential use. At certain of our manufacturing locations, we reduced our natural gas consumption, and, as a consequence, our plants at these locations either operated at reduced rates or temporarily suspended operations. We net settled certain natural gas contracts with our suppliers and received prevailing market prices, which were in excess of our cost. As a result, we recognized a gain of $112 million, which is reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Our Billingham U.K. nitrogen manufacturing facility is subject to fluctuations associated with the price of natural gas in Europe. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 disrupted European energy markets and threatened security of supply, driving natural gas prices in Europe upward to unprecedented levels. During the second quarter of 2022, the price of natural gas in the United Kingdom declined as Russian natural gas flows via pipeline to Europe generally remained steady despite the ongoing war in Ukraine. European natural gas prices began to increase late in the second quarter of 2022 after the unplanned outage of the Freeport LNG liquefaction terminal in the United States impacted global LNG supply. In the third quarter of 2022, prices continued to increase when Russian natural gas flows to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline ceased. Natural gas prices began to decrease late in the third quarter of 2022 as natural gas storage levels in continental Europe reached robust levels, although prices remained elevated compared to historical price levels. This trend continued in the fourth quarter of 2022 as Europe experienced a mild start to winter and LNG deliveries to the continent remained elevated, decreasing the risk of natural gas shortages.

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The major natural gas trading point for the United Kingdom is the NBP. The average daily market price at the NBP was $24.56 per MMBtu for 2022 compared to $15.50 per MMBtu for 2021, an increase of 58%. During 2022, the daily closing price at the NBP reached a low of $1.23 per MMBtu on June 10, 2022 and a high of $67.08 per MMBtu on March 8, 2022. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, the daily closing price at the NBP reached a low of $1.04 per MMBtu on May 22, 2020, and a high of $67.08 per MMBtu on March 8, 2022. The average daily market price of natural gas at the NBP for January 2023 was $18.93 per MMBtu.

In 2022, the total cost of natural gas used for production at all of our locations, which includes the impact of realized natural gas derivatives, increased 71% to $7.18 from $4.21 per MMBtu in 2021. The cost of natural gas used for production of $4.21 per MMBtu in 2021 does not include the $112 million gain from the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts in February 2021. The increase in natural gas costs in 2022 as compared to 2021 resulted in a decrease in gross margin of approximately $1.05 billion.

United Kingdom Operations

Starting in the third quarter of 2021, the United Kingdom began experiencing an energy crisis that included a substantial increase in the price of natural gas, which impacted our U.K. operations. The energy crisis and the geopolitical environment, as discussed above, have continued to evolve since the third quarter of 2021. As a result of these factors, management has taken certain actions relating to our U.K. operations. The following table summarizes the total impact of these factors for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2020, no impairment or restructuring charges were recognized.

Year ended December 31,
202220212022 v. 2021
(in millions)
U.K. goodwill impairment$$285$(285)(100)%
U.K. long-lived and intangible asset impairment23923631%
U.K. operations restructuring1919N/M
Total$258$521$(263)(50)%

___________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

2021 Impairment

In the first half of 2021, natural gas prices in the United Kingdom had increased to levels that were considered high compared to historical prices, and prices then more than doubled in the third quarter of 2021. On September 15, 2021, we announced the halt of operations at both our Ince and Billingham manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom due to negative profitability driven by the high cost of natural gas. Shortly thereafter, our Billingham facility resumed operations.

The U.K. energy crisis necessitated evaluations in the third and fourth quarters of 2021 of the long-lived assets, including the definite-lived intangible assets, and goodwill of our U.K. operations to determine if their fair value had declined to below their carrying value. These evaluations in 2021 resulted in total goodwill impairment charges of $285 million, and total long-lived and intangible asset impairment charges of $236 million. As of December 31, 2021, after the recognition of the goodwill impairment charges, no goodwill related to our U.K. operations remained.

2022 Impairment and Restructuring

In 2022, we recognized total impairment charges of $239 million and restructuring charges of $19 million, as described below.

In the second quarter of 2022, the long-term outlook deteriorated for nitrogen producers in regions that rely on LNG imports to satisfy natural gas demand. As further described above, natural gas represents a substantial portion of the cost to produce nitrogen products. Natural gas forward prices suggested that nitrogen facilities in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe would be the world’s high-cost marginal producers for the foreseeable future, presenting a challenge to the sustainability of our U.K. operations. In June 2022, due in large part to the nitrogen industry conditions described above, we approved and announced our proposed plan to restructure our U.K. operations, including the planned permanent closure of our

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Ince facility and optimization of the remaining manufacturing operations at our Billingham facility. As a result, in the second quarter of 2022, we recorded total charges of $162 million as follows:

•asset impairment charges of $152 million, primarily consisting of impairment of property, plant and equipment at the Ince facility that is planned for abandonment, and impairment of certain trade name intangible assets; and

•a charge for post-employment benefits of $10 million related to contractual and statutory obligations due to employees whose employment would be terminated in the proposed plan.

In the third quarter of 2022, the United Kingdom continued to experience extremely high and volatile natural gas prices. Russian natural gas flows to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline ceased, causing the United Kingdom to experience unprecedented natural gas prices. In addition, the European Union announced a desire to cap the price that Europe would pay Russia for natural gas deliveries, further contributing to the uncertainty in European energy markets. Given these factors and the lack of a corresponding increase in global nitrogen product market prices, in September 2022, we temporarily idled ammonia production at our Billingham complex. As a result, we concluded that an additional impairment test was triggered for the asset groups that comprise our continuing U.K. operations. As a result, in the third quarter of 2022, we recorded total charges of $95 million as follows:

•asset impairment charges of $87 million related to property, plant and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets at our Billingham complex; and

•a charge for post-employment benefits of $8 million for additional charges primarily related to one-time termination benefits.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, we incurred additional charges related to our U.K. restructuring of $1 million, primarily related to one-time termination benefits. We continue to work with customers, vendors, regulators and others to finalize closure plans of our Ince complex.

The results of our U.K. operations are included in our Ammonia, AN and Other segments, and account for a small portion of our consolidated gross margin. For the year ended December 31, 2022, gross margin generated by our U.K. operations represented approximately 2% of our consolidated gross margin. For the year ended December 31, 2021, our U.K. operations generated negative gross margin representing approximately 1% of our consolidated gross margin. See Note 5—United Kingdom Operations Restructuring and Impairment Charges for further information.

Financial Executive Summary

We reported net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $3.35 billion in 2022 compared to $917 million in 2021, an increase in net earnings of 265%, or $2.43 billion. The increase in net earnings reflects an increase of $3.47 billion in gross margin to $5.86 billion for the year ended December 31, 2022, due primarily to higher average selling prices partially offset by higher natural gas costs.

Average selling prices increased 73% to $610 per ton in 2022 from $353 per ton in 2021, which increased gross margin by $4.80 billion. The cost of natural gas used for production increased 71% to $7.18 per MMBtu from $4.21 per MMBtu in 2021, which reduced gross margin by approximately $1.05 billion.

The increase in average selling prices and higher natural gas costs are more fully described above under “Market Conditions and Current Developments.”

Partially offsetting the increase in gross margin was an increase in the income tax provision of $875 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, to $1.16 billion, due primarily to higher taxable income due to improved profitability.

The year ended December 31, 2022 also includes pre-tax impairment and restructuring charges related to our U.K. operations of $258 million compared to $521 million in the year ended December 31, 2021, which are more fully described under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Operations,” above.

Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders increased $12.14 per share, to $16.38 per share in 2022 compared to $4.24 per share in 2021.

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Items Affecting Comparability of Results

During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we reported net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $3.35 billion and $917 million, respectively. In addition to the impact of market conditions discussed above, certain items affected the comparability of our financial results during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. The following table and related discussion outline these items. The descriptions of items below that refer to amounts in the table refer to the pre-tax amounts unless otherwise noted.

20222021
Pre-TaxAfter-Tax(1)Pre-TaxAfter-Tax(1)
(in millions)
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives(2)$41$31$25$19
Loss on foreign currency transactions, including intercompany loans(3)282165
U.K. operations:
U.K. goodwill impairment285285
U.K. long-lived and intangible asset impairment239180236178
U.K. operations restructuring1914
Unrealized gain on embedded derivative liability(3)(14)(11)
Pension settlement loss and curtailment gains—net(4)1713
Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter and Transfer pricing positions:
Interest expense170168
Interest income(29)(22)
Income tax provision(5)65
Loss on debt extinguishment861915

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(1)The tax impact is calculated utilizing a marginal effective rate of 23.5% and 23.6% in 2022 and 2021, respectively, except for U.K. long-lived and intangible asset impairments, which reflects the amount of income tax benefit recognized. An income tax benefit for the U.K. goodwill impairment was not recorded as it is nondeductible for income tax purposes.

(2)Included in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations.

(3)Included in other operating—net in our consolidated statements of operations.

(4)Included in other non-operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations.

(5)For the year ended December 31, 2022, the after-tax income tax provision amount of $65 million reflects an income tax provision of $70 million, consisting of the $78 million income tax provision referenced below under “Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter” and the $8 million of income tax benefit referenced below under “Transfer pricing positions,” net of $5 million of income tax provision that is reflected in the after-tax interest expense and interest income amounts shown in this table.

Unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives

Natural gas is the largest and most volatile single component of the manufacturing cost for nitrogen-based products. At certain times, we have managed the risk of changes in natural gas prices through the use of derivative financial instruments. The derivatives that we use for this purpose are primarily natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options. We use natural gas derivatives as an economic hedge of natural gas price risk, but without the application of hedge accounting. This can result in volatility in reported earnings due to the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments that occur from changes in the value of the derivatives, which are reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations. In 2022 and 2021, we recognized an unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives of $41 million and $25 million, respectively.

Loss on foreign currency transactions, including intercompany loans

In 2022 and 2021, we recognized losses on foreign currency transactions of $28 million and $6 million, respectively, which consist of foreign currency exchange rate impacts on foreign currency denominated transactions, including the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on intercompany loans that were not permanently invested.

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U.K. operations

In 2022, we recognized total charges related to our U.K. operations of $258 million, consisting primarily of asset impairment charges related to property, plant and equipment at our Billingham and Ince facilities and definite-lived intangible assets. In 2021, we recognized impairment charges of $521 million, including a goodwill impairment charge of $285 million and long-lived and intangible asset impairment charges of $236 million.

See “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Operations,” above; Note 5—United Kingdom Operations Restructuring and Impairment Charges; Note 6—Property, Plant and Equipment—Net; and Note 7—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further information.

Unrealized gain on embedded derivative liability

Under the terms of our strategic venture with CHS, if our credit rating as determined by two of three specified credit rating agencies is below certain levels, we are required to make a non-refundable yearly payment of $5 million to CHS until the earlier of the date that our credit rating is upgraded to above such levels by two of the three specified credit rating agencies or February 1, 2026. This obligation is recorded at fair value and has been recognized on our consolidated balance sheets as an embedded derivative. Beginning in 2016, our credit ratings were below such levels and, as a result, under the terms of the strategic venture, we made an annual payment of $5 million to CHS in the fourth quarter of each year from 2016 through 2021. Our credit rating was upgraded above certain levels in July 2022 by one of the specified credit rating agencies and in October 2022 by another one of the specified credit rating agencies. As a result of these upgrades, in the fourth quarter of 2022, there was a reduction in the fair value of the embedded derivative liability, and we recognized an unrealized gain of $14 million.

Pension settlement loss and curtailment gains—net

On July 15, 2022, we entered into an agreement with an insurance company to purchase a non-participating group annuity contract and transfer approximately $375 million of our primary U.S. defined benefit pension plan’s projected benefit obligation. The transaction closed on July 22, 2022 and was funded with plan assets. Under the transaction, the insurance company assumed responsibility for pension benefits and annuity administration for approximately 4,000 retirees or their beneficiaries. As a result of this transaction, in the third quarter of 2022, we remeasured the plan's projected benefit obligation and plan assets, and we recognized a non-cash pre-tax pension settlement loss of $24 million, reflecting the unamortized net unrecognized postretirement benefit costs related to the settled obligations, with a corresponding offset to accumulated other comprehensive loss. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the final settlement of the non-participating group annuity contract resulted in a refund of $4 million to us, which decreased the non-cash pre-tax pension settlement loss recognized by $3 million to $21 million. The settlement loss is reflected in other non-operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022.

In October 2022, we remeasured certain of our U.S. and Canadian defined benefit pension plans due to plan amendments resulting from a revision to our North American retirement plan strategy. As a result of these plan amendments, we recognized $4 million of curtailment gains, which are reflected in other non-operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations. See Note 11—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits for further information for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter

In 2016, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Alberta Tax and Revenue Administration (Alberta TRA) issued Notices of Reassessment for tax years 2006 through 2009 to one of our Canadian affiliates asserting a disallowance of certain patronage deductions. We filed Notices of Objection with respect to the Notices of Reassessment with the CRA and Alberta TRA and posted letters of credit in lieu of paying the additional tax liability assessed. The letters of credit served as security until the matter was resolved, as discussed below. In 2018, the matter, including the related transfer pricing topic regarding the allocation of profits between Canada and the United States, was accepted for consideration under the bilateral settlement provisions of the U.S.-Canada tax treaty (the Treaty) by the United States and Canadian competent authorities, and included tax years 2006 through 2011. In the second quarter of 2021, the Company submitted the transfer pricing aspect of the matter into the arbitration process under the terms of the Treaty.

In February 2022, we were informed that a decision was reached by the arbitration panel for tax years 2006 through 2011. In March 2022, we received further details of the results of the arbitration proceedings and the settlement provisions between the United States and Canadian competent authorities, and we accepted the decision of the arbitration panel. Under the terms of the arbitration decision, additional income for tax years 2006 through 2011 was subject to tax in Canada, resulting in our having additional Canadian tax liability for those tax years of approximately $129 million.

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In 2022, as a result of the impact of these events on our Canadian and U.S. federal and state income taxes, we recognized an income tax provision of $78 million, reflecting the net impact of $129 million of accrued income taxes payable to Canada for tax years 2006 through 2011, partially offset by net income tax receivables of approximately $51 million in the United States, and we accrued net interest of $102 million, primarily reflecting the interest paid to Canada.

See “Liquidity and Capital Resources—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter and Transfer Pricing,” below, for additional information.

Transfer pricing positions

As a result of the outcome of the arbitration decision discussed above, we also evaluated our transfer pricing positions between Canada and the United States for open years 2012 and after. Based on this evaluation, we recorded the following in 2022:

•liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits of $159 million, with a corresponding income tax provision, and accrued interest of $59 million related to the liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits, and

•noncurrent income tax receivables of $188 million, with a corresponding income tax benefit, and accrued interest income of $20 million related to the noncurrent income tax receivables.

In 2022, the impact of these evaluations of transfer pricing positions on our consolidated statement of operations, including $21 million of net deferred income tax provision for other transfer pricing tax effects, was $8 million of income tax benefit and $39 million of net interest expense before tax ($44 million after tax).

See “Liquidity and Capital Resources—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter and Transfer Pricing,” below, for additional information.

Loss on debt extinguishment

On April 21, 2022, we redeemed in full all of the $500 million outstanding principal amount of the 3.450% senior notes due June 2023 (the 2023 Notes) in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the April 2022 redemption of the 2023 Notes was $513 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $8 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $500 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

On September 10, 2021, we redeemed $250 million principal amount, representing one-third of the $750 million principal amount outstanding immediately prior to such redemption, of the 2023 Notes, in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid for the 2023 Notes redeemed in September 2021 was approximately $265 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $13 million, consisting primarily of a premium paid on the redemption of the $250 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

On March 20, 2021, we redeemed in full all of the $250 million outstanding principal amount of the 3.400% senior secured notes due December 2021 (the 2021 Notes) in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2021 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the March 2021 redemption of 2021 Notes was $258 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $6 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $250 million principal amount of the 2021 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

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Consolidated Results of Operations

The following table presents our consolidated results of operations and supplemental data:

Year ended December 31,
202220212020(1)2022 v. 20212021 v. 2020
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$11,186$6,538$4,124$4,64871%$2,41459%
Cost of sales (COS)5,3254,1513,3231,17428%82825%
Gross margin5,8612,3878013,474146%1,586198%
Gross margin percentage52.4%36.5%19.4%15.9%17.1%
Selling, general and administrative expenses2902232066730%178%
U.K. goodwill impairment285(285)(100)%285N/M
U.K. long-lived and intangible asset impairment23923631%236N/M
U.K. operations restructuring1919N/M%
Other operating—net10(39)(17)49N/M(22)(129)%
Total other operating costs and expenses558705189(147)(21)%516273%
Equity in earnings of operating affiliate94471147100%36327%
Operating earnings5,3971,7296233,668212%1,106178%
Interest expense—net2791831619652%2214%
Loss on debt extinguishment819(11)(58)%19N/M
Other non-operating—net15(16)(1)31N/M(15)N/M
Earnings before income taxes5,0951,5434633,552230%1,080233%
Income tax provision1,15828331875309%252N/M
Net earnings3,9371,2604322,677212%828192%
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest59134311524872%228198%
Net earnings attributable to common stockholders$3,346$917$317$2,429265%$600189%
Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders$16.38$4.24$1.47$12.14286%$2.77188%
Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding204.2216.2215.2(12.0)(6)%1.0%
Dividends declared per common share$1.50$1.20$1.20$0.3025%$%
Natural gas supplemental data (per MMBtu)
Cost of natural gas used for production in COS(2)$7.18$4.21$2.24$2.9771%$1.9788%
Average daily market price of natural gas Henry Hub (Louisiana)$6.38$3.82$1.99$2.5667%$1.8392%
Average daily market price of natural gas National Balancing Point (United Kingdom)$24.56$15.50$3.20$9.0658%$12.30384%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$41$25$(6)$1664%$31N/M
Depreciation and amortization$850$888$892$(38)(4)%$(4)%
Capital expenditures$453$514$309$(61)(12)%$20566%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)18,33118,50120,296(170)(1)%(1,795)(9)%
Production volume by product tons (000s):
Ammonia(3)9,8079,34910,3534585%(1,004)(10)%
Granular urea4,5614,1235,00143811%(878)(18)%
UAN (32%)6,7066,7636,677(57)(1)%861%
AN1,5171,6462,115(129)(8)%(469)(22)%

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)For a discussion and analysis of the year ended December 31, 2020, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2022.

(2)Includes the cost of natural gas and related transportation that is included in cost of sales during the period under the first-in, first-out inventory cost method. Includes realized gains and losses on natural gas derivatives settled during the period. Excludes unrealized mark-to-market gains and losses on natural gas derivatives.

(3)Gross ammonia production, including amounts subsequently upgraded on-site into granular urea, UAN, or AN.

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The following is a discussion and analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. For a discussion and analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2022.

Net Sales

Our net sales are derived primarily from the sale of nitrogen products and are determined by the quantities of nitrogen products we sell and the selling prices we realize. The volumes, mix and selling prices we realize are determined to a great extent by a combination of global and regional supply and demand factors. Net sales also include shipping and handling costs that are billed to our customers. Sales incentives are reported as a reduction in net sales.

Our net sales increased $4.65 billion, or 71%, to $11.19 billion in 2022 compared to $6.54 billion in 2021 due to a 73% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by a 1% decrease in sales volume.

Average selling prices were $610 per ton in 2022 compared to $353 per ton in 2021, an increase of 73%, due to higher average selling prices across all of our segments, primarily driven by the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance, as a result of strong global demand and decreased global supply availability as higher global energy costs and geopolitical events drove lower global operating rates. See “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Geopolitical Environment,” above, for further discussion.

Our sales volume of 18.3 million product tons in 2022 was 1% lower compared to 18.5 million product tons in 2021, as lower sales volume in our Ammonia, Other and AN segments was mostly offset by higher sales volume in our Granular Urea and UAN segments.

Gross ammonia production for 2022 was approximately 9.8 million tons compared to 9.3 million tons in 2021, reflecting a return to a typical level of planned maintenance activities compared to 2021. We expect gross ammonia production for 2023 will be approximately 9.5 million tons, which could be higher or lower depending on operating rates at our Billingham complex.

Cost of Sales

Our cost of sales includes manufacturing costs, purchased product costs, distribution costs and storage costs. Manufacturing costs, the most significant element of cost of sales, consist primarily of raw materials, realized and unrealized gains and losses on natural gas derivatives, maintenance, direct labor, depreciation and other plant overhead expenses. Purchased product costs primarily include the cost to purchase nitrogen fertilizers to augment or replace production at our facilities. Distribution costs consist of the cost of freight required to transport finished products from our plants to our distribution facilities, which are recognized in cost of sales when the product is sold to our customers. Storage costs consist of costs incurred prior to final shipment to customers.

Our cost of sales increased $1.17 billion, or 28%, to $5.33 billion in 2022 as compared to $4.15 billion in 2021. The increase in our cost of sales was due primarily to higher costs for natural gas, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased cost of sales by $1.05 billion, and higher costs for ammonia purchased from PLNL, our joint venture in Trinidad. In addition, cost of sales in 2021 includes a gain of $112 million on the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts with our suppliers as a result of Winter Storm Uri.

