Archer-Daniels-Midland 10-Q 2021-09-30

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2021

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from __________ to __________

Commission file number 1-44

ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(312) 634-8100

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

Common Stock, no par value – 559,441,260 shares

(October 25, 2021)

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

This Form 10-Q contains forward-looking information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, expressed, or implied by such forward-looking information. Risks and uncertainties that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Item 1A, “Risk Factors” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as may be updated in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. To the extent permitted under applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events.

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company

Consolidated Statements of Earnings

(Unaudited)

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(Unaudited)

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company

Consolidated Balance Sheets

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The Company has consolidated subsidiaries in more than 70 countries. For the majority of the Company’s subsidiaries located outside the United States, the local currency is the functional currency except certain significant subsidiaries in Switzerland where Euro is the functional currency, and Brazil and Argentina where U.S. dollar is the functional currency. Revenues and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the weighted average exchange rates for the applicable periods. For the majority of the Company’s business activities in Brazil and Argentina, the functional currency is the U.S. dollar; however, certain transactions, including taxes, occur in local currency and require remeasurement to the functional currency. Changes in revenues are expected to be correlated to changes in expenses reported by the Company caused by fluctuations in the exchange rates of foreign currencies, primarily the Euro, British pound, Canadian dollar, and Brazilian real, as compared to the U.S. dollar.

The Company measures its performance using key financial metrics including net earnings, gross margins, segment operating profit, return on invested capital, EBITDA, economic value added, manufacturing expenses, and selling, general, and administrative expenses. The Company’s financial results can vary significantly due to changes in factors such as fluctuations in energy prices, weather conditions, crop plantings, government programs and policies, trade policies, changes in global demand, general global economic conditions, changes in standards of living, and global production of similar and competitive crops. Due to these unpredictable factors, the Company undertakes no responsibility for updating any forward-looking information contained within “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Market Factors Influencing Operations or Results in the Three Months Ended September 30, 2021

The Company is subject to a variety of market factors which affect the Company's operating results. In Ag Services and Oilseeds, North America origination was impacted by widening elevation margins and Hurricane Ida impacting export execution. South American origination volumes were negatively impacted by low farmer selling activity. Ocean freight rates remain high due to increased global demand and supply chain bottlenecks. Crushing margins benefited from strong demand and tight soybean and canola/rapeseed stocks. Refined oil margins were driven by strong demand, declining global oil stocks, and increased biofuels consumption. In Carbohydrate Solutions, margins in starches and sweeteners were negatively impacted by higher corn basis cost while demand remained steady. Ethanol demand and margins were negatively impacted early in the quarter due to the limited availability of affordable corn but improved when the North American corn harvest started. Increased corn prices drove ethanol industry production volumes lower causing stocks on hand to decline. Domestic ethanol demand remained steady in the quarter, but slightly below pre-pandemic levels. Nutrition benefited from overall strong demand in various product categories. In Human Nutrition, demand for flavors, flavor systems, specialty proteins, bioactives, and fibers were strong. In Animal Nutrition, weak demand and higher input costs as a result of COVID-19 in South America were partially offset by the growing demand in complete food for petfood. Amino acids pricing and margins improved due to a tighter global supply environment.

Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 Compared to Three Months Ended September 30, 2020

Net earnings attributable to controlling interests increased $301 million from $225 million to $526 million. Segment operating profit increased $96 million from $904 million to $1.0 billion. Included in segment operating profit in the current quarter were restructuring charges of $2 million. Included in segment operating profit in the prior year quarter was net income of $55 million consisting of gains related to the sale of a portion of the Company’s shares in Wilmar and certain other assets of $57 million, partially offset by asset impairment, restructuring, and settlement charges of $2 million. Adjusted segment operating profit increased $153 million to $1.0 billion due primarily to higher results in Crushing, Refined Products and Other, Vantage Corn Processors, and Human and Animal Nutrition, partially offset by lower results in Ag Services, Starches and Sweeteners, and Other Business, and lower equity earnings from the Wilmar investment. Corporate results were a net charge of $347 million in the current quarter compared to a net charge of $704 million in the prior year quarter. Corporate results in the current quarter included early debt retirement charges of $36 million, a mark-to-market gain of $7 million on the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020, expenses related to an acquisition of $3 million, and a pension settlement charge of $1 million. Corporate results in the prior year quarter included early debt retirement charges of $396 million, a mark-to-market loss of $15 million on the conversion option of the exchangeable bonds issued in August 2020, and an impairment charge of $6 million.

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

Income tax expense increased $146 million to $120 million. The Company’s effective tax rate for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 was an expense of 18.4% compared to a benefit of 13.0% for the quarter ended September 30, 2020. The low prior year quarter rate included the effects of the significant early debt retirement, the sale of a portion of the Company’s shares in Wilmar, and changes in the forecasted geographical mix of pretax earnings on the 2020 annual effective tax rate in that period.

Analysis of Statements of Earnings

Processed volumes by product for the quarter are as follows (in metric tons):

The Company generally operates its production facilities, on an overall basis, at or near capacity, adjusting facilities individually, as needed, to react to the current margin environment and seasonal local supply and demand conditions. The overall decrease in oilseeds processed volumes is primarily related to scheduled downtime at multiple facilities in North America during the quarter. The overall increase in corn is primarily related to the idling of two dry mill facilities in the second quarter of 2020 in response to the challenging operating environment. The Company restarted these idled facilities in April 2021.

Revenues by segment for the quarter are as follows:

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The market risk inherent in the Company’s market risk sensitive instruments and positions is the potential loss arising from adverse changes in: commodity market prices as they relate to the Company’s net commodity position, foreign currency exchange rates, and interest rates. Significant changes in market risk sensitive instruments and positions for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 are described below. There were no material changes during the period in the Company’s potential loss arising from changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates.

For detailed information regarding the Company’s market risk sensitive instruments and positions, see Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Commodities

The availability and prices of agricultural commodities are subject to wide fluctuations due to factors such as changes in weather conditions, crop disease, plantings, government programs and policies, competition, changes in global demand, changes in customer preferences and standards of living, and global production of similar and