Cost of sales averaged $290 per ton in 2022, a 29% increase from $224 per ton in 2021. The cost of natural gas used for production, including the impact of realized derivatives, increased 71% to $7.18 per MMBtu in 2022 from $4.21 per MMBtu in 2021. The cost of natural gas used for production of $4.21 per MMBtu in 2021 does not include the $112 million gain from the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts in February 2021.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Our selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of corporate office expenses such as salaries and other payroll-related costs for our executive, administrative, legal, financial, IT, and sales functions, as well as certain taxes and insurance and other professional service fees, including those for corporate initiatives.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $67 million, or 30%, to $290 million in 2022 from $223 million in 2021. The increase was due primarily to higher costs associated with certain corporate initiatives, including costs related to the development of a new enterprise resource planning system (ERP) for our North American operations as well as costs related to our clean energy strategy. In addition, the increase in selling, general and administrative expenses includes an increase in

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charitable contributions for the initial funding of the CF Industries Foundation and higher stock-based compensation. The CF Industries Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that we formed in December 2022 to advance our philanthropic goals and develop programs that further our charitable objectives.

U.K. Operations

In 2022, we recognized total charges related to our U.K. operations of $258 million, consisting of $239 million of asset impairment charges primarily related to property, plant and equipment at our Billingham and Ince facilities and definite-lived intangible assets and $19 million of restructuring charges primarily related to post-employment benefits related to contractual and statutory obligations and one-time termination benefits. In 2021, we recognized total charges related to our U.K. operations of $521 million, consisting of goodwill impairment of $285 million and long-lived and intangible asset impairment charges of $236 million.

See “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Operations,” above; Note 5—United Kingdom Operations Restructuring and Impairment Charges; Note 6—Property, Plant and Equipment—Net; and Note 7—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further information.

Other Operating—Net

Other operating—net includes administrative costs that do not relate directly to our central operations. Costs included in “other operating costs” can include foreign currency transaction gains and losses, unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency derivatives, litigation expenses, gains and losses on the disposal of fixed assets and FEED study costs related to a greenfield ammonia production facility.

Other operating—net was $10 million of expense in 2022 compared to $39 million of income in 2021. The expense in 2022 primarily includes a loss on foreign currency transactions of $28 million, which consists of foreign currency exchange rate impacts on foreign currency denominated transactions, including the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on intercompany loans that were not permanently invested. The loss on foreign currency transactions in 2022 was partially offset by an unrealized gain of $14 million related to an embedded derivative liability. See “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Unrealized gain on embedded derivative liability,” above, for further information. The income in 2021 includes a gain of $29 million on sales of emission credits. In addition, other operating—net in 2021 includes the amount received under the terms of an agreement with the U.K. government associated with the restart of our Billingham facility, partially offset by a loss on foreign currency transactions of $6 million.

Equity in Earnings of Operating Affiliate

Equity in earnings of operating affiliate consists of our 50% ownership interest in PLNL. We include our share of the net earnings from our equity method investment in PLNL as an element of earnings from operations because this investment provides additional production and is integrated with our other supply chain and sales activities. Our share of the net earnings includes the amortization of the increased basis of property, plant and equipment revalued as part of the application of purchase accounting at acquisition.

Equity in earnings of operating affiliate was $94 million in 2022 compared to $47 million in 2021. The increase was due primarily to an increase in the operating results of PLNL as a result of higher ammonia selling prices partially offset by higher natural gas costs.

Interest Expense—Net

Our interest expense—net represents the net of our interest expense and interest income. Interest expense includes interest on our long-term debt, amortization of the related fees required to execute financing agreements, annual fees pursuant to our revolving credit agreement and interest on tax liabilities. Capitalized interest relating to the construction of major capital projects reduces interest expense as the interest is capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Interest income includes amounts earned on our cash, cash equivalents, and investments and any interest earned related to income tax refunds.

Net interest expense increased by $96 million to $279 million in 2022 from $183 million in 2021. The increase was due primarily to $141 million of net interest expense recorded in 2022 related to income tax matters, which are described under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter” and “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Transfer pricing positions,” above. This increase was partially offset by $33 million of higher interest income on investments and a $20 million decrease in interest on borrowings due to the redemption of senior notes described under “Liquidity and Capital Resources,” below.

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Loss on Debt Extinguishment

Loss on debt extinguishment of $8 million and $19 million in 2022 and in 2021, respectively, is described under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Loss on Debt Extinguishment,” above.

Other Non-Operating—Net

Other non-operating—net was $15 million of expense in 2022 compared to $16 million of income in 2021. The $15 million of expense in 2022 was due primarily to a pension settlement loss of $21 million related to the purchase of a non-participating group annuity contract to settle retiree obligations under our primary U.S. defined benefit pension plan and curtailment gains of $4 million related to the remeasurement of certain of our North American defined benefit pension plans due to plan amendments. The pension settlement loss and curtailment gains are described under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Pension settlement loss and curtailment gains—net,” above. The $16 million of income in 2021 was due primarily to a gain of $20 million on the sale of EU emission credits that, due to Brexit, could no longer be utilized by our U.K. operations for carbon emission obligations in the United Kingdom.

Income Tax Provision

Our income tax provision for 2022 was $1.16 billion on pre-tax income of $5.10 billion, or an effective tax rate of 22.7%, compared to an income tax provision of $283 million on pre-tax income of $1.54 billion, or an effective tax rate of 18.3%, in 2021.

For 2022, our income tax provision includes $22 million of income tax expense to record a valuation allowance in the United Kingdom, $23 million of income tax benefit for the excess tax benefit related to certain share-based compensation activity and $78 million of income tax provision related to the Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter, which is described above under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results.”

For 2021, we did not record an income tax benefit related to the goodwill impairment charges described in Note 5—United Kingdom Operations Restructuring and Impairment Charges, as the goodwill impairment charges are non-deductible for income tax purposes. Our income tax provision for 2021 includes a $26 million benefit reflecting the impact of agreement on certain issues related to U.S. federal income tax audits, including a discrete income tax benefit of approximately $15 million due to the reversal of an accrual for unrecognized tax benefits as a result of the effective settlement of the U.S. federal income tax audit for the tax years 2012 through 2016.

Our effective tax rate is impacted by earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest in CFN, as our consolidated income tax provision does not include a tax provision on the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest. Our effective tax rate for 2022 of 22.7%, which is based on pre-tax income of $5.10 billion, would be 3.0 percentage points higher, or 25.7%, if based on pre-tax income exclusive of the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $591 million. Our effective tax rate for 2021 of 18.3%, which is based on pre-tax income of $1.54 billion, would be 5.3 percentage points higher, or 23.6%, if based on pre-tax income exclusive of the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $343 million.

Both 2022 and 2021 were impacted by additional discrete tax items. See Note 10—Income Taxes for additional information.

Net Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest includes the net earnings attributable to the approximately 11% CHS minority equity interest in CFN, a subsidiary of CF Holdings.

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest increased $248 million, or 72%, to $591 million in 2022 compared to $343 million in 2021 due to higher earnings of CFN driven by higher average selling prices due primarily to a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance as higher global energy costs drove lower global operating rates.

Diluted Net Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

Net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders increased 286% to $16.38 per diluted share in 2022 from $4.24 per diluted share in 2021. This increase is due primarily to higher average selling prices, partially offset by higher natural gas costs, and an increase in the income tax provision due primarily to increased profitability. Additionally, net earnings per diluted share increased due to a 6% reduction in the diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding, which declined from 216.2 million shares for 2021 to 204.2 million shares for 2022, due primarily to repurchases of common shares under our share repurchase programs.

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Operating Results by Business Segment

Our reportable segment structure reflects how our chief operating decision maker, as defined in U.S. GAAP, assesses the performance of our reportable segments and makes decisions about resource allocation. These segments are differentiated by products. Our management uses gross margin to evaluate segment performance and allocate resources. Total other operating costs and expenses (consisting primarily of selling, general and administrative expenses and other operating—net) and non-operating expenses (consisting primarily of interest and income taxes), are centrally managed and are not included in the measurement of segment profitability reviewed by management. The following table presents summary operating results by business segment:

Ammonia(1)Granular Urea(2)UAN(2)AN(2)Other(2)Consolidated
(in millions)
Year ended December 31, 2022
Net sales$3,090$2,892$3,572$845$787$11,186
Cost of sales1,4911,3281,4895974205,325
Gross margin$1,599$1,564$2,083$248$367$5,861
Gross margin percentage51.7%54.1%58.3%29.3%46.6%52.4%
Year ended December 31, 2021
Net sales$1,787$1,880$1,788$510$573$6,538
Cost of sales1,1629921,1194754034,151
Gross margin$625$888$669$35$170$2,387
Gross margin percentage35.0%47.2%37.4%6.9%29.7%36.5%
Year ended December 31, 2020
Net sales$1,020$1,248$1,063$455$338$4,124
Cost of sales8508479493902873,323
Gross margin$170$401$114$65$51$801
Gross margin percentage16.7%32.1%10.7%14.3%15.1%19.4%

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(1)Cost of sales and gross margin for the Ammonia segment in 2021 include a $112 million gain on the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts with our suppliers. See Note 15—Derivative Financial Instruments for additional information.

(2)The cost of the products that are upgraded into other products is transferred at cost into the upgraded product results.

The following is a discussion and analysis of our operating results by business segment for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. For a discussion and analysis of our operating results by business segment for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2022.

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Ammonia Segment

Our Ammonia segment produces anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which is the base product that we manufacture, containing 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. The results of our Ammonia segment consist of sales of ammonia to external customers for its nitrogen content as a fertilizer, in emissions control and in other industrial applications. In addition, we upgrade ammonia into other nitrogen products such as granular urea, UAN and AN.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Ammonia segment:

Year ended December 31,
2022202120202022 v. 20212021 v. 2020
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$3,090$1,787$1,020$1,30373%$76775%
Cost of sales1,4911,16285032928%31237%
Gross margin$1,599$625$170$974156%$455268%
Gross margin percentage51.7%35.0%16.7%16.7%18.3%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)3,3003,5893,767(289)(8)%(178)(5)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)2,7072,9443,090(237)(8)%(146)(5)%
Average selling price per product ton$936$498$271$43888%$22784%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$1,141$607$330$53488%$27784%
Gross margin per product ton$485$174$45$311179%$129287%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$591$212$55$379179%$157285%
Depreciation and amortization$166$209$176$(43)(21)%$3319%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$13$7$(2)$686%$9N/M

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Ammonia represents 82% nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021

Net Sales. Net sales in our Ammonia segment increased by $1.30 billion, or 73%, to $3.09 billion in 2022 from $1.79 billion in 2021 due primarily to an 88% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by an 8% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $936 per ton in 2022 compared to $498 per ton in 2021. The increase in average selling prices was due primarily to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance, reflecting in part the geopolitical factors described above under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Geopolitical Environment.” Sales volume was lower in 2022 due primarily to more typical fall ammonia applications in 2022 compared to a stronger prior year fall ammonia season.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Ammonia segment averaged $451 per ton in 2022, a 39% increase from $324 per ton in 2021. The increase is due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs, a higher cost per ton for purchased ammonia from our joint venture in Trinidad and the impact of the $112 million gain in 2021 on the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts as a result of Winter Storm Uri.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Ammonia segment increased by $974 million to $1.60 billion in 2022 from $625 million in 2021, and our gross margin percentage was 51.7% in 2022 compared to 35.0% in 2021. The increase in gross margin was due to an 88% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $1.51 billion. The increase in average selling prices was partially offset by an increase in realized natural gas costs, which decreased gross margin by $307 million, an 8% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $76 million, and a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which decreased gross margin by $34 million. In addition, the impact of the $112 million gain on the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts is included in gross margin in 2021. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $13 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2022 compared to a $7 million loss in 2021.

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Granular Urea Segment

Our Granular Urea segment produces granular urea, which contains 46% nitrogen. Produced from ammonia and carbon dioxide, it has the highest nitrogen content of any of our solid nitrogen fertilizers. Granular urea is produced at our Donaldsonville, Port Neal and Medicine Hat nitrogen complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Granular Urea segment:

Year ended December 31,
2022202120202022 v. 20212021 v. 2020
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$2,892$1,880$1,248$1,01254%$63251%
Cost of sales1,32899284733634%14517%
Gross margin$1,564$888$401$67676%$487121%
Gross margin percentage54.1%47.2%32.1%6.9%15.1%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)4,5724,2905,1482827%(858)(17)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)2,1031,9732,3681307%(395)(17)%
Average selling price per product ton$633$438$242$19545%$19681%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$1,375$953$527$42244%$42681%
Gross margin per product ton$342$207$78$13565%$129165%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$744$450$169$29465%$281166%
Depreciation and amortization$272$235$270$3716%$(35)(13)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$13$6$(2)$7117%$8N/M

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Granular urea represents 46% nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021

Net Sales. Net sales in our Granular Urea segment increased $1.01 billion, or 54%, to $2.89 billion in 2022 compared to $1.88 billion in 2021 due primarily to a 45% increase in average selling prices and a 7% increase in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $633 per ton in 2022 compared to $438 per ton in 2021. The increase in average selling prices was due primarily to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance, reflecting in part the geopolitical factors described above under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Geopolitical Environment.” Sales volume was higher due primarily to higher supply availability resulting from higher production.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Granular Urea segment averaged $291 per ton in 2022, a 26% increase from $231 per ton in 2021, due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Granular Urea segment increased by $676 million to $1.56 billion in 2022 from $888 million in 2021, and our gross margin percentage was 54.1% in 2022 compared to 47.2% in 2021. The increase in gross margin was driven by a 45% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by approximately $857 million and a 7% increase in sales volume, which increased gross margin by $113 million. These factors that increased gross margin were partially offset by higher realized natural gas costs, which decreased gross margin by $250 million, and a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which reduced gross margin by $37 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $13 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2022 compared to a $6 million loss in 2021.

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UAN Segment

Our UAN segment produces urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN). UAN, a liquid fertilizer product with a nitrogen content that typically ranges from 28% to 32%, is produced by combining urea and ammonium nitrate. UAN is produced at our Courtright, Donaldsonville, Port Neal, Verdigris, Woodward, and Yazoo City nitrogen complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our UAN segment:

Year ended December 31,
2022202120202022 v. 20212021 v. 2020
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$3,572$1,788$1,063$1,784100%$72568%
Cost of sales1,4891,11994937033%17018%
Gross margin$2,083$669$114$1,414211%$555487%
Gross margin percentage58.3%37.4%10.7%20.9%26.7%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)6,7886,5846,8432043%(259)(4)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)2,1482,0752,155734%(80)(4)%
Average selling price per product ton$526$272$155$25493%$11775%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$1,663$862$493$80193%$36975%
Gross margin per product ton$307$102$17$205201%$85500%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$970$322$53$648201%$269N/M
Depreciation and amortization$269$259$256$104%$31%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$14$5$(2)$9180%$7N/M

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)UAN represents between 28% and 32% of nitrogen content, depending on the concentration specified by the customer. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021

Net Sales. Net sales in our UAN segment increased $1.78 billion, or 100%, to $3.57 billion in 2022 compared to $1.79 billion in 2021 due primarily to a 93% increase in average selling prices and a 3% increase in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $526 per ton in 2022 compared to $272 per ton in 2021 due primarily to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance, reflecting in part the geopolitical factors described above under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Geopolitical Environment.” The increase in sales volume was due primarily to greater supply availability from higher beginning inventory.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our UAN segment averaged $219 per ton in 2022, a 29% increase from $170 per ton in 2021, due primarily to the impact of higher realized natural gas costs and higher export freight costs.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our UAN segment increased by $1.41 billion to $2.08 billion in 2022 from $669 million in 2021, and our gross margin percentage was 58.3% in 2022 compared to 37.4% in 2021. The increase in gross margin was due to a 93% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $1.77 billion. The impact of higher average selling prices was partially offset by higher realized natural gas costs, which decreased gross margin by $245 million, a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, including freight, which reduced gross margin by $95 million, and a change in location product mix, which reduced gross margin by $9 million. Gross margin includes the impact of a $14 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2022 compared to a $5 million loss in 2021.

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AN Segment

Our AN segment produces ammonium nitrate (AN). AN, which has a nitrogen content between 29% and 35%, is produced by combining anhydrous ammonia and nitric acid. AN is used as nitrogen fertilizer and is also used by industrial customers for commercial explosives and blasting systems. AN is produced at our Yazoo City and Billingham nitrogen complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our AN segment:

Year ended December 31,
2022202120202022 v. 20212021 v. 2020
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$845$510$455$33566%$5512%
Cost of sales59747539012226%8522%
Gross margin$248$35$65$213N/M$(30)(46)%
Gross margin percentage29.3%6.9%14.3%22.4%(7.4)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)1,5941,7202,216(126)(7)%(496)(22)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)545582747(37)(6)%(165)(22)%
Average selling price per product ton$530$297$205$23378%$9245%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$1,550$876$609$67477%$26744%
Gross margin per product ton$156$20$29$136N/M$(9)(31)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$455$60$87$395N/M$(27)(31)%
Depreciation and amortization$61$77$100$(16)(21)%$(23)(23)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market (gain) loss on natural gas derivatives$(2)$4$$(6)N/M$4N/M

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)AN represents between 29% and 35% of nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021

On September 15, 2021, we announced the halt of operations at both our Ince and Billingham manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom due to negative profitability driven by the high cost of natural gas. Shortly thereafter, we restarted production at our Billingham facility. In June 2022, we approved and announced our proposed plan to restructure our U.K. operations, including the planned permanent closure of our Ince facility. In August 2022, the final restructuring plan was approved, and decommissioning activities were initiated. In September 2022, as a result of extremely high and volatile natural gas prices and the lack of a corresponding increase in global nitrogen product market prices, we temporarily idled ammonia production at our Billingham complex. Since that time, we have imported ammonia for upgrade into AN and other nitrogen products at that location. See the discussion under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Operations,” above, for further information.

Net Sales. Net sales in our AN segment increased $335 million, or 66%, to $845 million in 2022 from $510 million in 2021 due primarily to a 78% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by a 7% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $530 per ton in 2022 compared to $297 per ton in 2021 due primarily to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance, reflecting in part the geopolitical factors described above under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Geopolitical Environment.” Sales volume decreased due primarily to lower supply availability as a result of our Ince facility closure.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our AN segment averaged $374 per ton in 2022, a 35% increase from $277 per ton in 2021, due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our AN segment increased by $213 million to $248 million in 2022 from $35 million in 2021, and our gross margin percentage was 29.3% in 2022 compared to 6.9% in 2021. The increase in gross margin was due primarily to a 78% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $382 million, and favorable location product mix, which increased gross margin by $28 million. These factors that increased gross margin were partially offset by an increase in realized natural gas costs, which decreased gross margin by $175 million and a net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which reduced gross margin by $28 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $2 million

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unrealized net mark-to-market gain on natural gas derivatives in 2022 compared to a $4 million loss on natural gas derivatives in 2021.

Other Segment

Our Other segment primarily includes the following products:

•Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) is an aqueous urea solution typically made with 32.5% or 50% high-purity urea and the remainder deionized water.

•Urea liquor is a liquid product that we sell in concentrations of 40%, 50% and 70% urea as a chemical intermediate.

•Nitric acid is a nitrogen-based mineral acid that is used in the production of nitrate-based fertilizers, nylon precursors and other specialty chemicals.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Other segment:

Year ended December 31,
2022202120202022 v. 20212021 v. 2020
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$787$573$338$21437%$23570%
Cost of sales420403287174%11640%
Gross margin$367$170$51$197116%$119233%
Gross margin percentage46.6%29.7%15.1%16.9%14.6%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)2,0772,3182,322(241)(10)%(4)%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)408458457(50)(11)%1%
Average selling price per product ton$379$247$146$13253%$10169%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$1,929$1,251$740$67854%$51169%
Gross margin per product ton$177$73$22$104142%$51232%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$900$371$112$529143%$259231%
Depreciation and amortization$67$87$68$(20)(23)%$1928%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives$3$3$$%$3N/M

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021

In June 2022, we approved and announced our proposed plan to restructure our U.K. operations, including the planned permanent closure of our Ince facility. In August 2022, the final restructuring plan was approved, and decommissioning activities were initiated. We produced compound fertilizer products (NPKs), which are solid granular fertilizer products for which the nutrient content is a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, only at our Ince facility, and closure of this facility has resulted in our discontinuation of the NPK product line. Total sales of NPK products were $15 million in the year ended December 31, 2022 and $47 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. See the discussion under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Operations,” above, for further information.

Net Sales. Net sales in our Other segment increased $214 million, or 37%, to $787 million in 2022 from $573 million in 2021 due to a 53% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by a 10% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $379 per ton in 2022 compared to $247 per ton in 2021, due primarily to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance, reflecting in part the geopolitical factors described above under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Geopolitical Environment.” The decrease in sales volume was due primarily to lower NPK and nitric acid sales volumes, as operations at our Ince manufacturing plant have ceased.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Other segment averaged $202 per ton in 2022, a 16% increase from $174 per ton in 2021, due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Other segment increased by $197 million to $367 million in 2022 from $170 million in 2021, and our gross margin percentage was 46.6% in 2022 compared to 29.7% in 2021. The increase in gross margin was due primarily to a 53% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $282 million, and a net

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decrease in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which increased gross margin by $3 million. These factors that increased gross margin were partially offset by an increase in realized natural gas costs, which reduced gross margin by $75 million, and a 10% decrease in sales volume, which reduced gross margin by $13 million.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary uses of cash are generally for operating costs, working capital, capital expenditures, debt service, investments, taxes, share repurchases and dividends. Our working capital requirements are affected by several factors, including demand for our products, selling prices, raw material costs, freight costs and seasonal factors inherent in the business. In addition, we may from time to time seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases, in open market or privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

Generally, our primary source of cash is cash from operations, which includes cash generated by customer advances. We may also from time to time access the capital markets or engage in borrowings under our revolving credit agreement.

Our cash and cash equivalents balance was $2.32 billion at December 31, 2022, an increase of $695 million from $1.63 billion at December 31, 2021. At December 31, 2022, we were in compliance with all applicable covenant requirements under our revolving credit agreement and senior notes, and unused borrowing capacity under our revolving credit agreement was $750 million.

On April 21, 2022, we redeemed in full all of the $500 million outstanding principal amount of the 2023 Notes in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. See the discussion under “Debt,” below, for further information.

In the second, third and fourth quarters of 2022, quarterly dividends of $0.40 per common share were declared and paid, representing a 33% increase from the quarterly dividend of $0.30 per common share that was declared and paid in the first quarter of 2022.

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents include highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash with original maturities of three months or less. Under our short-term investment policy, we may invest our cash balances, either directly or through mutual funds, in several types of investment-grade securities, including notes and bonds issued by governmental entities or corporations. Securities issued by governmental entities include those issued directly by the U.S. and Canadian federal governments; those issued by state, local or other governmental entities; and those guaranteed by entities affiliated with governmental entities.

Share Repurchase Programs

On November 3, 2021, our Board of Directors (the Board) authorized the repurchase of up to $1.5 billion of CF Holdings common stock through December 31, 2024 (the 2021 Share Repurchase Program). On November 2, 2022, the Board authorized the repurchase of up to $3 billion of CF Holdings common stock commencing upon completion of the 2021 Share Repurchase Program and effective through December 31, 2025 (the 2022 Share Repurchase Program). Repurchases under our share repurchase programs may be made from time to time in the open market, through privately negotiated transactions, through block transactions or otherwise. The manner, timing and amount of repurchases will be determined by our management based on the evaluation of market conditions, stock price, and other factors. Shares repurchased, including those repurchased under share repurchase programs, are retired as approved by the Board.

As of December 31, 2022, we repurchased 14.9 million shares under the 2021 Share Repurchase Program for $1.35 billion. We held no shares of treasury stock as of December 31, 2022.

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) was enacted into law. The IRA made several changes to the U.S. tax code effective after December 31, 2022, including, but not limited to, an excise tax of 1% tax on the fair market value of net stock repurchases made after December 31, 2022, which will be accounted for in treasury stock. The impact of this provision will be dependent on the extent of share repurchases made in future periods.

Capital Spending

We make capital expenditures to sustain our asset base, increase our capacity or capabilities, improve plant efficiency, comply with various environmental, health and safety requirements, and invest in our clean energy strategy. Capital expenditures totaled $453 million in 2022 compared to $514 million in 2021 reflecting lower turnaround activity in 2022.

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Capital expenditures in 2023 are estimated to be in the range of $500 to $550 million, which includes capital expenditures related to green and blue ammonia projects. Planned capital expenditures are generally subject to change due to delays in regulatory approvals or permitting, unanticipated increases in cost, changes in scope and completion time, performance of third parties, delays in the receipt of equipment, adverse weather, defects in materials and workmanship, labor or material shortages, transportation constraints, acceleration or delays in the timing of the work and other unforeseen difficulties.

Government Policies

The policies or laws of governments around the world can result in the imposition of taxes, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or regulatory requirements on imports and exports of raw materials, finished goods or services from a particular country or region of the world. The policies and laws of governments can also impact the subsidization of natural gas prices, and subsidies or quotas applied to domestic producers or farmers. Due to the critical role that fertilizers play in food production, the construction and operation of fertilizer plants often are influenced by economic, political and social objectives. Additionally, the import or export of fertilizer can be subject to local taxes imposed by governments which can have the effect of either encouraging or discouraging import and export activity. The impact of changes in governmental policies or laws or the political or social objectives of a country could have a material impact on fertilizer demand and selling prices and therefore could impact our liquidity.

Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter and Transfer Pricing

In connection with the Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter, which is described above under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter,” in the second half of 2022, we were assessed, and we paid additional tax and interest for tax years 2006 through 2011 of $224 million. As a result, letters of credit we had posted were cancelled. Due primarily to the availability of additional foreign tax credits to offset in part the increased Canadian tax referenced above, we will file amended tax returns with U.S. federal and state tax authorities for the relevant tax years.

As described above under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Transfer pricing positions,” we have unrecognized tax benefits recorded in connection with certain tax years subsequent to 2011 that have been reassessed for transfer pricing matters by the Canadian tax authorities. In order to mitigate the assessment of future Canadian interest on these Canadian transfer pricing positions, in the fourth quarter of 2022, we made payments to the Canadian taxing authorities of CAD $363 million (approximately $267 million) related to these reassessed tax years while we continue to dispute the reassessments and for certain years that are open for examination. The payments were recorded as noncurrent income tax receivables. For the amounts ultimately owed and paid to the Canadian tax authorities upon resolution of these tax years, the Company would seek refunds of related taxes paid in the United States.

United Kingdom Operations

As discussed under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Operations,” above, during the third quarter of 2021, the United Kingdom began experiencing an energy crisis that included a substantial increase in the price of natural gas, which impacted our U.K. operations. On September 15, 2021, we announced the halt of operations at both our Ince and Billingham manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom due to negative profitability driven by the high cost of natural gas. Shortly thereafter, our Billingham facility resumed operations.

In June 2022, we approved and announced our proposed plan to restructure our U.K. operations, including the planned permanent closure of our Ince facility and optimization of the remaining manufacturing operations at our Billingham facility. As a result, we recognized $152 million of asset impairment charges, primarily related to property, plant and equipment at the Ince facility, and a $10 million charge for post-employment benefits related to contractual and statutory obligations, which are included in the U.K. operations restructuring line item in our consolidated statements of operations. In August 2022, the final restructuring plan was approved, and decommissioning activities were initiated. As a result, in the third and fourth quarters of 2022, we incurred additional charges related to our U.K. restructuring of $9 million, primarily related to one-time termination benefits.

In the third quarter of 2022, the United Kingdom continued to experience extremely high and volatile natural gas prices. Russian natural gas flows to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline ceased, causing the United Kingdom to experience unprecedented natural gas prices. In addition, the European Union announced a desire to cap the price that Europe would pay Russia for natural gas deliveries, further contributing to the uncertainty in European energy markets. Given these factors and the lack of a corresponding increase in global nitrogen product market prices, in September 2022, we temporarily idled ammonia production at our Billingham complex. As a result, we concluded that an additional impairment test was triggered for the asset

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groups that comprise the continuing U.K. operations, which resulted in asset impairment charges of $87 million, primarily related to property, plant and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets.

The factors that could lead to the resolution of the U.K. energy crisis, and the timing of any such resolution, are unknown to us. Production of AN and other nitrogen products continues at our Billingham facility using imported ammonia, a portion of which is imported from our other ammonia production sites. Persistence of the current levels of energy costs in the United Kingdom could lead to the continued idling of ammonia production at our Billingham facility. There remains uncertainty regarding the future cost of natural gas and electricity, selling prices for the products we produce in the United Kingdom and U.K. government policy, which could result in, among other things, additional funding to support the cash needs of our U.K. operations and recognition of further losses and could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and cash flows.

Repatriation of Foreign Earnings and Income Taxes

We have operations in Canada, the United Kingdom and a 50% interest in a joint venture in Trinidad. Historically, the estimated additional U.S. and foreign income taxes due upon repatriation of the earnings of these foreign operations to the U.S. were recognized in our consolidated financial statements as the earnings were recognized, unless the earnings were considered to be permanently reinvested based upon our then current plans. However, the cash payment of the income tax liabilities associated with repatriation of earnings from foreign operations occurred at the time of the repatriation. As a result, the recognition of income tax expense related to foreign earnings, as applicable, and the payment of taxes resulting from repatriation of those earnings could occur in different periods.

In light of changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, commencing with the 2018 tax year, the United States no longer taxes earnings of foreign subsidiaries even when such earnings are earned or repatriated to the United States, unless such earnings are subject to U.S. rules on passive income or certain anti-abuse provisions. Foreign subsidiary earnings may still be subject to withholding taxes when repatriated to the United States.

Cash balances held by our joint venture are maintained at sufficient levels to fund local operations as accumulated earnings are repatriated from the joint venture on a periodic basis.

As of December 31, 2022, approximately $96 million of our consolidated cash and cash equivalents balance of $2.32 billion was held by our Canadian and United Kingdom subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2022, we recorded a deferred tax liability of $12 million on the undistributed earnings of our Canadian affiliates for which the Company does not have an indefinite reinvestment assertion. We have not provided for deferred taxes on the remainder of undistributed earnings from our foreign affiliates because such earnings would not give rise to additional tax liabilities upon repatriation or are considered to be indefinitely reinvested.

Debt

Revolving Credit Agreement

We have a senior unsecured revolving credit agreement (the Revolving Credit Agreement), which provides for a revolving credit facility of up to $750 million with a maturity of December 5, 2024. The Revolving Credit Agreement includes a letter of credit sub-limit of $125 million. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement may be used for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, share repurchases and other general corporate purposes.

Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement may be denominated in U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, euros and British pounds, and bear interest at a per annum rate equal to an applicable eurocurrency rate or base rate plus, in either case, a specified margin. We are required to pay an undrawn commitment fee on the undrawn portion of the commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement and customary letter of credit fees. The specified margin and the amount of the commitment fee depend on CF Holdings’ credit rating at the time.

CF Industries is the lead borrower, and CF Holdings is the sole guarantor, under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

The Revolving Credit Agreement contains representations and warranties and affirmative and negative covenants customary for a financing of this type. The financial covenants applicable to CF Holdings and its subsidiaries in the Revolving Credit Agreement:

(i) require that the interest coverage ratio (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) be not less than 2.75:1.00 as of the last day of each fiscal quarter and

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(ii) require that the total net leverage ratio (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) be not greater than 3.75:1.00 (the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio) as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, provided that, if any borrower or subsidiary consummates a material acquisition during any fiscal quarter, CF Industries may elect to increase the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio to 4.25:1.00 for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters commencing with such fiscal quarter (and no further such election may be made unless and until the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 3.75:1.00 as of the end of two consecutive fiscal quarters after the end of such period).

As of December 31, 2022, we were in compliance with all covenants under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

The Revolving Credit Agreement contains events of default (with notice requirements and cure periods, as applicable) customary for a financing of this type, including, but not limited to, non-payment of principal, interest or fees; inaccuracy of representations and warranties in any material respect; and failure to comply with specified covenants. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an event of default under the Revolving Credit Agreement and after any applicable cure period, subject to specified exceptions, the administrative agent may, and at the request of the requisite lenders is required to, accelerate the loans under the Revolving Credit Agreement or terminate the lenders’ commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

As of December 31, 2022, we had unused borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Agreement of $750 million and no outstanding letters of credit. In addition, there were no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2022 or 2021, or during the year ended December 31, 2022.

Letters of Credit

In addition to the letters of credit that may be issued under the Revolving Credit Agreement, as described above, we have capacity to issue up to $350 million of letters of credit, reflecting an increase of $100 million in May 2022, under a bilateral agreement. As of December 31, 2022, approximately $201 million of letters of credit were outstanding under this agreement.

Senior Notes

Long-term debt presented on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 consisted of the following debt securities issued by CF Industries:

Effective Interest RateDecember 31, 2022December 31, 2021
Principal OutstandingCarrying Amount (1)Principal OutstandingCarrying Amount (1)
(in millions)
Public Senior Notes:
3.450% due June 20233.665%$$$500$499
5.150% due March 20345.293%750741750741
4.950% due June 20435.040%750742750742
5.375% due March 20445.478%750740750741
Senior Secured Notes:
4.500% due December 2026(2)4.783%750742750742
Total long-term debt$3,000$2,965$3,500$3,465

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)Carrying amount is net of unamortized debt discount and deferred debt issuance costs. Total unamortized debt discount was $7 million and $8 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and total deferred debt issuance costs were $28 million and $27 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

(2)Effective August 23, 2021, these notes are no longer secured, in accordance with the terms of the applicable indenture.

Public Senior Notes

On April 21, 2022, we redeemed in full all of the $500 million outstanding principal amount of the 2023 Notes in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the April 2022 redemption of the 2023 Notes, which was funded with cash on hand, was $513 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $8 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $500 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

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On September 10, 2021, we redeemed $250 million principal amount, representing one-third of the $750 million principal amount outstanding immediately prior to such redemption, of the 2023 Notes, in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the redemption of the $250 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes, which was funded with cash on hand, was approximately $265 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $13 million in the third quarter of 2021, consisting primarily of a premium paid on the redemption of the $250 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

Under the indentures (including the applicable supplemental indentures) governing our senior notes due 2034, 2043 and 2044 identified in the table above (the Public Senior Notes), each series of Public Senior Notes is guaranteed by CF Holdings. Interest on the Public Senior Notes is payable semiannually, and the Public Senior Notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at specified make-whole redemption prices.

The indentures governing the Public Senior Notes contain covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries, including CF Industries, to incur liens on certain assets to secure debt, to engage in sale and leaseback transactions, to merge or consolidate with other entities and to sell, lease or transfer all or substantially all of the assets of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries to another entity. Each of the indentures governing the Public Senior Notes provides for customary events of default, which include (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), among others, nonpayment of principal or interest on the applicable Public Senior Notes; failure to comply with other covenants or agreements under the indenture; certain defaults on other indebtedness; the failure of CF Holdings’ guarantee of the applicable Public Senior Notes to be enforceable; and specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency. Under each indenture governing the Public Senior Notes, in the case of an event of default arising from one of the specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency, the applicable Public Senior Notes would become due and payable immediately, and, in the case of any other event of default (other than an event of default related to CF Industries’ and CF Holdings’ reporting obligations), the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the applicable Public Senior Notes then outstanding may declare all of such Public Senior Notes to be due and payable immediately.

Under each of the indentures governing the Public Senior Notes, specified changes of control involving CF Holdings or CF Industries, when accompanied by a ratings downgrade, as defined with respect to the applicable series of Public Senior Notes, constitute change of control repurchase events. Upon the occurrence of a change of control repurchase event with respect to a series of Public Senior Notes, unless CF Industries has exercised its option to redeem such Public Senior Notes, CF Industries will be required to offer to repurchase them at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of repurchase.

Senior Secured Notes

On March 20, 2021, we redeemed in full all of the $250 million outstanding principal amount of the 2021 Notes in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2021 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid on the 2021 Notes in connection with the redemption, which was funded with cash on hand, was $258 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $6 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $250 million principal amount of the 2021 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

Under the terms of the indenture governing the 4.500% senior secured notes due 2026 (the 2026 Notes), the 2026 Notes are guaranteed by CF Holdings. Until August 23, 2021, the 2026 Notes were guaranteed by CF Holdings and certain subsidiaries of CF Industries. The requirement for subsidiary guarantees of the 2026 Notes was eliminated, and all subsidiary guarantees were automatically released, as a result of an investment grade rating event under the terms of the indenture governing the 2026 Notes, on August 23, 2021. Prior to the investment grade rating event, subject to certain exceptions, the obligations under the 2026 Notes and related guarantees were secured by a first priority security interest in collateral consisting of substantially all of the assets of CF Industries, CF Holdings and the subsidiary guarantors. As a result of the investment grade rating event, the liens on the collateral securing the obligations under the 2026 Notes and related guarantees were automatically released on August 23, 2021, and the indenture covenant that had limited dispositions of assets constituting collateral no longer applies.

Interest on the 2026 Notes is payable semiannually, and the 2026 Notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at specified make-whole redemption prices.

Under the indenture governing the 2026 Notes, specified changes of control involving CF Holdings or CF Industries, when accompanied by a ratings downgrade, as defined with respect to the 2026 Notes, constitute change of control repurchase events. Upon the occurrence of a change of control repurchase event with respect to the 2026 Notes, unless CF Industries has

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exercised its option to redeem such notes, CF Industries will be required to offer to repurchase them at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of repurchase.

The indenture governing the 2026 Notes contains covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries, including CF Industries, to incur liens on certain assets to secure debt, to engage in sale and leaseback transactions, to merge or consolidate with other entities and to sell, lease or transfer all or substantially all of the assets of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries to another entity. The indenture governing the 2026 Notes provides for customary events of default, which include (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), among others, nonpayment of principal or interest of the 2026 Notes; failure to comply with other covenants or agreements under the indenture; certain defaults on other indebtedness; the failure of CF Holdings’ guarantee of the 2026 Notes to be enforceable; and specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the indenture governing the 2026 Notes, in the case of an event of default arising from one of the specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency, the 2026 Notes would become due and payable immediately, and, in the case of any other event of default (other than an event of default related to CF Industries’ and CF Holdings’ reporting obligations), the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes then outstanding may declare all of such notes to be due and payable immediately.

Forward Sales and Customer Advances

We offer our customers the opportunity to purchase products from us on a forward basis at prices and on delivery dates we propose. Therefore, our reported nitrogen selling prices and margins may differ from market spot prices and margins available at the time of shipment.

Customer advances, which typically represent a portion of the contract’s value, are received shortly after the contract is executed, with any remaining unpaid amount generally being collected by the time control transfers to the customer, thereby reducing or eliminating the accounts receivable related to such sales. Any cash payments received in advance from customers in connection with forward sales contracts are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as a current liability until control transfers and revenue is recognized. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had $229 million and $700 million, respectively, in customer advances on our consolidated balance sheets.

While customer advances are generally a significant source of liquidity, the level of forward sales contracts is affected by many factors including current market conditions, our customers’ outlook of future market fundamentals and seasonality. During periods of declining prices, customers tend to delay purchasing fertilizer in anticipation that prices in the future will be lower than the current prices. If the level of sales under our forward sales programs were to decrease in the future, our cash received from customer advances would likely decrease and our accounts receivable balances would likely increase. Additionally, borrowing under the Revolving Credit Agreement could become necessary. Due to the volatility inherent in our business and changing customer expectations, we cannot estimate the amount of future forward sales activity.

Under our forward sales programs, a customer may delay delivery of an order due to weather conditions or other factors. These delays generally subject the customer to potential charges for storage or may be grounds for termination of the contract by us. Such a delay in scheduled shipment or termination of a forward sales contract due to a customer’s inability or unwillingness to perform may negatively impact our reported sales.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce nitrogen products. We use natural gas both as a chemical feedstock and as a fuel to produce ammonia, granular urea, UAN, AN and other products. Expenditures on natural gas are a significant portion of our production costs, representing approximately 50% of our total production costs in 2022. As a result of these factors, natural gas prices have a significant impact on our operating expenses and can thus affect our liquidity. Natural gas costs in our cost of sales, including the impact of realized natural gas derivatives, increased 71% to $7.18 per MMBtu in 2022 from $4.21 per MMBtu in 2021.

We enter into agreements for a portion of our future natural gas supply and related transportation. As of December 31, 2022, our natural gas purchase agreements have terms that range from one to three years and a total minimum commitment of approximately $1.68 billion, and our natural gas transportation agreements have terms that range from one to ten years and a total minimum commitment of approximately $126 million. Our minimum commitments to purchase and transport natural gas are based on prevailing market-based forward prices excluding reductions for plant maintenance and turnaround activities.

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Most of our nitrogen manufacturing facilities are located in the United States and Canada. As a result, the price of natural gas in North America directly impacts a substantial portion of our operating expenses. During 2022, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America, reached a low of $3.45 per MMBtu on November 10, 2022 and a high of $9.85 per MMBtu on August 23, 2022. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub reached a low of $1.34 per MMBtu on September 22, 2020 and three consecutive days in October 2020 and a high of $23.61 per MMBtu on February 18, 2021.

Our Billingham U.K. nitrogen manufacturing facility is subject to fluctuations associated with the price of natural gas in Europe. The major natural gas trading point for the United Kingdom is the NBP. During 2022, the daily closing price at the NBP reached a low of $1.23 per MMBtu on June 10, 2022 and a high of $67.08 per MMBtu on March 8, 2022. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, the daily closing price at the NBP reached a low of $1.04 per MMBtu on May 22, 2020, and a high of $67.08 per MMBtu on March 8, 2022.

In September 2022, as a result of extremely high and volatile natural gas prices and the lack of a corresponding increase in global nitrogen product market prices, we temporarily idled ammonia production at our Billingham complex. Since that time, we have imported ammonia for upgrade into AN and other nitrogen products at that location; therefore, our natural gas purchases in the United Kingdom have been insignificant.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in prices for natural gas that will be purchased in the future. Natural gas is the largest and most volatile component of our manufacturing cost for our nitrogen-based products. From time to time, we may also use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Volatility in reported quarterly earnings can result from the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments in the value of the derivatives. In 2022 and 2021, we recognized an unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives of $41 million and $25 million, respectively, which is reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations.

Derivatives expose us to counterparties and the risks associated with their ability to meet the terms of the contracts. For derivatives that are in net asset positions, we are exposed to credit loss from nonperformance by the counterparties. We control our credit risk through the use of multiple counterparties that are multinational commercial banks, other major financial institutions or large energy companies, and the use of International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) master netting arrangements. The ISDA agreements are master netting arrangements commonly used for over-the-counter derivatives that mitigate exposure to counterparty credit risk, in part, by creating contractual rights of netting and setoff, the specifics of which vary from agreement to agreement.

The ISDA agreements for most of our derivative instruments contain credit-risk-related contingent features, such as cross default provisions. In the event of certain defaults or termination events, our counterparties may request early termination and net settlement of certain derivative trades or may require us to collateralize derivatives in a net liability position. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the aggregate fair value of the derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features in net liability positions was $73 million and $31 million, respectively, which also approximates the fair value of the assets that may be needed to settle the obligations if the credit-risk-related contingent features were triggered at the reporting dates.

As of December 31, 2022, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options for 66.3 million MMBtus. As of December 31, 2021, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options for 60.0 million MMBtus. At both December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had no cash collateral on deposit with counterparties for derivative contracts. The credit support documents executed in connection with certain of our ISDA agreements generally provide us and our counterparties the right to set off collateral against amounts owing under the ISDA agreements upon the occurrence of a default or a specified termination event.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans

We contributed $26 million to our pension plans in 2022. In 2023, we expect to contribute approximately $42 million to our pension plans. In addition, we expect to contribute a total of approximately £30 million (or $36 million) to our U.K. plans in the two-year period from 2024 to 2025, as agreed with the plans’ trustees.

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On July 15, 2022, we entered into an agreement with an insurance company to purchase a non-participating group annuity contract and transfer approximately $375 million of our primary U.S. defined benefit pension plan’s projected benefit obligation. The transaction closed on July 22, 2022 and was funded with plan assets. Under the transaction, the insurance company assumed responsibility for pension benefits and annuity administration for approximately 4,000 retirees or their beneficiaries. As a result of this transaction, in the third quarter of 2022, we remeasured the plan's projected benefit obligation and plan assets and recognized a non-cash pre-tax pension settlement loss of $24 million, reflecting the unamortized net unrecognized postretirement benefit costs related to the settled obligations, with a corresponding offset to accumulated other comprehensive loss. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the final settlement of the non-participating group annuity contract resulted in a refund of $4 million, which decreased the settlement loss by $3 million to $21 million.

In October 2022, we remeasured certain of our defined benefit pension plans due to plan amendments resulting from a revision to our North American retirement plan strategy. The plan curtailments resulted in a reduction in our benefit obligations of $20 million and curtailment gains of $4 million. See Note 11—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits for further information.

Distributions on Noncontrolling Interest in CFN

The CFN Board of Managers approved semi-annual distribution payments for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, in accordance with CFN’s limited liability company agreement, as follows:

Approved and paidDistribution PeriodDistribution Amount (in millions)
First quarter of 2023Six months ended December 31, 2022$255
Third quarter of 2022Six months ended June 30, 2022372
First quarter of 2022Six months ended December 31, 2021247
Third quarter of 2021Six months ended June 30, 2021130
First quarter of 2021Six months ended December 31, 202064
Third quarter of 2020Six months ended June 30, 202086

Cash Flows

Net cash provided by operating activities in 2022 was $3.86 billion as compared to $2.87 billion in 2021, an increase of $982 million. The increase in cash flow from operations was due primarily to higher net earnings, partially offset by changes in net working capital. Net earnings in 2022 was $3.94 billion compared to $1.26 billion in 2021. The increase in net earnings was due primarily to an increase in gross margin, driven by higher average selling prices, and a decrease in charges related to our U.K. operations. These factors that increased gross margin were partially offset by increases in natural gas costs, an increase in the income tax provision and an increase in net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest. During 2022, net changes in working capital reduced cash flow from operations by $900 million, while in 2021, net changes in working capital contributed $448 million to cash flow from operations. The decrease in cash flow from working capital changes was attributable primarily to lower levels of customer advances, higher levels of accounts receivable and an increase in income tax payments in 2022 as compared to 2021.

Net cash used in investing activities was $440 million in 2022 compared to $466 million in 2021, or a decrease of $26 million. During 2022, capital expenditures totaled $453 million compared to $514 million in 2021.

Net cash used in financing activities was $2.70 billion in 2022 compared to $1.46 billion in 2021. The increase was due primarily to share repurchases in 2022 and higher distributions to noncontrolling interest. In 2022, we paid $1.35 billion for share repurchases, including $1 million related to shares repurchased in late 2021 that were paid for in 2022, compared to $539 million for share repurchases in 2021. In 2022, distributions to noncontrolling interest were $619 million compared to $194 million in 2021.

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Critical Accounting Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. U.S. GAAP requires that we select policies and make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates. We base our estimates on historical experience, technological assessment, opinions of appropriate outside experts, and the most recent information available to us. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Changes in estimates that may have a material impact on our results are discussed in the context of the underlying financial statements to which they relate. The following discussion presents information about our most critical accounting estimates.

Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets, Goodwill and Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate

We review the carrying values of our property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets, including our finite-lived intangible assets, goodwill and our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate in accordance with U.S. GAAP in order to assess recoverability. Factors that we must estimate when performing impairment tests include production and sales volumes, selling prices, raw material costs, operating rates, operating expenses, inflation, discount rates, exchange rates, tax rates, capital spending and the impact that future market dynamics and geopolitical events could have on these factors. Judgment is involved in estimating each of these factors, which include inherent uncertainties. The factors we use are consistent with those used in our internal planning process. The recoverability of the values associated with our goodwill, long-lived assets and our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate is dependent upon future operating performance of the specific businesses to which they are attributed. Certain of the operating assumptions are particularly sensitive to the cyclical nature of the fertilizer business. Adverse changes in demand for our products, increases in supply and the availability and costs of key raw materials could significantly affect the results of our review.

The recoverability and impairment tests of long-lived assets are required only when conditions exist that indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. For goodwill, impairment tests are required at least annually, or more frequently whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate is reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that its carrying value may not be recoverable. When circumstances indicate that the fair value of our investment is less than its carrying value, and the reduction in value is other than temporary, the reduction in value would be recognized immediately in earnings.

We evaluate goodwill for impairment in the fourth quarter at the reporting unit level. Our evaluation generally begins with a qualitative assessment of the factors that could impact the significant inputs used to estimate fair value. If after performing the qualitative assessment, we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill, then no further analysis is necessary. However, if it is unclear based on the results of the qualitative test, we perform a quantitative test, which involves comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. We use an income-based valuation method, determining the present value of future cash flows, to estimate the fair value of a reporting unit. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, no further testing is necessary. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, goodwill impairment would be recognized equal to the amount of the carrying value in excess of the reporting unit’s fair value, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.

We review property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets at the asset group level in order to assess recoverability based on expected future undiscounted cash flows. If the sum of the expected future net undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying value, an impairment loss would be recognized. The impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived assets.

During the first quarter of 2022, we concluded that the continued impacts of the U.K. energy crisis, including further increases and volatility in natural gas prices due in part to geopolitical events as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggered a long-lived asset impairment test. The results of this test indicated that no additional long-lived asset impairment existed, as the undiscounted estimated future cash flows were in excess of the carrying values for each of the U.K. asset groups, which consisted of U.K. Ammonia, U.K. AN and U.K. Other. Previous impairments of these U.K. asset groups had been recognized in 2021, when the U.K. energy crisis began.

In the second quarter of 2022, the long-term outlook deteriorated for nitrogen producers in regions that rely on LNG imports to satisfy natural gas demand. As result, in the second quarter of 2022, we approved and announced our proposed plan to restructure our U.K. operations, including the planned permanent closure of the Ince facility. Pursuant to our proposed plan to restructure our U.K. operations and dispose of the Ince facility assets before we originally intended, we concluded that an evaluation of our long-lived assets and an additional impairment test was required. Our assessment then identified the U.K.

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asset groups as U.K. Ammonia, U.K. AN and U.K. Other, comprising our ongoing U.K. operations, and Ince, U.K. In response to this impairment indicator, we compared the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the Ince, U.K. asset group to its carrying amount and concluded the carrying amount was not recoverable and should be adjusted to its fair value. As a result, we recorded asset impairment charges related to the Ince, U.K. asset group totaling $152 million, which are included in the U.K. long-lived and intangible asset impairment line item in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022 and are further described under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Operations,” above.

There was no additional asset impairment indicated for the three asset groups that comprise the continuing U.K. operations as the undiscounted estimated future cash flows were in excess of the carrying values for each of these asset groups.

In the third quarter of 2022, the United Kingdom continued to experience extremely high and volatile natural gas prices. Russian natural gas flows to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline ceased, causing the United Kingdom to experience unprecedented natural gas prices. In addition, the European Union announced a desire to cap the price that Europe would pay Russia for natural gas deliveries, further contributing to the uncertainty in European energy markets. Given these factors and the lack of a corresponding increase in global nitrogen product market prices, in September 2022, we temporarily idled ammonia production at our Billingham complex. As a result, we concluded that an additional impairment test was triggered for the asset groups that comprise the continuing U.K. operations. The results of our impairment test indicated that the carrying values for our U.K. Ammonia and U.K. AN asset groups exceeded the undiscounted estimated future cash flows. As a result, we recognized asset impairment charges of $87 million, primarily related to property, plant and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets, which are included in the U.K. long-lived and intangible asset impairment line item in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022. The expected cash flows used in the long-lived asset impairment analysis reflected assumptions about product selling prices and natural gas costs, as well as estimates of future production and sales volumes, operating rates, operating expenses, inflation, tax rates, capital spending and the impact that future market dynamics and geopolitical events could have on these factors.

For the asset groups that comprise the continuing U.K. operations, the fair value of our property, plant and equipment utilized in the long-lived asset impairment analyses was estimated using the indirect method of the cost approach by determining the reproduction cost new, or replacement cost, of the assets and applying appropriate adjustments for depreciation including an inutility adjustment based on the cash flows expected to be generated by those asset groups. For property, plant and equipment within the Ince, U.K. asset group, an asset group planned for abandonment, we first considered use of a market or income-based valuation method. However, given that a secondary market did not exist and the assets had been idled with a planned abandonment and therefore would not generate future cash flows from operations, we estimated the fair value of the asset group by determining the replacement cost of the underlying assets, which included inflationary adjustments to original asset costs, and then adjusting each of the asset categories to an estimated salvage value utilizing industry recognized price publications.

See “Liquidity and Capital Resources—United Kingdom Operations” above, Note 5—United Kingdom Operations Restructuring and Impairment Charges, Note 6—Property, Plant and Equipment—Net and Note 7—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further information.

PLNL is our joint venture investment in Trinidad and operates an ammonia plant that relies on natural gas supplied, under a Gas Sales Contract (the NGC Contract), by the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC). The joint venture is accounted for under the equity method. The joint venture experienced past curtailments in the supply of natural gas from NGC, which reduced the ammonia production at PLNL. The NGC Contract had an initial expiration date of September 2018 and was extended on the same terms until September 2023. Any NGC commitment to supply gas beyond September 2023 will be based on new agreements. If NGC does not make sufficient quantities of natural gas available to PLNL at prices that permit profitable operations, PLNL may cease operating its facility and we would write off the remaining investment in PLNL. The carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL at December 31, 2022 was $74 million.

Projected Benefit Obligations

The projected benefit obligations (PBOs) for our defined benefit pension plans are affected by plan design, actuarial estimates and discount rates. Key assumptions that affect our PBO are discount rates and, in addition for our United Kingdom plans, inflation rates, including an adjusted U.K. retail price index (RPI).

The December 31, 2022 PBO was computed based on a weighted-average discount rate of 5.1% for our North America plans and 4.8% for our United Kingdom plans, which were based on yields for high-quality (AA rated or better) fixed income debt securities that match the timing and amounts of expected benefit payments as of the measurement date of December 31, 2022. Declines in comparable bond yields would increase our PBO. For our United Kingdom plans, the 3.2% RPI used to

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calculate our PBO is developed using a U.K. government gilt prices only retail price inflation curve, which is based on the difference between yields on fixed interest government bonds and index-linked government bonds.

For North America qualified pension plans, our PBO was $274 million as of December 31, 2022, which was $1 million higher than pension plan assets. For our United Kingdom pension plans, our PBO was $347 million as of December 31, 2022, which was $27 million higher than pension plan assets. The tables below estimate the impact of a 50 basis point increase or decrease in the key assumptions on our December 31, 2022 PBO:

Increase/(Decrease) in December 31, 2022 PBO
North America PlansUnited Kingdom Plans
Assumption+50 bps-50 bps+50 bps-50 bps
(in millions)
Discount Rate$(15)$17$(21)$23
RPIN/AN/A13(11)

See Note 11—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits for further discussion of our pension plans.

Income Taxes

We are subject to the income tax laws of the many jurisdictions in which we operate, and we recognize expense, assets and liabilities based on estimates of amounts that ultimately will be determined to be taxable or deductible in tax returns filed in various jurisdictions. These tax laws are complex, and how they apply to our facts is sometimes open to interpretation. We recognize the effect of income tax positions only if sustaining those positions is more likely than not. Tax positions that meet the more likely than not recognition threshold but are not highly certain are measured based on the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement with the taxing authority. Differences in interpretation of the tax laws and regulations, including negotiations with taxing authorities in various jurisdictions and resolution of disputes arising from federal, state and international tax audits, can result in differences in taxes paid, which may be higher or lower than our estimates. The judgments made at a point in time may change from previous conclusions based on the outcome of tax audits, as well as changes to, or further interpretations of, tax laws and regulations, and these changes could significantly impact the provision for income taxes, the amount of taxes payable and the deferred tax asset and liability balances. We adjust our income tax provision in the period in which these changes occur. As of December 31, 2022, we have recorded a reserve for unrecognized tax benefits, including penalties and interest, of $243 million.

We also engage in a significant amount of cross border transactions. The taxability of cross border transactions has received an increasing level of scrutiny among regulators across the globe, including the jurisdictions in which we operate. The tax rules and regulations of the various jurisdictions in which we operate are complex, and in many cases, there is not symmetry between the rules of the various jurisdictions. As a result, there are instances where regulators within the jurisdictions involved in a cross border transaction may reach different conclusions regarding the taxability of the transaction in their respective jurisdictions based on the same set of facts and circumstances. We work closely with regulators to reach a common understanding and conclusion regarding the taxability of cross border transactions.

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FY 2021 10-K MD&A

SEC filing source: 0001324404-22-000008.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high. Filing date: 2022-02-24. Report date: 2021-12-31.

ITEM 7.    MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. All references to “CF Holdings,” “we,” “us,” “our” and “the Company” refer to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, except where the context makes clear that the reference is only to CF Industries Holdings, Inc. itself and not its subsidiaries. All references to “CF Industries” refer to CF Industries, Inc., a 100% owned subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. References to tons refer to short tons and references to tonnes refer to metric tons. Notes referenced in this discussion and analysis refer to the notes to consolidated financial statements that are found in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data—Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. For a discussion and analysis of the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019, you should read Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 24, 2021. The following is an outline of the discussion and analysis included herein:

•Overview of CF Holdings

•Our Company

•Our Commitment to a Clean Energy Economy

•Industry Factors

•Market Conditions and Current Developments

•Financial Executive Summary

•Items Affecting Comparability of Results

•Consolidated Results of Operations

•Operating Results by Business Segment

•Liquidity and Capital Resources

•Critical Accounting Estimates

•Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Overview of CF Holdings

Our Company

Our mission is to provide clean energy to feed and fuel the world sustainably. With our employees focused on safe and reliable operations, environmental stewardship, and disciplined capital and corporate management, we are on a path to decarbonize our ammonia production network – the world’s largest – to enable green and blue hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities. Our nine manufacturing complexes in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, an extensive storage, transportation and distribution network in North America, and logistics capabilities enabling a global reach underpin our strategy to leverage our unique capabilities to accelerate the world’s transition to clean energy. Our principal customers are cooperatives, independent fertilizer distributors, traders, wholesalers and industrial users. Our core product is anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which contains 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. Our nitrogen products that are upgraded from ammonia are granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN) and ammonium nitrate (AN). Our other nitrogen products include diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), urea liquor, nitric acid and aqua ammonia, which are sold primarily to our industrial customers, and compound fertilizer products (NPKs), which are solid granular fertilizer products for which the nutrient content is a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Our principal assets as of December 31, 2021 include:

•five U.S. nitrogen manufacturing facilities, located in Donaldsonville, Louisiana (the largest nitrogen complex in the world); Port Neal, Iowa; Yazoo City, Mississippi; Verdigris, Oklahoma; and Woodward, Oklahoma. These facilities are wholly owned directly or indirectly by CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC (CFN), of which we own approximately 89% and CHS Inc. (CHS) owns the remainder. See Note 18—Noncontrolling Interest for additional information on our strategic venture with CHS;

•two Canadian nitrogen manufacturing facilities, located in Medicine Hat, Alberta (the largest nitrogen complex in Canada) and Courtright, Ontario;

•two United Kingdom nitrogen manufacturing facilities, located in Billingham and Ince;

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•an extensive system of terminals and associated transportation equipment located primarily in the Midwestern United States; and

•a 50% interest in Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited (PLNL), an ammonia production joint venture located in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago that we account for under the equity method.

Our Commitment to a Clean Energy Economy

We are taking significant steps to support a global hydrogen and clean fuel economy, through the production of green and blue ammonia. Since ammonia is one of the most efficient ways to transport and store hydrogen and is also a fuel in its own right, we believe that the Company, as the world’s largest producer of ammonia, with an unparalleled manufacturing and distribution network and deep technical expertise, is uniquely positioned to fulfill anticipated demand for hydrogen and ammonia from green and blue sources. Our approach includes green ammonia production, which refers to ammonia produced through a carbon-free process, and blue ammonia production, which relates to ammonia produced by conventional processes but with CO2 removed through carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and other certified carbon abatement projects.

In October 2020, we announced an initial green ammonia project at our Donaldsonville complex. In April 2021, we signed an engineering and procurement contract with thyssenkrupp to supply a 20 MW alkaline water electrolysis plant to produce green hydrogen at our Donaldsonville complex. Construction and installation, which is being managed by us, began in the fourth quarter of 2021 and is expected to finish in 2023, with an estimated total cost of approximately $100 million. The cost of the project is expected to fit within our annual capital expenditure budgets. We will integrate the green hydrogen generated by the electrolysis plant into existing ammonia synthesis loops to enable the production of approximately 20,000 tons per year of green ammonia. We believe that, when completed in 2023, the Donaldsonville green ammonia project will be the largest of its kind in North America.

In the third quarter of 2021, we signed a memorandum of understanding with Mitsui & Co., Inc. (Mitsui) that will guide us in a joint exploration of the development of blue ammonia projects in the United States. The preliminary studies we are conducting with Mitsui cover areas such as blue ammonia supply and supply chain infrastructure, CO2 transportation and storage, expected environmental impacts, and blue ammonia economics and marketing opportunities in Japan and in other countries.

We have also announced steps to produce blue ammonia from our ammonia production network. In the fourth quarter of 2021, our Board of Directors authorized projects that we believe will enable the annual production of up to 1.25 million tons of blue ammonia from our existing network starting in 2024. The projects will involve constructing units at our Donaldsonville and Yazoo City complexes that dehydrate and compress CO2, a process essential for CO2 transport via pipeline to sequestration sites. Management expects that, once the units are in service and sequestration is initiated, we could sequester up to 2.5 million tons of CO2 per year (2 million tons at Donaldsonville and 500,000 tons at Yazoo City). Under current regulations, the projects would be expected to qualify for tax credits under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code, which provides a credit per tonne of CO2 sequestered.

Construction of the units at the Donaldsonville complex is expected to begin in 2022 and to be completed in 2024, with an estimated total cost of $200 million. The Yazoo City project will be timed to coincide with CO2 transport pipeline construction. Once started, the project is expected to be completed in three years with an estimated total cost of $85 million. In addition, we are currently in advanced discussions with several parties regarding transportation and sequestration of CO2 from Donaldsonville.

Industry Factors

We operate in a highly competitive, global industry. Our operating results are influenced by a broad range of factors, including those outlined below.

Global Supply and Demand Factors

Our products are globally traded commodities and are subject to price competition. The customers for our products make their purchasing decisions principally on the basis of delivered price and, to a lesser extent, on customer service and product quality. The selling prices of our products fluctuate in response to global market conditions, changes in supply and demand and cost factors.

Historically, global fertilizer demand has been driven primarily by population growth, gross domestic product growth, changes in dietary habits, planted acreage, and application rates, among other things. We expect these key variables to continue to have major impacts on long-term fertilizer demand for the foreseeable future. Short-term fertilizer demand growth may depend on global economic conditions, farm sector income, weather patterns, the level of global grain stocks relative to

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consumption, fertilizer application rates, and governmental regulations, including fertilizer subsidies or requirements mandating increased use of bio-fuels or industrial nitrogen products. Other geopolitical factors like temporary disruptions in fertilizer trade related to government intervention or changes in the buying/selling patterns of key exporting/consuming countries such as China, India, Russia and Brazil, among others, often play a major role in shaping near-term market fundamentals. The economics of nitrogen-based fertilizer manufacturing play a key role in decisions to increase or reduce production capacity. Supply of fertilizers is generally driven by available capacity and operating rates, raw material costs and availability, government policies and global trade. Raw materials are dependent on energy sources such as natural gas or coal; therefore, supply costs are affected by the supply of and demand for these commodities.

Global Trade in Fertilizer

In addition to the relationship between global supply and demand, profitability within a particular geographic region is determined by the supply/demand balance within that region. Regional supply and demand can be influenced significantly by factors affecting trade within regions. Some of these factors include the relative cost to produce and deliver product, relative currency values, the availability of credit, agricultural supply and demand, industrial product demand and policies such as emissions abatement and governmental nitrogen product trade policies, including the imposition of duties, tariffs or quotas, that affect foreign trade or investment. The development of additional natural gas reserves in North America over the last decade has decreased natural gas costs relative to the rest of the world, making North American nitrogen fertilizer producers more competitive. Changes in currency values may also alter our cost competitiveness relative to producers in other regions of the world.

Imports account for a significant portion of the nitrogen fertilizer consumed in North America. Producers of nitrogen-based fertilizers located in the Middle East, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, North Africa and Russia have been major exporters to North America in recent years. As a result, the North American nitrogen fertilizer market for certain nitrogen products is dependent on imports to balance supply and demand.

Farmers’ Economics

The demand for fertilizer is affected by the aggregate crop planting decisions and fertilizer application rate decisions of individual farmers. Individual farmers make planting decisions based largely on prospective profitability of a harvest, while the specific varieties and amounts of fertilizer they apply depend on factors like their current liquidity, soil conditions, weather patterns, crop and fertilizer prices, fertilizer products used and timing of applications, expected yields and the types of crops planted.

Market Conditions and Current Developments

Selling Prices and Sales Volume

The selling prices for all of our major products were higher in 2021 than 2020, driven by the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance, as a result of strong global demand as well as decreased global supply availability as higher global energy costs drove lower global operating rates. The average selling price for our products for 2021 and 2020 was $353 per ton and $203 per ton, respectively. The increase in average selling prices of 74% in 2021 from 2020 resulted in an increase in net sales of approximately $2.76 billion.

Our total sales volume was 9% lower in 2021 than in 2020 with lower sales volume reported in all segments. We shipped 18.5 million tons of product in 2021 compared to 20.3 million tons in 2020 due primarily to lower supply from the impact of both planned and unplanned maintenance activity and the impact of weather-related outages. The lower sales volumes also reflect the idling of certain portions of our U.K. operations in September due to the United Kingdom energy crisis, which is further discussed below. Lower sales volume resulted in a decrease in net sales of approximately $404 million.

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Sales volume for our products in 2021, 2020 and 2019 is shown in the table below.

202120202019
Sales Volume (tons)Net SalesSales Volume (tons)Net SalesSales Volume (tons)Net Sales
(tons in thousands; dollars in millions)
Ammonia3,589$1,7873,767$1,0203,516$1,113
Granular urea4,2901,8805,1481,2484,8491,342
UAN6,5841,7886,8431,0636,8071,270
AN1,7205102,2164552,109506
Other2,3185732,3223382,257359
Total18,501$6,53820,296$4,12419,538$4,590

Natural Gas Prices

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce our nitrogen products. We use natural gas both as a chemical feedstock and as a fuel to produce nitrogen products. Natural gas is a significant cost component of manufactured nitrogen products, representing approximately 40% of our production costs in 2021. The following table presents the average daily market price of natural gas at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America, and the National Balancing Point, the major trading point for natural gas in the United Kingdom:

Year ended December 31,
2021202020192021 v. 20202020 v. 2019
Natural gas supplemental data (per MMBtu)
Average daily market price of natural gas Henry Hub (Louisiana)$3.82$1.99$2.51$1.8392%$(0.52)(21)%
Average daily market price of natural gas National Balancing Point (United Kingdom)$15.50$3.20$4.44$12.30384%$(1.24)(28)%

Most of our nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing facilities are located in the United States and Canada. As a result, the price of natural gas in North America directly impacts a substantial portion of our operating expenses. North American natural gas prices during 2021 were higher on average than during 2020 due to tight supply and demand conditions within the market. Demand for natural gas was strong throughout 2021 as cold weather early in the year, including the impact of Winter Storm Uri in February, contributed to strength in demand. Warmer weather in the summer of 2021 contributed to higher natural gas usage for electrical generation, and the economy emerging from COVID-19 pandemic conditions added to the strong summer demand. The supply response from natural gas producers during 2021 was insufficient to offset these demand factors, leading to higher prices throughout the year. In addition, liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports increased significantly in 2021 compared to 2020 as favorable pricing differentials between North America and global natural gas prices led LNG facilities in the United States to run at near maximum levels. The average daily market price at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America, was $3.82 per MMBtu for 2021 compared to $1.99 per MMBtu for 2020, an increase of 92%. During 2021, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub reached a low of $2.36 per MMBtu on April 7, 2021 and a high of $23.61 per MMBtu on February 18, 2021 as a result of Winter Storm Uri.

In February 2021, the central portion of the United States experienced extreme and unprecedented cold weather due to the impact of Winter Storm Uri. Certain natural gas suppliers and natural gas pipelines declared force majeure events due to natural gas well freeze-offs or frozen equipment. This occurred at the same time as large increases in natural gas demand were occurring due to the cold temperatures. Due to these unprecedented factors, several states declared a state of emergency, and natural gas was redirected for residential use. At certain of our manufacturing locations, we reduced our natural gas consumption, and, as a consequence, our plants at these locations either operated at reduced rates or temporarily suspended operations. We net settled certain natural gas contracts with our suppliers and received prevailing market prices, which were in excess of our cost. As a result, we recognized a gain of $112 million, which is reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021.

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Our two nitrogen manufacturing facilities located in the United Kingdom are subject to fluctuations associated with the price of natural gas in Europe. The price of natural gas in the United Kingdom increased throughout 2021 and reached unprecedented high levels in the third quarter, and even higher levels in the fourth quarter. The increase in natural gas prices was due to the combination of low storage levels in Europe, reduced supply from Russia, and a tight global supply and demand balance in the LNG market as a result of strong demand in both Europe and Asia to fill storage locations in anticipation of winter. Due to the high price levels for natural gas, we halted certain of our U.K. manufacturing operations in September 2021. See the discussion under “United Kingdom Energy Crisis,” below, for further information.

The major natural gas trading point for the United Kingdom is the National Balancing Point (NBP). The average daily market price at NBP was $15.50 per MMBtu for 2021 compared to $3.20 per MMBtu for 2020, an increase of 384%. During 2021, the daily closing price at NBP reached a low of $5.58 per MMBtu on February 23, 2021 and a high of $60.10 per MMBtu on December 22, 2021. The average daily market price of natural gas at NBP for January 2022 was $25.91 per MMBtu.

In 2021, the total cost of natural gas used for production at all of our locations, which includes the impact of realized natural gas derivatives and excludes the $112 million gain that resulted from the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts with our suppliers, increased 88% to $4.21 from $2.24 per MMBtu in 2020. This increase in natural gas costs resulted in a decrease in gross margin of $663 million.

United Kingdom Energy Crisis

During the third quarter of 2021, the United Kingdom began experiencing an energy crisis that included a substantial increase in the price of natural gas. In the first half of 2021, natural gas prices had increased to levels that were considered high compared to historical prices, and prices then more than doubled in the third quarter of 2021.

On September 15, 2021, we announced the halt of operations at both our Ince and Billingham manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom due to negative profitability driven by the high cost of natural gas. The halt of operations at our U.K. plants impacted the availability of certain products in the United Kingdom, including carbon dioxide, which is a byproduct of ammonia production. Due to the critical nature of carbon dioxide to certain industries in the United Kingdom, on September 21, 2021, we entered into an interim agreement with the U.K. government. Under the terms of the agreement, the U.K. government agreed to cover the costs to restart the ammonia plant at Billingham and to offset losses incurred from production for a 21-day period. As a result, we resumed production of ammonia at the Billingham facility in order to produce carbon dioxide for the United Kingdom. While the interim agreement was in place, we entered into new carbon dioxide pricing and offtake agreements with our customers, which had an initial term through January 31, 2022. The amount of financial support provided by the U.K. government under the terms of the interim agreement was not material. As of the filing of this report, production continues at our Billingham facility and continues to be idled at our Ince facility.

During the third quarter of 2021, the U.K. energy crisis necessitated an evaluation of the long-lived assets, including the definite-lived intangible assets, and goodwill of our U.K. operations to determine if their fair value had declined to below their carrying value. We concluded that a decline in fair value had occurred, and we recorded long-lived asset and goodwill impairment charges of $495 million. The continued impacts of the U.K. energy crisis in the fourth quarter of 2021 triggered an additional impairment test, and we recognized an additional goodwill impairment charge of $26 million. We recognized total impairment charges of $521 million in 2021, consisting of long-lived and intangible asset impairment charges of $236 million and goodwill impairment charges of $285 million. See “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—U.K. energy crisis impacts,” and “Liquidity and Capital Resources—United Kingdom Energy Crisis,” below, Note 6—United Kingdom Energy Crisis and Impairment Charges, Note 7—Property, Plant and Equipment—Net and Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further information. As of December 31, 2021, after the recognition of the $521 million of impairment charges noted above, we have no remaining goodwill related to our U.K. operations, and the remaining long-lived assets related to our U.K. operations were approximately $425 million, consisting primarily of property, plant and equipment.

The results of our U.K. operations are included in our Ammonia, AN and Other segments, and account for a small portion of our consolidated gross margin. For the year ended December 31, 2021, our U.K. operations generated negative gross margin representing approximately 1% of our consolidated gross margin. For the year ended December 31, 2020, gross margin generated by our U.K. operations accounted for 2% of our consolidated gross margin.

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Manufacturing Costs and Granular Urea Purchases

In 2021, we experienced lower production levels and higher manufacturing and maintenance costs than in 2020. Certain of our plants operated at lower operating rates or temporarily suspended operations during 2021 due to the lack of natural gas due to Winter Storm Uri or the impact of Hurricane Ida, or due to maintenance activity, including activity that was deferred from 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, we had the highest level of maintenance activity in our history, including turnarounds at seven of our 17 ammonia plants. Because of these factors, including the halt of operations in the United Kingdom, we incurred higher costs for manufacturing, maintenance and repair activity for both scheduled and unscheduled downtime in 2021.

In response to the lower production in 2021 as a result of weather conditions and maintenance activity, we procured additional granular urea in order to meet customer obligations and provide additional manufacturing flexibility. In the year ended December 31, 2021, we purchased approximately $71 million of granular urea, which we sold to customers for $68 million.

COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic. Due to the use of fertilizer products in crop production to support the global food supply chain, our business operations were designated as part of the critical infrastructure by the United States and as essential businesses in the United Kingdom and Canada, with corresponding designations by those states and provinces in which we operate. As a result, our manufacturing complexes were permitted to continue to operate and, through the date of this report, we have not suspended or shutdown operations as a result of the pandemic. In addition, we have continued to ship products by all modes of transportation to our customers, and we have not experienced any significant delays in marine, rail or truck transportation services due to the pandemic. Through the date of this report, we have not experienced any meaningful impact in customer demand as a result of the pandemic.

In response to the pandemic along with the rise of new variants of COVID-19, we instituted and have continued to enforce safety precautions and encourage safe behavior in order to protect the health and well-being of all of our employees. We will continue to monitor safety guidelines related to COVID-19 as issued by governmental authorities and adjust our safety protocols, as needed.

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Financial Executive Summary

We reported net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $917 million in 2021 compared to $317 million in 2020, an increase in net earnings of 189%, or $600 million. Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders increased $2.77 per share, to $4.24 per share in 2021 compared to $1.47 per share in 2020. These increases were due primarily to higher operating results driven by an increase in gross margin, partially offset by impairment charges related to our U.K. operations.

Impact of higher gross margin

Gross margin increased by $1.59 billion in 2021 to $2.39 billion as compared to $801 million in 2020. The following table and related discussion describe the significant factors that drove the increase in gross margin.

Variance due to the following items:
Year Ended December 31, 2020Higher Average Selling Prices(1)Volume(1)Higher Natural Gas Costs(2)Unrealized MTM on natural gas derivatives(3)Higher Manufacturing, Maintenance and Other CostsIncrease in Purchased Urea(4)Gain on Net Settlement of Natural Gas ContractsYear Ended December 31, 2021
(dollars in millions)
Consolidated
Net sales$4,124$2,757$(404)$$$$61$$6,538
Cost of sales3,323(312)6633149464(112)4,151
Gross margin$801$2,757$(92)$(663)$(31)$(494)$(3)$112$2,387
Gross margin %19.4%36.5%

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)Selling price and volume impact of granular urea purchased to satisfy customer commitments is reflected in the Increase in Purchased Urea column.

(2)Higher natural gas costs include the impact, if any, of realized natural gas derivatives.

(3)Represents the variance in the net unrealized mark-to-market gains and losses on natural gas derivatives compared to the prior year period.

(4)Represents the impact of the incremental tons compared to the prior year period.

•Average selling prices increased 74% in 2021 to $353 per ton from $203 per ton in 2020, which increased gross margin by approximately $2.76 billion,

•Sales volume decreased 9% to 18.5 million product tons in 2021 from 20.3 million product tons in 2020, which reduced gross margin by approximately $92 million,

•The cost of natural gas used for production increased 88% to $4.21 per MMBtu in 2021 from $2.24 per MMBtu in 2020, which reduced gross margin by $663 million,

•We incurred higher manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which reduced gross margin by $494 million, due primarily to higher plant turnaround and maintenance activity,

•We purchased 201,000 tons of granular urea for $71 million to meet customer obligations, which we sold to customers for $68 million, and

•The gain on the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts with our suppliers as a result of Winter Storm Uri was $112 million.

Impact of impairment charges

Net earnings and diluted net earnings per share in 2021 were impacted by impairment charges related to our U.K. operations of $521 million, consisting of long-lived and intangible asset impairment charges of $236 million and goodwill impairment charges of $285 million. The after-tax impact of the impairment charges to net earnings attributable to common stockholders and diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders was $463 million and $2.14, respectively. See “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Energy Crisis,” above, Note 6—United Kingdom Energy Crisis and Impairment Charges, Note 7—Property, Plant and Equipment—Net and Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, for further information.

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The following table includes gross margin, operating earnings, earnings before income taxes, net earnings attributable to common stockholders and diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders for 2021, and shows the impact of the impairment charges on each of these measures by also including the corresponding “as adjusted” measure, which excludes the before- and after-tax impacts of the impairment charges. Management utilizes these “as adjusted” measures, and believes they provide useful information to investors, for assessing period-to-period changes in our underlying operating performance, because these “as adjusted” measures exclude the non-cash impairment charges that resulted from the U.K. energy crisis, as more fully described above.

Year ended December 31, 2021
As reportedImpact of impairment chargesAs adjusted(1)
(dollars in millions, except per share)
Gross margin$2,387$$2,387
Operating earnings1,7295212,250
Earnings before income taxes1,5435212,064
Net earnings attributable to common stockholders9174631,380
Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders4.242.146.38

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)The “as adjusted” financial measures presented above are non-GAAP financial measures that should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, our reported results calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP).

Items Affecting Comparability of Results

In addition to the impact of market conditions discussed above, certain items impacted the comparability of our financial results during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. The following table and related discussion outline these items and how they impacted the comparability of our financial results during these periods. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we reported net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $917 million and $317 million, respectively.

20212020
Pre-TaxAfter-Tax(1)Pre-TaxAfter-Tax(1)
(in millions)
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives(2)$25$19$(6)$(5)
COVID impacts:
Special COVID-19 bonus for operational workforce(2)1915
Turnaround deferral(2)76
Asset impairments521463
Loss on foreign currency transactions, including intercompany loans(3)6554
Engineering cost write-off(3)97
Loss on sale of surplus land(3)21
Insurance proceeds(3)(37)(28)
Loss on debt extinguishment1915
Terra amended tax returns—interest income and income tax benefit(4)(26)(44)

______________________________________________________________________________

(1)The tax impact is calculated utilizing a marginal effective rate of 23.6% and 23.2% in 2021 and 2020, respectively, except for asset impairments, which reflects the amount of income tax benefit recognized on the long-lived and intangible asset impairment charges.

(2)Included in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations.

(3)Included in other operating—net in our consolidated statements of operations.

(4)Included in interest expense, interest income and income tax provision in our consolidated statements of operations.

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The following describes the significant items that impacted the comparability of our financial results in 2021 and 2020. Descriptions of items below that refer to amounts in the table above, refer to the pre-tax amounts, except for the discussion under Terra amended tax returns.

Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives

Natural gas is the largest and most volatile single component of the manufacturing cost for nitrogen-based products. At certain times, we have managed the risk of changes in natural gas prices through the use of derivative financial instruments. The derivatives that we use for this purpose are primarily natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options. We use natural gas derivatives as an economic hedge of natural gas price risk, but without the application of hedge accounting. This can result in volatility in reported earnings due to the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments that occur from changes in the value of the derivatives, which are reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations. In 2021 and 2020, we recognized an unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives of $25 million and $(6) million, respectively.

COVID impacts

In March 2020, a short-term bonus program was initiated to compensate operational employees for continuing their critical tasks at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bonus program concluded in June 2020. Approximately $19 million was paid as part of the program and was recognized in cost of sales in our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020.

In addition, certain plant turnaround activities were deferred because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we incurred $7 million of expense for the year ended December 31, 2020, which was recognized in cost of sales in our consolidated statement of operations.

Asset impairments

As a result of the U.K. energy crisis and the events described under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Energy Crisis,” above, we recognized impairment charges of $521 million in 2021, including long-lived and intangible asset impairment charges of $236 million and goodwill impairment charges of $285 million. See Note 6—United Kingdom Energy Crisis and Impairment Charges, Note 7—Property, Plant and Equipment—Net and Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, for further information.

Loss on foreign currency transactions, including intercompany loans

In 2021 and 2020, we recognized losses of $6 million and $5 million, respectively, which consist of foreign currency exchange rate impacts on foreign currency denominated transactions, including the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on intercompany loans that were not permanently invested.

Engineering cost write-off

In 2020, a project at one of our nitrogen complexes was cancelled and, as a result, $9 million of previously capitalized engineering costs were expensed in the year ended December 31, 2020. The expense is reflected in other operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations.

Loss on sale of surplus land

In 2020, we recognized a loss of $2 million on the sale of surplus land, which is reflected in other operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations.

Insurance proceeds

We recognized income of $37 million in 2020 related to insurance claims at one of our nitrogen complexes, which consisted of $35 million related to business interruption insurance proceeds and $2 million related to property insurance proceeds. These proceeds are reflected in other operating—net in our consolidated statement of operations.

Loss on debt extinguishment

On March 20, 2021, we redeemed in full all of the remaining $250 million outstanding principal amount of the 3.400% senior secured notes due December 2021 (the 2021 Notes) in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2021 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the redemption of the 2021 Notes was $258 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $6 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the 2021 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

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On September 10, 2021, we redeemed $250 million principal amount, representing one-third of the $750 million principal amount outstanding immediately prior to such redemption, of the 3.450% senior notes due 2023 (the 2023 Notes), in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the redemption of the 2023 Notes was approximately $265 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $13 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $250 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

Terra amended tax returns

We completed the acquisition of Terra Industries Inc. (Terra) in April 2010. After the acquisition, we determined that the manner in which Terra reported the repatriation of cash from foreign affiliates to its U.S. parent for U.S. and foreign income tax purposes was not appropriate. As a result, in 2012 we amended certain tax returns, including Terra’s income and withholding tax returns, back to 1999 (the Amended Tax Returns) and paid additional income and withholding taxes, and related interest and penalties. In 2013, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commenced an examination of the U.S. tax aspects of the Amended Tax Returns.

In 2020, we received IRS Notices indicating the amount of tax and interest to be refunded and received with respect to the income tax and withholding tax returns. As a result, we recognized $26 million ($23 million, net of tax) of interest-related income and $18 million of additional income tax benefit. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources—Terra Amended Tax Returns,” below, for additional information.

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Consolidated Results of Operations

The following table presents our consolidated results of operations and supplemental data:

Year ended December 31,
202120202019(1)2021 v. 20202020 v. 2019
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$6,538$4,124$4,590$2,41459%$(466)(10)%
Cost of sales (COS)4,1513,3233,41682825%(93)(3)%
Gross margin2,3878011,1741,586198%(373)(32)%
Gross margin percentage36.5%19.4%25.6%17.1%(6.2)%
Selling, general and administrative expenses223206239178%(33)(14)%
Goodwill impairment285285N/M%
Long-lived and intangible asset impairment236236N/M%
Other operating—net(39)(17)(73)(22)(129)%5677%
Total other operating costs and expenses705189166516273%2314%
Equity in earnings (loss) of operating affiliate4711(5)36327%16N/M
Operating earnings1,7296231,0031,106178%(380)(38)%
Interest expense—net1831612172214%(56)(26)%
Loss on debt extinguishment192119N/M(21)(100)%
Other non-operating—net(16)(1)(7)(15)N/M686%
Earnings before income taxes1,5434637721,080233%(309)(40)%
Income tax provision28331126252N/M(95)(75)%
Net earnings1,260432646828192%(214)(33)%
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest343115153228198%(38)(25)%
Net earnings attributable to common stockholders$917$317$493$600189%$(176)(36)%
Diluted net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders$4.24$1.47$2.23$2.77188%$(0.76)(34)%
Diluted weighted-average common shares outstanding216.2215.2221.61.0%(6.4)(3)%
Dividends declared per common share$1.20$1.20$1.20$%$%
Natural gas supplemental data (per MMBtu)
Cost of natural gas used for production in COS(2)$4.21$2.24$2.74$1.9788%$(0.50)(18)%
Average daily market price of natural gas Henry Hub (Louisiana)$3.82$1.99$2.51$1.8392%$(0.52)(21)%
Average daily market price of natural gas National Balancing Point (United Kingdom)$15.50$3.20$4.44$12.30384%$(1.24)(28)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$25$(6)$14$31N/M$(20)N/M
Depreciation and amortization$888$892$875$(4)%$172%
Capital expenditures$514$309$404$20566%$(95)(24)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)18,50120,29619,538(1,795)(9)%7584%
Production volume by product tons (000s):
Ammonia(3)9,34910,35310,246(1,004)(10)%1071%
Granular urea4,1235,0014,941(878)(18)%601%
UAN (32%)6,7636,6776,768861%(91)(1)%
AN1,6462,1152,128(469)(22)%(13)(1)%

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)For a discussion and analysis of the year ended December 31, 2019, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2021.

(2)Includes the cost of natural gas and related transportation that is included in cost of sales during the period under the first-in, first-out inventory cost method. Includes realized gains and losses on natural gas derivatives settled during the period. Excludes unrealized mark-to-market gains and losses on natural gas derivatives.

(3)Gross ammonia production, including amounts subsequently upgraded on-site into granular urea, UAN, or AN.

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The following is a discussion and analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. For a discussion and analysis of our consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2021.

Net Sales

Our net sales are derived primarily from the sale of nitrogen products and are determined by the quantities of nitrogen products we sell and the selling prices we realize. The volumes, mix and selling prices we realize are determined to a great extent by a combination of global and regional supply and demand factors. Net sales also include shipping and handling costs that are billed to our customers. Sales incentives are reported as a reduction in net sales.

Our total net sales increased $2.41 billion, or 59%, to $6.54 billion in 2021 compared to $4.12 billion in 2020 due to a 74% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by a 9% decrease in sales volume.

Average selling prices were $353 per ton in 2021 compared to $203 per ton in 2020, an increase of 74%, due to higher average selling prices across all of our segments, primarily driven by the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance, as a result of strong global demand and decreased global supply availability as higher global energy costs drove lower global operating rates. Our total sales volume of 18.5 million product tons in 2021 was 9% lower compared to 20.3 million product tons in 2020 as a result of decreased supply due to lower production due primarily to a high level of plant turnaround and maintenance activity and downtime resulting from the impacts of Winter Storm Uri and Hurricane Ida.

Gross ammonia production for 2021 was approximately 9.3 million tons compared to 10.4 million tons in 2020. Management expects gross ammonia production for 2022 will return to historical levels (9.5 to 10.0 million tons) based on normal operating conditions and a return to a typical level of planned maintenance activities.

Cost of Sales

Our cost of sales includes manufacturing costs, purchased product costs, and distribution costs. Manufacturing costs, the most significant element of cost of sales, consist primarily of raw materials, realized and unrealized gains and losses on natural gas derivatives, maintenance, direct labor, depreciation and other plant overhead expenses. Purchased product costs primarily include the cost to purchase nitrogen fertilizers to augment or replace production at our facilities. Distribution costs consist of the cost of freight required to transport finished products from our plants to our distribution facilities, which are recognized in cost of sales when the product is sold to our customers, and storage costs incurred prior to final shipment to customers.

Our cost of sales increased $828 million, or 25%, to $4.15 billion in 2021 as compared to $3.32 billion in 2020. The increase in our cost of sales was due primarily to higher costs for natural gas, including the impact of realized derivatives, which increased cost of sales by $663 million; higher manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, which increased cost of sales by $494 million; and higher costs for purchased products as we purchased $71 million of granular urea in 2021 to meet customer obligations. Cost of sales also includes the impact of a $25 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2021 compared to a $6 million gain in 2020.

These items increasing our cost of sales were partially offset by the $112 million gain we recognized from the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts with our suppliers in February 2021 due to Winter Storm Uri as described above under the heading “Natural Gas Prices” in the section titled “Market Conditions and Current Developments.” The $112 million gain on the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts in February 2021 is reflected in, and had the effect of reducing, our cost of sales in 2021. In addition, there was a $312 million decline in cost of sales in 2021, as compared to 2020, due primarily to a 9% decline in sales volume.

Cost of sales averaged $224 per ton in 2021, a 37% increase from $164 per ton in 2020. The cost of natural gas used for production, including the impact of realized derivatives, increased 88% to $4.21 per MMBtu in 2021 from $2.24 per MMBtu in 2020. The cost of natural gas used for production of $4.21 per MMBtu in 2021 does not include the $112 million gain from the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts in February 2021.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Our selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of corporate office expenses such as salaries and other payroll-related costs for our executive, administrative, legal, financial, IT, and sales functions, as well as certain taxes and insurance and other professional service fees, including those for corporate initiatives.

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Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $17 million, or 8%, to $223 million in 2021 from $206 million in 2020. The increase was due primarily to higher incentive compensation, due to strong operating performance.

Long-lived and Intangible Asset Impairment and Goodwill Impairment

In 2021, we recognized total impairment charges of $521 million, consisting of long-lived and intangible asset impairment charges of $236 million and goodwill impairment charges of $285 million. See “United Kingdom Energy Crisis” under “Market Conditions and Current Developments,” above for further information.

Other Operating—Net

Other operating—net includes administrative costs that do not relate directly to our central operations. Costs included in “other operating costs” can include foreign currency transaction gains and losses, unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency derivatives, litigation expenses and gains and losses on the disposal of fixed assets.

Other operating—net was $39 million of income in 2021 compared to $17 million of income in 2020. The income in 2021 primarily includes a gain of $29 million on sales of carbon credits. In addition, other operating—net includes the amount received under the terms of the agreement with the U.K. government associated with the restart of our Billingham facility, partially offset by a loss on foreign currency transactions of $6 million, which includes the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on intercompany loans that were not permanently invested. The income in 2020 primarily includes insurance proceeds of $37 million, partially offset by $9 million of expense related to the cancellation of a project, which is described in the section above titled “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Engineering cost write-off,” and a loss on foreign currency transactions of $5 million.

Equity in Earnings of Operating Affiliate

Equity in earnings of operating affiliate consists of our 50% ownership interest in PLNL. We include our share of the net earnings from our equity method investment in PLNL as an element of earnings from operations because this investment provides additional production and is integrated with our other supply chain and sales activities. Our share of the net earnings includes the amortization of certain tangible assets identified as part of the application of purchase accounting at acquisition.

Equity in earnings of operating affiliate was $47 million in 2021 compared to $11 million in 2020. The increase was due primarily to an increase in the operating results of PLNL as a result of higher ammonia selling prices partially offset by higher natural gas costs.

Interest Expense—Net

Our interest expense—net includes the interest expense on our long-term debt, amortization of the related fees required to execute financing agreements, annual fees pursuant to our revolving credit agreement and interest on tax liabilities. Capitalized interest relating to the construction of major capital projects reduces interest expense as the interest is capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Interest expense—net also includes interest income, which includes amounts earned on our cash, cash equivalents, and investments and any interest earned related to income tax refunds.

Net interest expense increased by $22 million to $183 million in 2021 from $161 million in 2020. The increase was due primarily to $26 million of interest income in 2020 related to the finalization of the Terra amended tax returns, which is more fully described under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Terra Amended Tax Returns,” above.

Loss on Debt Extinguishment

On March 20, 2021, we redeemed in full all of the remaining $250 million outstanding principal amount of the 2021 Notes in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2021 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the redemption on the 2021 Notes was $258 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $6 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the 2021 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

On September 10, 2021, we redeemed $250 million principal amount, representing one-third of the $750 million principal amount outstanding immediately prior to such redemption, of the 2023 Notes, in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the redemption of the 2023 Notes was approximately $265 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $13 million, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $250 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

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Other Non-Operating—Net

Other non-operating—net was $16 million of income in 2021 compared to $1 million of income in 2020. The $16 million of income in 2021 was due primarily to a gain of $20 million on the sale of EU carbon credits that, due to Brexit, could no longer be utilized by our U.K. plants for carbon emission obligations in the United Kingdom.

Income Tax Provision

Our income tax provision for 2021 was $283 million on pre-tax income of $1,543 million, or an effective tax rate of 18.3%, compared to an income tax provision of $31 million on pre-tax income of $463 million, or an effective tax rate of 6.7%, in 2020.

For 2021, we did not record an income tax benefit related to the goodwill impairment charges described in Note 6—United Kingdom Energy Crisis and Impairment Charges as the goodwill impairment charges are non-deductible for income tax purposes. Our income tax provision for 2021 includes a $26 million benefit reflecting the impact of agreement on certain issues related to U.S. federal income tax audits, including a discrete income tax benefit of approximately $15 million due to the reversal of an accrual for unrecognized tax benefits as a result of the effective settlement of the U.S. federal income tax audit for the 2012-2016 tax years.

For 2020, our income tax provision includes a $27 million benefit related to the settlement of certain U.S. and foreign income tax audits, which primarily related to the settlement of the audit of the Terra amended tax returns, which is more fully described under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Terra Amended Tax Returns,” above.

Our effective tax rate is impacted by earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest in CFN, as our consolidated income tax provision does not include a tax provision on the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest. Our effective tax rate for 2021 of 18.3%, which is based on pre-tax income of $1,543 million, would be 5.3 percentage points higher, or 23.6%, if based on pre-tax income exclusive of the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $343 million. Our effective tax rate for 2020 of 6.7%, which is based on pre-tax income of $463 million, would be 2.2 percentage points higher, or 8.9%, if based on pre-tax income exclusive of the earnings attributable to the noncontrolling interest of $115 million.

Both 2021 and 2020 were impacted by additional discrete tax items. See Note 11—Income Taxes for additional information.

Net Earnings Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest includes the net earnings attributable to the approximately 11% CHS minority equity interest in CFN, a subsidiary of CF Holdings.

Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest increased $228 million, or 198%, to $343 million in 2021 compared to $115 million in 2020 due to higher earnings of CFN driven by higher average selling prices due primarily to a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance as higher global energy costs drove lower global operating rates.

Diluted Net Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

Net earnings per share attributable to common stockholders increased 188% to $4.24 per diluted share in 2021 from $1.47 per diluted share in 2020. This increase is due primarily to higher operating results driven by an increase in gross margin, partially offset by impairment charges related to our U.K. operations.

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Operating Results by Business Segment

Our reportable segment structure reflects how our chief operating decision maker, as defined in U.S. GAAP, assesses the performance of our reportable segments and makes decisions about resource allocation. These segments are differentiated by products. Our management uses gross margin to evaluate segment performance and allocate resources. Total other operating costs and expenses (consisting primarily of selling, general and administrative expenses and other operating—net) and non-operating expenses (consisting primarily of interest and income taxes), are centrally managed and are not included in the measurement of segment profitability reviewed by management. The following table presents summary operating results by business segment and the major drivers of the variance in net sales, cost of sales and gross margin:

Variance due to the following items:
Year Ended December 31, 2020Higher Average Selling Prices(1)Volume(1)Higher Natural Gas Costs(2)Unrealized MTM on natural gas derivatives(3)Higher Manufacturing, Maintenance and Other CostsIncrease in Purchased Urea(4)Gain on Net Settlement of Natural Gas ContractsYear Ended December 31, 2021
(dollars in millions)
Consolidated
Net sales$4,124$2,757$(404)$$$$61$$6,538
Cost of sales3,323(312)6633149464(112)4,151
Gross margin$801$2,757$(92)$(663)$(31)$(494)$(3)$112$2,387
Gross margin %19.4%36.5%
Ammonia
Net sales$1,020$792$(25)$$$$$$1,787
Cost of sales850(33)1949254(112)1,162
Gross margin$170$792$8$(194)$(9)$(254)$$112$625
Gross margin %16.7%35.0%
Granular Urea
Net sales$1,248$814$(243)$$$$61$$1,880
Cost of sales847(155)14488464992
Gross margin$401$814$(88)$(144)$(8)$(84)$(3)$$888
Gross margin %32.1%47.2%
UAN
Net sales$1,063$756$(31)$$$$$$1,788
Cost of sales949(27)1687221,119
Gross margin$114$756$(4)$(168)$(7)$(22)$$$669
Gross margin %10.7%37.4%
AN
Net sales$455$159$(104)$$$$$$510
Cost of sales390(83)97467475
Gross margin$65$159$(21)$(97)$(4)$(67)$$$35
Gross margin %14.3%6.9%
Other
Net sales$338$236$(1)$$$$$$573
Cost of sales287(14)60367403
Gross margin$51$236$13$(60)$(3)$(67)$$$170
Gross margin %15.1%29.7%

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)Selling price and volume impact of granular urea purchased to satisfy customer commitments is reflected in the Increase in Purchased Urea column.

(2)Higher natural gas costs include the impact, if any, of realized natural gas derivatives.

(3)Represents the variance in the net unrealized mark-to-market gains and losses on natural gas derivatives compared to the prior year period.

(4)Represents the impact of the incremental tons compared to the prior year period.

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The following is a discussion and analysis of our operating results by business segment for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. For a discussion and analysis of our operating results by business segment for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2021.

Ammonia Segment

Our ammonia segment produces anhydrous ammonia (ammonia), which is our most concentrated nitrogen product. Ammonia contains 82% nitrogen and 18% hydrogen. The results of our ammonia segment consist of sales of ammonia to external customers. In addition, ammonia is the base nitrogen product that we upgrade into other nitrogen products such as granular urea, UAN and AN. We produce ammonia at all of our nitrogen manufacturing complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our ammonia segment:

Year ended December 31,
2021202020192021 v. 20202020 v. 2019
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$1,787$1,020$1,113$76775%$(93)(8)%
Cost of sales1,16285087831237%(28)(3)%
Gross margin$625$170$235$455268%$(65)(28)%
Gross margin percentage35.0%16.7%21.1%18.3%(4.4)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)3,5893,7673,516(178)(5)%2517%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)2,9443,0902,884(146)(5)%2067%
Average selling price per product ton$498$271$317$22784%$(46)(15)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$607$330$386$27784%$(56)(15)%
Gross margin per product ton$174$45$67$129287%$(22)(33)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$212$55$81$157285%$(26)(32)%
Depreciation and amortization$209$176$167$3319%$95%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$7$(2)$4$9N/M$(6)N/M

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Ammonia represents 82% nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020

Net Sales. Net sales in our ammonia segment increased by $767 million, or 75%, to $1.79 billion in 2021 from $1.02 billion in 2020 due primarily to an 84% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by a 5% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $498 per ton in 2021 compared to $271 per ton in 2020. The increase in average selling prices was due primarily to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance. Sales volume was lower in 2021 due primarily to lower supply availability resulting from reduced inventory and production due to plant turnaround and maintenance activity and from weather-related outages, including the impact of Winter Storm Uri and Hurricane Ida.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our ammonia segment averaged $324 per ton in 2021, a 43% increase from $226 per ton in 2020. The increase is due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs, higher costs related to plant turnaround, maintenance and repair activity, and higher costs for ammonia purchased from our joint venture in Trinidad, partially offset by the impact of the $112 million gain on the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts in February 2021. See “Market Conditions and Current Developments” above, for additional information on the operational impact of Winter Storm Uri.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our ammonia segment increased by $455 million to $625 million in 2021 from $170 million in 2020, and our gross margin percentage was 35.0% in 2021 compared to 16.7% in 2020. The increase in gross margin was due primarily to an 84% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $792 million, and the $112 million gain on the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts in February 2021. These factors were partially offset by a $254 million net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, an increase in realized natural gas costs, which decreased gross margin by $194 million, and a 5% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $8 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $7 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2021 compared to a $2 million gain in 2020.

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Granular Urea Segment

Our granular urea segment produces granular urea, which contains 46% nitrogen. Produced from ammonia and carbon dioxide, it has the highest nitrogen content of any of our solid nitrogen fertilizers. Granular urea is produced at our Donaldsonville, Louisiana; Medicine Hat, Alberta; and Port Neal, Iowa nitrogen complexes.

The following table presents summary operating data for our granular urea segment:

Year ended December 31,
2021202020192021 v. 20202020 v. 2019
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$1,880$1,248$1,342$63251%$(94)(7)%
Cost of sales99284786114517%(14)(2)%
Gross margin$888$401$481$487121%$(80)(17)%
Gross margin percentage47.2%32.1%35.8%15.1%(3.7)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)4,2905,1484,849(858)(17)%2996%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)1,9732,3682,231(395)(17)%1376%
Average selling price per product ton$438$242$277$19681%$(35)(13)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$953$527$602$42681%$(75)(12)%
Gross margin per product ton$207$78$99$129165%$(21)(21)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$450$169$216$281166%$(47)(22)%
Depreciation and amortization$235$270$264$(35)(13)%$62%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$6$(2)$4$8N/M$(6)N/M

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N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Granular urea represents 46% nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020

Net Sales. Net sales in our granular urea segment increased $632 million, or 51%, to $1.88 billion in 2021 compared to $1.25 billion in 2020 due primarily to an 81% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by a 17% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $438 per ton in 2021 compared to $242 per ton in 2020. The increase was due primarily to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance. Sales volume was lower due primarily to lower supply availability resulting from reduced production due to plant turnaround, maintenance and repair activity and the impact of weather-related outages. Due to the reduced production, we purchased granular urea in 2021, which we sold for $68 million, to meet customer obligations.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our granular urea segment averaged $231 per ton in 2021, a 41% increase from $164 per ton in 2020, due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs and higher costs related to plant turnaround, maintenance and repair activity due primarily to weather-related outages. In addition, we purchased $71 million of granular urea in 2021 to meet customer obligations.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our granular urea segment increased by $487 million to $888 million in 2021 from $401 million in 2020, and our gross margin percentage was 47.2% in 2021 compared to 32.1% in 2020. The increase in gross margin was driven by an 81% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by approximately $814 million. The impact of higher average selling prices was partially offset by higher realized natural gas costs, which decreased gross margin by $144 million, a 17% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $88 million, and an $84 million net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs. In addition, we experienced lower production throughout 2021. As a result, in 2021, we purchased 201,000 tons of granular urea to meet customer obligations, which had the impact of reducing our gross margin percentage in our granular urea segment by 2.0 percentage points. Gross margin includes the impact of a $6 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2021 compared to a $2 million gain in 2020.

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UAN Segment

Our UAN segment produces urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN). UAN, a liquid fertilizer product with a nitrogen content that typically ranges from 28% to 32%, is produced by combining urea and ammonium nitrate. UAN is produced at our nitrogen complexes in Courtright, Ontario; Donaldsonville, Louisiana; Port Neal, Iowa; Verdigris, Oklahoma; Woodward, Oklahoma; and Yazoo City, Mississippi.

The following table presents summary operating data for our UAN segment:

Year ended December 31,
2021202020192021 v. 20202020 v. 2019
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$1,788$1,063$1,270$72568%$(207)(16)%
Cost of sales1,11994998117018%(32)(3)%
Gross margin$669$114$289$555N/M$(175)(61)%
Gross margin percentage37.4%10.7%22.8%26.7%(12.1)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)6,5846,8436,807(259)(4)%361%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)2,0752,1552,144(80)(4)%111%
Average selling price per product ton$272$155$187$11775%$(32)(17)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$862$493$592$36975%$(99)(17)%
Gross margin per product ton$102$17$42$85N/M$(25)(60)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$322$53$135$269N/M$(82)(61)%
Depreciation and amortization$259$256$251$31%$52%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives$5$(2)$4$7N/M$(6)N/M

______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)UAN represents between 28% and 32% of nitrogen content, depending on the concentration specified by the customer. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020

Net Sales. Net sales in our UAN segment increased $725 million, or 68%, to $1.79 billion in 2021 compared to $1.06 billion in 2020 due primarily to a 75% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by a 4% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $272 per ton in 2021 compared to $155 per ton in 2020 due primarily to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance. The decrease in sales volume was due to lower supply availability from reduced production during the first nine months of 2021 due to plant turnaround and maintenance activity and the impact of weather-related outages.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our UAN segment averaged $170 per ton in 2021, a 23% increase from $138 per ton in 2020, due primarily to the impact of higher realized natural gas costs and higher costs related to plant turnaround, maintenance and repair activity.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our UAN segment increased by $555 million to $669 million in 2021 from $114 million in 2020, and our gross margin percentage was 37.4% in 2021 compared to 10.7% in 2020. The increase in gross margin was due to a 75% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $756 million. The impact of higher average selling prices was partially offset by higher realized natural gas costs, which decreased gross margin by $168 million, a $22 million net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, and a 4% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $4 million. Gross margin includes the impact of a $5 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2021 compared to a $2 million gain in 2020.

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Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Investigations

On June 30, 2021, we filed petitions with the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) requesting the initiation of antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on imports of UAN from Russia and Trinidad. On August 13, 2021, the ITC made an affirmative preliminary determination that there is a reasonable indication that the U.S. UAN industry is materially injured by reason of imports of UAN from Russia and Trinidad.

On November 30, 2021, Commerce announced preliminary countervailing duty determinations finding that UAN imports from Russia are unfairly subsidized at rates ranging from 9.66% to 9.84% and UAN imports from Trinidad are unfairly subsidized at a rate of 1.83%, and imposed preliminary cash deposit requirements on those imports.

On January 27, 2022, Commerce announced preliminary antidumping duty determinations finding that Russian UAN imports are dumped (i.e. sold at less than fair value) into the U.S. market at rates ranging from 9.15% to 127.19%, and that Trinidadian UAN imports are dumped at a rate of 63.08%, and imposed preliminary cash deposit requirements on those imports.

We expect that Commerce will issue final determinations later in 2022 and, if any of Commerce’s final determinations are affirmative, the ITC would make a final determination as to whether the unfairly traded imports materially injure or threaten material injury to the U.S. UAN industry. If the ITC makes affirmative final determinations, then Commerce can impose duties equal to the level of dumping and unfair subsidies it finds. At this time, we cannot predict the outcome of the proceedings, including whether final antidumping or countervailing duties will be imposed on imports from either Russia or Trinidad, or the rate of any such duties.

AN Segment

Our AN segment produces ammonium nitrate (AN). AN, which has a nitrogen content between 29% and 35%, is produced by combining anhydrous ammonia and nitric acid. AN is used as nitrogen fertilizer and is also used by industrial customers for commercial explosives and blasting systems. AN is produced at our nitrogen complexes in Yazoo City, Mississippi and Ince and Billingham, United Kingdom.

The following table presents summary operating data for our AN segment:

Year ended December 31,
2021202020192021 v. 20202020 v. 2019
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$510$455$506$5512%$(51)(10)%
Cost of sales4753903998522%(9)(2)%
Gross margin$35$65$107$(30)(46)%$(42)(39)%
Gross margin percentage6.9%14.3%21.1%(7.4)%(6.8)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)1,7202,2162,109(496)(22)%1075%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)582747708(165)(22)%396%
Average selling price per product ton$297$205$240$9245%$(35)(15)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$876$609$715$26744%$(106)(15)%
Gross margin per product ton$20$29$51$(9)(31)%$(22)(43)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$60$87$151$(27)(31)%$(64)(42)%
Depreciation and amortization$77$100$88$(23)(23)%$1214%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives$4$$1$4N/M$(1)(100)%

_______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)AN represents between 29% and 35% of nitrogen content. Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020

On September 15, 2021, we announced the halt of operations at both our Ince and Billingham manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom due to negative profitability driven by the high cost of natural gas. Shortly thereafter, we restarted production at our Billingham facility; however, production continues to be idled at our Ince facility. See the discussion under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Energy Crisis,” above, for further information.

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Net Sales. Net sales in our AN segment increased $55 million, or 12%, to $510 million in 2021 from $455 million in 2020 due primarily to a 45% increase in average selling prices, partially offset by a 22% decrease in sales volume. Average selling prices increased to $297 per ton in 2021 compared to $205 per ton in 2020 due primarily to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance. Sales volume decreased due primarily to lower supply availability as a result of reduced production due to plant turnaround and maintenance activity and idled operations at our Ince facility.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our AN segment averaged $277 per ton in 2021, a 57% increase from $176 per ton in 2020, due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs and higher costs related to plant turnaround and maintenance activity, including the impact of the idled Ince facility. Natural gas costs increased significantly in both the United States and the United Kingdom in 2021. See the discussion under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—Natural Gas Prices,” above, for further information.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our AN segment decreased by $30 million to $35 million in 2021 from $65 million in 2020, and our gross margin percentage was 6.9% in 2021 compared to 14.3% in 2020. The decrease in gross margin was due to an increase in realized natural gas costs, which decreased gross margin by $97 million, a net increase of $67 million in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs, and a 22% decrease in sales volume, which decreased gross margin by $21 million. These factors were partially offset by a 45% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $159 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $4 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2021.

Other Segment

Our Other segment primarily includes the following products:

•Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) is an aqueous urea solution typically made with 32.5% or 50% high-purity urea and the remainder deionized water.

•Urea liquor is a liquid product that we sell in concentrations of 40%, 50% and 70% urea as a chemical intermediate.

•Nitric acid is a nitrogen-based mineral acid that is used in the production of nitrate-based fertilizers, nylon precursors and other specialty chemicals.

•Compound fertilizer products (NPKs) are granular fertilizer products for which the nutrient content is a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

The following table presents summary operating data for our Other segment:

Year ended December 31,
2021202020192021 v. 20202020 v. 2019
(in millions, except as noted)
Net sales$573$338$359$23570%$(21)(6)%
Cost of sales40328729711640%(10)(3)%
Gross margin$170$51$62$119233%$(11)(18)%
Gross margin percentage29.7%15.1%17.3%14.6%(2.2)%
Sales volume by product tons (000s)2,3182,3222,257(4)%653%
Sales volume by nutrient tons (000s)(1)4584574441%133%
Average selling price per product ton$247$146$159$10169%$(13)(8)%
Average selling price per nutrient ton(1)$1,251$740$809$51169%$(69)(9)%
Gross margin per product ton$73$22$27$51232%$(5)(19)%
Gross margin per nutrient ton(1)$371$112$140$259231%$(28)(20)%
Depreciation and amortization$87$68$72$1928%$(4)(6)%
Unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives$3$$1$3N/M$(1)(100)%

_______________________________________________________________________________

N/M—Not Meaningful

(1)Nutrient tons represent the tons of nitrogen within the product tons.

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Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020

Net Sales. Net sales in our Other segment increased $235 million, or 70%, to $573 million in 2021 from $338 million in 2020 due to a 69% increase in average selling prices. Average selling prices increased to $247 per ton in 2021 compared to $146 per ton in 2020, due primarily to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance. Sales volume was essentially unchanged as higher DEF sales volumes were partially offset by lower NPK sales volumes, as a result of idled operations at our Ince facility, and lower urea liquor sales volumes.

Cost of Sales. Cost of sales in our Other segment averaged $174 per ton in 2021, a 40% increase from $124 per ton in 2020, due primarily to higher realized natural gas costs and higher costs related to plant turnaround and maintenance activity, including the impact of the idled Ince facility.

Gross Margin.  Gross margin in our Other segment increased by $119 million to $170 million in 2021 from $51 million in 2020, and our gross margin percentage was 29.7% in 2021 compared to 15.1% in 2020. The increase in gross margin was due to a 69% increase in average selling prices, which increased gross margin by $236 million, and an increase of $13 million due to product mix. These factors were partially offset by a $67 million net increase in manufacturing, maintenance and other costs and an increase in realized natural gas costs, which reduced gross margin by $60 million. Gross margin also includes the impact of a $3 million unrealized net mark-to-market loss on natural gas derivatives in 2021.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary uses of cash are generally for operating costs, working capital, capital expenditures, debt service, investments, taxes, share repurchases and dividends. Our working capital requirements are affected by several factors, including demand for our products, selling prices, raw material costs, freight costs and seasonal factors inherent in the business. In addition, we may from time to time seek to retire or purchase our outstanding debt through cash purchases, in open market or privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.

Generally, our primary source of cash is cash from operations, which includes cash generated by customer advances. We may also from time to time access the capital markets or engage in borrowings under our revolving credit agreement.

On March 20, 2021, we redeemed in full all of the remaining $250 million outstanding principal amount of the 2021 Notes, in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2021 Notes. On September 10, 2021, we redeemed $250 million principal amount, representing one-third of the $750 million principal amount outstanding immediately prior to such redemption, of the 2023 Notes, in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. See the discussion under “Debt,” below, for further information.

In 2021, we repurchased approximately 8.6 million shares of CF Holdings common stock under the 2019 share repurchase program for $540 million. See the discussion under “Share Repurchase Programs,” below, for further information.

Our cash and cash equivalents balance was $1.63 billion at December 31, 2021, an increase of $945 million from $683 million at December 31, 2020. At December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with all applicable covenant requirements under our revolving credit agreement and senior notes, and unused borrowing capacity under our revolving credit agreement was $750 million.

United Kingdom Energy Crisis

As discussed under “Market Conditions and Current Developments—United Kingdom Energy Crisis,” above, during the third quarter of 2021, the United Kingdom began experiencing an energy crisis that included a substantial increase in the price of natural gas, which impacted our U.K. operations. Management continues to assess these volatile market conditions in the United Kingdom. The factors that could lead to the resolution of the U.K. energy crisis, and the timing of any such resolution, are unknown to us. Production continues to be idled at our Ince facility, while the Billingham facility is currently operating. There remains significant uncertainty regarding future plans for these sites pending greater clarity as to the future cost of natural gas and electricity, selling prices for the products we produce in the United Kingdom and U.K. government policy. Persistence of the current levels of energy costs and product prices facing our U.K. operations could lead to the continued idling or shutting down of our U.K. facilities. This could result in, among other things, additional funding to support the cash needs of the U.K. operations and recognition of further losses or further asset impairment charges related to our U.K. operations. Each of these actions could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and cash flows.

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents include highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash with original maturities of three months or less. Under our short-term investment policy, we may invest our cash balances, either directly or through mutual funds, in several types of investment-grade securities, including notes and bonds issued by governmental entities or corporations. Securities issued by governmental entities include those issued directly by the U.S. and Canadian federal governments; those issued by state, local or other governmental entities; and those guaranteed by entities affiliated with governmental entities.

Share Repurchase Programs

On February 13, 2019, our Board of Directors (the Board) authorized the repurchase of up to $1 billion of CF Holdings common stock through December 31, 2021 (the 2019 Share Repurchase Program). Repurchases under our share repurchase programs may be made from time to time in the open market, through privately negotiated transactions, block transactions or otherwise. The manner, timing and amount of repurchases will be determined by our management based on the evaluation of market conditions, stock price, and other factors.

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The following table summarizes the shares repurchased under the 2019 Share Repurchase Program.

SharesAmounts
(in millions)
Shares repurchased in 20197.6$337
Shares repurchased in 20202.6100
Shares repurchased in 20218.6540
Total shares repurchased under the 2019 Share Repurchase Program18.8$977

Shares repurchased, including those repurchased under share repurchase programs, are retired as approved by the Board. As of December 31, 2021, we held 27,962 shares of treasury stock.

On November 3, 2021, the Board authorized the repurchase of up to $1.5 billion of CF Holdings common stock from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024 (the 2021 Share Repurchase Program).

Capital Spending

We make capital expenditures to sustain our asset base, increase our capacity or capabilities, improve plant efficiency and comply with various environmental, health and safety requirements. Capital expenditures totaled $514 million in 2021 compared to $309 million in 2020. The increase in capital expenditures reflects higher capital spending due to maintenance deferred from 2020 as well as activity that was previously planned to occur in 2022, but accelerated into 2021.

Capital expenditures in 2022 are estimated to be in the range of $500 to $550 million, which includes capital expenditures at our Donaldsonville complex related to green and blue ammonia projects. Planned capital expenditures are generally subject to change due to delays in regulatory approvals or permitting, unanticipated increases in cost, changes in scope and completion time, performance of third parties, delays in the receipt of equipment, adverse weather, defects in materials and workmanship, labor or material shortages, transportation constraints, acceleration or delays in the timing of the work and other unforeseen difficulties.

Government Policies

The policies or laws of governments around the world can result in the imposition of taxes, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or regulatory requirements on imports and exports of raw materials, finished goods or services from a particular country or region of the world. The policies and laws of governments can also impact the subsidization of natural gas prices, and subsidies or quotas applied to domestic producers or farmers. Due to the critical role that fertilizers play in food production, the construction and operation of fertilizer plants often are influenced by economic, political and social objectives. Additionally, the import or export of fertilizer can be subject to local taxes imposed by governments which can have the effect of either encouraging or discouraging import and export activity. The impact of changes in governmental policies or laws or the political or social objectives of a country could have a material impact on fertilizer demand and selling prices and therefore could impact our liquidity.

Emission Credit Activity

Our U.K. manufacturing plants are subject to greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations in the United Kingdom. After the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, the U.K. government instituted new GHG regulations in 2021, including establishing the U.K. Emission Trading Scheme (UK ETS). The UK ETS replaces the European Union Emissions Trading System for U.K. companies. In conjunction with these changes, the U.K. GHG regulations established a lower emission cap than applied to us under the European GHG regulations. Under the new U.K. requirements, we are required to obtain and surrender emission allowances equivalent to our annual greenhouse gas emissions, although we are also allocated a certain number of free allowances. As a result of the new GHG regulations and the establishment of the UK ETS, our remaining European Union emission credits were no longer applicable for us in the United Kingdom, and we need U.K. emission credits to offset any emissions that are in excess of the number of free allowances allocated to us. Accordingly, in the third quarter of 2021, we sold our remaining EU emission credits for approximately $20 million and recognized a corresponding gain, as the credits were earned by us in prior years due to approved emission abatement actions that we had taken and, therefore, did not have a recognized cost associated with them. We subsequently purchased approximately 321,000 of U.K. emission credits for approximately $19 million. During the fourth quarter of 2021, as we have estimated that we have sufficient emission credits for our 2021 obligations, we sold the excess U.K. emission credits, including those purchased in the third quarter of 2021, for approximately $46 million, and recognized a corresponding gain of $27 million.

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Canada Revenue Agency Competent Authority Matter

In 2016, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Alberta Tax and Revenue Administration (Alberta TRA) issued Notices of Reassessment for tax years 2006 through 2009 to one of our Canadian affiliates asserting a disallowance of certain patronage allocations. We filed Notices of Objection with respect to the Notices of Reassessment with the CRA and Alberta TRA and posted letters of credit in lieu of paying the additional tax liability assessed. The letters of credit serve as security until the matter is resolved. In 2018, the matter, including the related transfer pricing topic, was accepted for consideration under the bilateral settlement provisions of the U.S.-Canada tax treaty (the Treaty) by the United States and Canadian competent authorities, and included tax years 2006 through 2011. In the second quarter of 2021, the Company entered the transfer pricing aspect of the matter into the arbitration process under the terms of the Treaty.

In February 2022, we were informed that a decision was reached by the arbitration board regarding the transfer pricing matter with the CRA for tax years 2006 through 2011, as discussed in Note 11—Income Taxes. We are awaiting further details of the results of the arbitration proceedings and the settlement provisions between the United States and Canadian competent authorities. We need to decide whether to accept the decision of the arbitration board or pursue other resolution alternatives, which is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2022.

If we were to accept the decision of the arbitration board, the associated letters of credit would be cancelled and we would owe additional tax and interest to Canada, which would likely be due in the second quarter of 2022. Simultaneously, pursuant to the arbitration determination, the Company would file amended tax returns for the relevant tax years with the United States to request a refund of tax overpaid. The receipt of tax overpaid and any related interest would occur in a period later than the settlement of tax and interest owed. While we are not currently able to estimate the amounts due to, or to be received from, the taxing jurisdictions, each of the individual amounts that would ultimately be paid or received could be material.

Terra Amended Tax Returns

In 2020, we received U.S. federal income tax refunds, including interest, of $110 million relating to amended tax returns that we had filed in 2012 related to prior tax years. See discussion under “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—Terra Amended Tax Returns,” above, for further information.

In 2017, we made a Voluntary Disclosures Program filing with the CRA with respect to the Canadian tax aspects of the amended U.S. tax returns and paid additional Canadian taxes due. In late 2020, the CRA settled with us the voluntary disclosure matter, and, in the first quarter of 2021, we received approximately $20 million of withholding tax refunds, including interest, from the CRA. These amounts were previously recorded in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2020.

Repatriation of Foreign Earnings and Income Taxes

We have operations in Canada, the United Kingdom and a 50% interest in a joint venture in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Historically, the estimated additional U.S. and foreign income taxes due upon repatriation of the earnings of these foreign operations to the U.S. were recognized in our consolidated financial statements as the earnings were recognized, unless the earnings were considered to be permanently reinvested based upon our then current plans. However, the cash payment of the income tax liabilities associated with repatriation of earnings from foreign operations occurred at the time of the repatriation. As a result, the recognition of income tax expense related to foreign earnings, as applicable, and the payment of taxes resulting from repatriation of those earnings could occur in different periods.

In light of changes made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, commencing with the 2018 tax year, the United States no longer taxes earnings of foreign subsidiaries even when such earnings are earned or repatriated to the United States, unless such earnings are subject to U.S. rules on passive income or certain anti-abuse provisions. Foreign subsidiary earnings may still be subject to withholding taxes when repatriated to the United States.

Cash balances held by our joint venture are maintained at sufficient levels to fund local operations as accumulated earnings are repatriated from the joint venture on a periodic basis.

As of December 31, 2021, approximately $205 million of our consolidated cash and cash equivalents balance of $1.63 billion was held by our Canadian and United Kingdom subsidiaries. Historically, and for the current year, the cash balance held by the Canadian subsidiaries represented accumulated earnings of our foreign operations that were not considered to be permanently reinvested. As of December 31, 2021, we would not expect any additional cash tax cost to repatriate the Canadian and United Kingdom cash balances if we were to repatriate this cash in the future, other than foreign withholding tax.

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Debt

Revolving Credit Agreement

We have a senior unsecured revolving credit agreement (the Revolving Credit Agreement), which provides for a revolving credit facility of up to $750 million with a maturity of December 5, 2024. The Revolving Credit Agreement includes a letter of credit sub-limit of $125 million. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement may be used for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, share repurchases and other general corporate purposes.

Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement may be denominated in U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, euros and British pounds, and bear interest at a per annum rate equal to an applicable eurocurrency rate or base rate plus, in either case, a specified margin. We are required to pay an undrawn commitment fee on the undrawn portion of the commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement and customary letter of credit fees. The specified margin and the amount of the commitment fee depend on CF Holdings’ credit rating at the time.

CF Industries is the lead borrower, and CF Holdings is the sole guarantor, under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

The Revolving Credit Agreement contains representations and warranties and affirmative and negative covenants customary for a financing of this type. The financial covenants applicable to CF Holdings and its subsidiaries in the Revolving Credit Agreement:

(i) require that the interest coverage ratio (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) be not less than 2.75:1.00 as of the last day of each fiscal quarter and

(ii) require that the total net leverage ratio (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement) be not greater than 3.75:1.00 (the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio) as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, provided that, if any borrower or subsidiary consummates a material acquisition during any fiscal quarter, CF Industries may elect to increase the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio to 4.25:1.00 for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters commencing with such fiscal quarter (and no further such election may be made unless and until the Maximum Total Net Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 3.75:1.00 as of the end of two consecutive fiscal quarters after the end of such period).

As of December 31, 2021, we were in compliance with all covenants under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

The Revolving Credit Agreement contains events of default (with notice requirements and cure periods, as applicable) customary for a financing of this type, including, but not limited to, non-payment of principal, interest or fees; inaccuracy of representations and warranties in any material respect; and failure to comply with specified covenants. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an event of default under the Revolving Credit Agreement and after any applicable cure period, subject to specified exceptions, the administrative agent may, and at the request of the requisite lenders is required to, accelerate the loans under the Revolving Credit Agreement or terminate the lenders’ commitments under the Revolving Credit Agreement.

As of December 31, 2021, we had unused borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Agreement of $750 million and no outstanding letters of credit. In addition, there were no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2021 or 2020, or during the year ended December 31, 2021.

In March 2020, we borrowed $500 million under the Revolving Credit Agreement to ensure we maintained ample financial flexibility in light of the uncertainty in the global markets, including the financial credit markets, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, due to confidence in the functioning of the credit markets and strong nitrogen fertilizer business conditions, we repaid the $500 million of borrowings that were outstanding under the Revolving Credit Agreement as of March 31, 2020, which returned our unused borrowing capacity under the Revolving Credit Agreement to $750 million. Maximum borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement during 2020 were $500 million. The weighted-average annual interest rate of borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement during 2020 was 2.05%.

Letters of Credit

In addition to the letters of credit that may be issued under the Revolving Credit Agreement, as described above, we have also entered into a bilateral agreement with capacity to issue letters of credit up to $250 million. As of December 31, 2021, approximately $223 million of letters of credit were outstanding under this agreement.

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Senior Notes

Long-term debt presented on our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 consisted of the following debt securities issued by CF Industries:

Effective Interest RateDecember 31, 2021December 31, 2020
Principal OutstandingCarrying Amount (1)Principal OutstandingCarrying Amount (1)
(in millions)
Public Senior Notes:
3.450% due June 20233.562%$500$499$750$748
5.150% due March 20345.279%750741750741
4.950% due June 20435.031%750742750742
5.375% due March 20445.465%750741750741
Senior Secured Notes:
3.400% due December 20213.782%250249
4.500% due December 2026(2)4.759%750742750740
Total long-term debt$3,500$3,465$4,000$3,961
Less: Current maturities of long-term debt250249
Long-term debt, net of current maturities$3,500$3,465$3,750$3,712

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)Carrying amount is net of unamortized debt discount and deferred debt issuance costs. Total unamortized debt discount was $8 million and $9 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and total deferred debt issuance costs were $27 million and $30 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

(2)Effective August 23, 2021, these notes are no longer secured, in accordance with the terms of the applicable indenture.

Public Senior Notes

Under the indentures (including the applicable supplemental indentures) governing our senior notes due 2023, 2034, 2043 and 2044 identified in the table above (the Public Senior Notes), each series of Public Senior Notes is guaranteed by CF Holdings. Interest on the Public Senior Notes is payable semiannually, and the Public Senior Notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at specified make-whole redemption prices.

On September 10, 2021, we redeemed $250 million principal amount, representing one-third of the $750 million principal amount outstanding immediately prior to such redemption, of the 2023 Notes, in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2023 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the redemption of the 2023 Notes, which was funded with cash on hand, was approximately $265 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $13 million in the third quarter of 2021, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the $250 million principal amount of the 2023 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

The indentures governing the Public Senior Notes contain covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries, including CF Industries, to incur liens on certain assets to secure debt, to engage in sale and leaseback transactions, to merge or consolidate with other entities and to sell, lease or transfer all or substantially all of the assets of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries to another entity. Each of the indentures governing the Public Senior Notes provides for customary events of default, which include (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), among others, nonpayment of principal or interest on the applicable Public Senior Notes; failure to comply with other covenants or agreements under the indenture; certain defaults on other indebtedness; the failure of CF Holdings’ guarantee of the applicable Public Senior Notes to be enforceable; and specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency. Under each indenture governing the Public Senior Notes, in the case of an event of default arising from one of the specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency, the applicable Public Senior Notes would become due and payable immediately, and, in the case of any other event of default (other than an event of default related to CF Industries’ and CF Holdings’ reporting obligations), the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the applicable Public Senior Notes then outstanding may declare all of such Public Senior Notes to be due and payable immediately.

Under each of the indentures governing the Public Senior Notes, specified changes of control involving CF Holdings or CF Industries, when accompanied by a ratings downgrade, as defined with respect to the applicable series of Public Senior

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Notes, constitute change of control repurchase events. Upon the occurrence of a change of control repurchase event with respect to a series of Public Senior Notes, unless CF Industries has exercised its option to redeem such Public Senior Notes, CF Industries will be required to offer to repurchase them at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of repurchase.

Senior Secured Notes

On March 20, 2021, we redeemed in full all of the remaining $250 million outstanding principal amount of the 2021 Notes in accordance with the optional redemption provisions in the indenture governing the 2021 Notes. The total aggregate redemption price paid in connection with the redemption of the 2021 Notes was $258 million, including accrued interest. As a result, we recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $6 million in the first quarter of 2021, consisting primarily of the premium paid on the redemption of the 2021 Notes prior to their scheduled maturity.

Under the terms of the indenture governing the 4.500% senior secured notes due 2026 (the 2026 Notes), the 2026 Notes are guaranteed by CF Holdings. Until August 23, 2021, the 2026 Notes were guaranteed by certain subsidiaries of CF Industries. The requirement for subsidiary guarantees of the 2026 Notes was eliminated, and all subsidiary guarantees were automatically released, as a result of an investment grade rating event under the terms of the indenture governing the 2026 Notes on August 23, 2021. Prior to the investment grade rating event, subject to certain exceptions, the obligations under the 2026 Notes and related guarantees were secured by a first priority security interest in collateral consisting of substantially all of the assets of CF Industries, CF Holdings and the subsidiary guarantors. As a result of the investment grade rating event, the liens on the collateral securing the obligations under the 2026 Notes and related guarantees were automatically released on August 23, 2021, and the indenture covenant that had limited dispositions of assets constituting collateral no longer applies.

Interest on the 2026 Notes is payable semiannually, and the 2026 Notes are redeemable at our option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at specified make-whole redemption prices.

Under the indenture governing the 2026 Notes, specified changes of control involving CF Holdings or CF Industries, when accompanied by a ratings downgrade, as defined with respect to the 2026 Notes, constitute change of control repurchase events. Upon the occurrence of a change of control repurchase event with respect to the 2026 Notes, unless CF Industries has exercised its option to redeem such notes, CF Industries will be required to offer to repurchase them at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of repurchase.

The indentures governing the 2026 Notes contain covenants that limit, among other things, the ability of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries, including CF Industries, to incur liens on certain assets to secure debt, to engage in sale and leaseback transactions, to merge or consolidate with other entities and to sell, lease or transfer all or substantially all of the assets of CF Holdings and its subsidiaries to another entity. The indenture governing the 2026 Notes provides for customary events of default, which include (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), among others, nonpayment of principal or interest of the 2026 Notes; failure to comply with other covenants or agreements under the indenture; certain defaults on other indebtedness; the failure of CF Holdings’ guarantee of the 2026 Notes to be enforceable; and specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency. Under the indenture governing the 2026 Notes, in the case of an event of default arising from one of the specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency, the 2026 Notes would become due and payable immediately, and, in the case of any other event of default (other than an event of default related to CF Industries’ and CF Holdings’ reporting obligations), the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes then outstanding may declare all of such notes to be due and payable immediately.

Forward Sales and Customer Advances

We offer our customers the opportunity to purchase products from us on a forward basis at prices and on delivery dates we propose. Therefore, our reported nitrogen fertilizer selling prices and margins may differ from market spot prices and margins available at the time of shipment.

Customer advances, which typically represent a portion of the contract’s value, are received shortly after the contract is executed, with any remaining unpaid amount generally being collected by the time control transfers to the customer, thereby reducing or eliminating the accounts receivable related to such sales. Any cash payments received in advance from customers in connection with forward sales contracts are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as a current liability until control transfers and revenue is recognized. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had $700 million and $130 million, respectively, in customer advances on our consolidated balance sheets.

While customer advances are generally a significant source of liquidity, the level of forward sales contracts is affected by many factors including current market conditions and our customers’ outlook of future market fundamentals. During periods of declining prices, customers tend to delay purchasing fertilizer in anticipation that prices in the future will be lower than the

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current prices. If the level of sales under our forward sales programs were to decrease in the future, our cash received from customer advances would likely decrease and our accounts receivable balances would likely increase. Additionally, borrowing under the Revolving Credit Agreement could become necessary. Due to the volatility inherent in our business and changing customer expectations, we cannot estimate the amount of future forward sales activity.

Under our forward sales programs, a customer may delay delivery of an order due to weather conditions or other factors. These delays generally subject the customer to potential charges for storage or may be grounds for termination of the contract by us. Such a delay in scheduled shipment or termination of a forward sales contract due to a customer’s inability or unwillingness to perform may negatively impact our reported sales.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is the principal raw material used to produce nitrogen products. We use natural gas both as a chemical feedstock and as a fuel to produce ammonia, granular urea, UAN, AN and other products. Expenditures on natural gas are a significant portion of our production costs, representing approximately 40% of our total production costs in 2021. As a result of these factors, natural gas prices have a significant impact on our operating expenses and can thus affect our liquidity.

We enter into agreements for a portion of our future natural gas supply and related transportation. As of December 31, 2021, our natural gas purchase agreements have terms that range from one to two years and a total minimum commitment of approximately $780 million, and our natural gas transportation agreements have terms that range from one to ten years and a total minimum commitment of approximately $165 million. Our minimum commitments to purchase and transport natural gas are based on prevailing market-based forward prices excluding reductions for plant maintenance and turnaround activities.

Because most of our nitrogen manufacturing facilities are located in the United States and Canada, the price of natural gas in North America directly impacts a substantial portion of our operating expenses. Due to increases in natural gas production resulting from the rise in production from shale gas formations, natural gas prices in North America have declined in the last decade, but are subject to volatility. During 2021, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub, the most heavily-traded natural gas pricing point in North America, reached a low of $2.36 per MMBtu on April 7, 2021 and a high of $23.61 per MMBtu on February 18, 2021. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2021, the daily closing price at the Henry Hub reached a low of $1.34 per MMBtu on September 22, 2020 and three consecutive days in October 2020 and a high of $23.61 per MMBtu on February 18, 2021.

We also have manufacturing facilities located in the United Kingdom. These facilities are subject to fluctuations associated with the price of natural gas in Europe. The major natural gas trading point for the United Kingdom is the National Balancing Point (NBP). During 2021, the daily closing price at NBP reached a low of $5.58 per MMBtu on February 23, 2021 and a high of $60.10 per MMBtu on December 22, 2021. During the three-year period ended December 31, 2021, the daily closing price at NBP reached a low of $1.04 per MMBtu on May 22, 2020, and a high of $60.10 per MMBtu on December 22, 2021.

Natural gas costs in our cost of sales, including the impact of realized natural gas derivatives, increased 88% to $4.21 per MMBtu in 2021 from $2.24 per MMBtu in 2020.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in prices for natural gas that will be purchased in the future. Natural gas is the largest and most volatile component of our manufacturing cost for our nitrogen-based products. From time to time, we may also use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Volatility in reported quarterly earnings can result from the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments in the value of the derivatives. In 2021 and 2020, we recognized an unrealized net mark-to-market loss (gain) on natural gas derivatives of $25 million and $(6) million, respectively, which is reflected in cost of sales in our consolidated statements of operations.

Derivatives expose us to counterparties and the risks associated with their ability to meet the terms of the contracts. For derivatives that are in net asset positions, we are exposed to credit loss from nonperformance by the counterparties. We control our credit risk through the use of multiple counterparties that are multinational commercial banks, other major financial institutions or large energy companies, and the use of International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) master netting arrangements. The ISDA agreements are master netting arrangements commonly used for over-the-counter derivatives that mitigate exposure to counterparty credit risk, in part, by creating contractual rights of netting and setoff, the specifics of which vary from agreement to agreement.

The ISDA agreements for most of our derivative instruments contain credit-risk-related contingent features, such as cross default provisions. In the event of certain defaults or termination events, our counterparties may request early termination and

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net settlement of certain derivative trades or may require us to collateralize derivatives in a net liability position. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the aggregate fair value of the derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features in net liability positions was $31 million and $6 million, respectively, which also approximates the fair value of the assets that may be needed to settle the obligations if the credit-risk-related contingent features were triggered at the reporting dates.

As of December 31, 2021, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas fixed price swaps, basis swaps and options for 60.0 million MMBtus. As of December 31, 2020, we had open natural gas derivative contracts consisting of natural gas fixed price swaps and basis swaps for 34.1 million MMBtus. At both December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had no cash collateral on deposit with counterparties for derivative contracts. The credit support documents executed in connection with certain of our ISDA agreements generally provide us and our counterparties the right to set off collateral against amounts owing under the ISDA agreements upon the occurrence of a default or a specified termination event.

Embedded Derivative Liability

Under the terms of our strategic venture with CHS, if our credit rating as determined by two of three specified credit rating agencies is below certain levels, we are required to make a non-refundable yearly payment of $5 million to CHS. Since 2016, our credit ratings have been below certain levels and, as a result, we made an annual payment of $5 million to CHS in the fourth quarter of each year. These payments will continue on a yearly basis until the earlier of the date that our credit rating is upgraded to or above certain levels by two of three specified credit rating agencies or February 1, 2026. This obligation is recognized on our consolidated balance sheets as an embedded derivative. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the embedded derivative liability was $15 million and $18 million, respectively. See Note 10—Fair Value Measurements for additional information.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans

We contributed $40 million to our pension plans in 2021. In 2022, we expect to contribute approximately $29 million to our pension plans. In addition, we expect to contribute a total of approximately $68 million to our U.K. plans in the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, as agreed with the plans’ trustees.

Distributions on Noncontrolling Interest in CFN

The CFN Board of Managers approved semi-annual distribution payments for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, in accordance with CFN’s limited liability company agreement, as follows:

Approved and paidDistribution PeriodDistribution Amount (in millions)
First quarter of 2022Six months ended December 31, 2021$247
Third quarter of 2021Six months ended June 30, 2021130
First quarter of 2021Six months ended December 31, 202064
Third quarter of 2020Six months ended June 30, 202086
First quarter of 2020Six months ended December 31, 201988
Third quarter of 2019Six months ended June 30, 2019100

Cash Flows

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities in 2021 was $2.87 billion as compared to $1.23 billion in 2020, an increase of $1.64 billion. The increase in cash flow from operations was due primarily to higher net earnings and favorable changes in net working capital. Net earnings in 2021 was $1.26 billion compared to $432 million in 2020. The increase in net earnings was due primarily to higher average selling prices and a $112 million gain on the net settlement of certain natural gas contracts with our suppliers in February 2021, partially offset by higher costs related to manufacturing, maintenance and repair activity. During 2021, net changes in working capital increased cash flow from operations by $448 million, while in 2020 net changes in working capital contributed $12 million to cash flow from operations. The increased cash flow from working capital changes was primarily driven by an increase in customer advances and accounts payable and accrued expenses, partially offset by changes in accounts receivable and inventory.

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Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities was $466 million in 2021 compared to $299 million in 2020, or an increase of $167 million. This increase was due primarily to higher capital expenditures. During 2021, capital expenditures totaled $514 million compared to $309 million in 2020.

Financing Activities

Net cash used in financing activities was $1.46 billion in 2021 compared to $542 million in 2020. In 2021, we paid $518 million in connection with the redemption of the 2021 Notes and the partial redemption of the 2023 Notes. In 2021, we repurchased shares of common stock for $540 million, of which $1 million was accrued and unpaid as of December 31, 2021, compared to share repurchases of $100 million in 2020. Dividends paid on common stock in 2021 and 2020 were $260 million and $258 million, respectively. Distributions to noncontrolling interest totaled $194 million in 2021 as compared to $174 million in 2020.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. U.S. GAAP requires that we select policies and make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates. We base our estimates on historical experience, technological assessment, opinions of appropriate outside experts, and the most recent information available to us. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Changes in estimates that may have a material impact on our results are discussed in the context of the underlying financial statements to which they relate. The following discussion presents information about our most critical accounting estimates.

Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets, Goodwill and Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate

We review the carrying values of our property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets, including our finite-lived intangible assets, goodwill and our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate in accordance with U.S. GAAP in order to assess recoverability. Factors that we must estimate when performing impairment tests include production and sales volumes, selling prices, raw material costs, operating rates, operating expenses, inflation, discount rates, exchange rates, tax rates and capital spending. Judgment is involved in estimating each of these factors, which include inherent uncertainties. The factors we use are consistent with those used in our internal planning process. The recoverability of the values associated with our goodwill, long-lived assets and our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate is dependent upon future operating performance of the specific businesses to which they are attributed. Certain of the operating assumptions are particularly sensitive to the cyclical nature of the fertilizer business. Adverse changes in demand for our products, increases in supply and the availability and costs of key raw materials could significantly affect the results of our review.

The recoverability and impairment tests of long-lived assets are required only when conditions exist that indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. For goodwill, impairment tests are required at least annually, or more frequently whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Our investment in an unconsolidated affiliate is reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that its carrying value may not be recoverable. When circumstances indicate that the fair value of our investment is less than its carrying value, and the reduction in value is other than temporary, the reduction in value would be recognized immediately in earnings.

We evaluate goodwill for impairment in the fourth quarter at the reporting unit level. Our evaluation can begin with a qualitative assessment of the factors that could impact the significant inputs used to estimate fair value. If after performing the qualitative assessment, we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill, then no further analysis is necessary. However, if it is unclear based on the results of the qualitative test, we perform a quantitative test, which involves comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. We use an income-based valuation method, determining the present value of future cash flows, to estimate the fair value of a reporting unit. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, no further testing is necessary. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, goodwill impairment would be recognized equal to the amount of the carrying value in excess of the reporting unit’s fair value, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. We identified no goodwill impairment in 2020 or 2019.

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During the third quarter of 2021, in light of the unprecedented increase in natural gas prices in the United Kingdom and its estimated impact on our U.K. operations, we identified a triggering event indicating possible impairment of goodwill within our U.K. Ammonia, U.K. AN and U.K. Other reporting units. Due to the triggering event, we performed an interim quantitative goodwill impairment analysis as of September 30, 2021 for our U.K. Ammonia, U.K. AN and U.K. Other reporting units. We estimated the fair value of the reporting units using the income approach described in Note 6—United Kingdom Energy Crisis and Impairment Charges. Based on the evaluation performed, we determined that the carrying value of all three reporting units exceeded their fair value, which resulted in a goodwill impairment charge totaling $259 million in the third quarter of 2021. The goodwill impairment was calculated as the amount that the carrying value of the reporting unit, including any goodwill, exceeded its fair value. The continued impacts of the U.K. energy crisis in the fourth quarter of 2021 triggered an additional impairment test, and we recognized an additional goodwill impairment charge of $26 million. In 2021, we recognized total goodwill impairment charges of $285 million. As of December 31, 2021, after the recognition of the $285 million of goodwill impairment charges noted above, we have no remaining goodwill related to our U.K. operations. As of December 31, 2021, the carrying value of our goodwill was $2.09 billion. Our annual evaluation of impairment in the fourth quarter of 2021 included a qualitative assessment for our North America reporting units, where the remaining goodwill is allocated, and resulted in no indication of impairment.

As a result of the triggering event described above, we also performed a recoverability test on our long-lived assets within the U.K. Ammonia, U.K. AN and U.K. Other asset groups, including our definite-lived intangible assets, as of September 30, 2021. The recoverability test was based on forecasts of undiscounted cash flows, as described in Note 6—United Kingdom Energy Crisis and Impairment Charges. The results of the recoverability test indicated that the long-lived assets within our U.K. Ammonia, U.K. AN and U.K. Other asset groups were not fully recoverable, and, as a result, long-lived asset impairment charges, inclusive of the definite-lived intangible assets, of $236 million were recorded. That impairment was allocated to each of the underlying assets, of which $50 million was allocated to definite-lived intangible assets. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the carrying value of our intangible assets was $45 million and $104 million, respectively.

As discussed above, the results of our fourth quarter 2021 long-lived asset impairment test indicated that no additional long-lived asset impairment should be recorded as the undiscounted cash flows were in excess of the carrying values for each of the U.K. asset groups. Of the factors discussed above, the assumptions for product selling prices and natural gas costs included in the expected cash flows utilized in the long-lived asset impairment test were more sensitive than others. Assuming that all other assumptions utilized in our expected cash flows and the other inputs used in our long-lived asset test remained unchanged, a decrease of $5.00 per product ton in the average selling price or an increase of $0.50 per MMBtu in the cost of natural gas would have resulted in long-lived asset impairment for certain of the U.K. asset groups as the undiscounted cash flows would have been lower than their carrying values, and the resulting long-lived asset impairment charges for the fourth quarter of 2021 would have been as follows:

Increase in
Long-lived Asset Impairment
Assumption(in millions)
+$5.00-$5.00
Average Selling Price per Product Ton$$10
+$0.50-$0.50
Natural Gas Cost per MMBtu(1)$13$

_______________________________________________________________________________

(1)The sensitivity impact of a $0.50/MMBtu increase or decrease in the cost of natural gas includes any corresponding impact to selling prices from contractually stipulated sales provisions.

See “Items Affecting Comparability of Results—U.K. energy crisis impacts,” “Liquidity and Capital Resources—United Kingdom Energy Crisis,” above, Note 6—United Kingdom Energy Crisis and Impairment Charges, Note 7—Property, Plant and Equipment—Net and Note 8—Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets for further information.

PLNL is our joint venture investment in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and operates an ammonia plant that relies on natural gas supplied, under a Gas Sales Contract (the NGC Contract), by the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC). The joint venture is accounted for under the equity method. The joint venture experienced past curtailments in the supply of natural gas from NGC, which reduced the ammonia production at PLNL. The NGC Contract had an initial expiration date of September 2018 and was extended on the same terms until September 2023. Any NGC commitment to supply gas beyond 2023 will be based on new agreements. If NGC does not make sufficient quantities of natural gas available to PLNL at prices that permit profitable operations, PLNL may cease operating its facility and we would write off the remaining investment in PLNL. The carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL at December 31, 2021 is $82 million.

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Projected Benefit Obligations

The projected benefit obligations (PBOs) for our defined benefit pension plans are affected by plan design, actuarial estimates and discount rates. Key assumptions that affect our PBO are discount rates and, in addition for our United Kingdom plans, inflation rates, including an adjusted U.K. retail price index (RPI).

The December 31, 2021 PBO was computed based on a weighted-average discount rate of 2.8% for our North America plans and 2.0% for our United Kingdom plans, which were based on yields for high-quality (AA rated or better) fixed income debt securities that match the timing and amounts of expected benefit payments as of the measurement date of December 31, 2021. Declines in comparable bond yields would increase our PBO. For our United Kingdom plans, the 3.3% RPI used to calculate our PBO is developed using the Bank of England implied retail price inflation curve, which is based on the difference between yields on fixed interest government bonds and index-linked government bonds.

For North America qualified pension plans, our PBO was $841 million as of December 31, 2021, which was $11 million higher than pension plan assets. For our United Kingdom pension plans, our PBO was $590 million as of December 31, 2021, which was $85 million higher than pension plan assets. The tables below estimate the impact of a 50 basis point increase or decrease in the key assumptions on our December 31, 2021 PBO:

Increase/(Decrease) in December 31, 2021 PBO
North America PlansUnited Kingdom Plans
Assumption+50 bps-50 bps+50 bps-50 bps
(in millions)
Discount Rate$(48)$53$(43)$49
RPIN/AN/A26(26)

See Note 12—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits for further discussion of our pension plans.

Income Taxes

We are subject to the income tax laws of the many jurisdictions in which we operate, and we recognize expense, assets and liabilities based on estimates of amounts that ultimately will be determined to be taxable or deductible in tax returns filed in various jurisdictions. These tax laws are complex, and how they apply to our facts is sometimes open to interpretation. Differences in interpretation of the tax laws and regulations, including negotiations with taxing authorities in various jurisdictions and resolution of disputes arising from federal, state and international tax audits, can result in differences in taxes paid, which may be higher or lower than our estimates. The judgments made at a point in time may change from previous conclusions based on the outcome of tax audits, as well as changes to, or further interpretations of, tax laws and regulations, and these changes could significantly impact the provision for income taxes, the amount of taxes payable and the deferred tax asset and liability balances. We adjust our income tax provision in the period in which these changes occur.

We also engage in a significant amount of cross border transactions. The taxability of cross border transactions has received an increasing level of scrutiny among regulators across the globe, including the jurisdictions in which we operate. The tax rules and regulations of the various jurisdictions in which we operate are complex, and in many cases, there is not symmetry between the rules of the various jurisdictions. As a result, there are instances where regulators within the jurisdictions involved in a cross border transaction may reach different conclusions regarding the taxability of the transaction in their respective jurisdictions based on the same set of facts and circumstances. We work closely with regulators to reach a common understanding and conclusion regarding the taxability of cross border transactions.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 3—New Accounting Standards for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements.

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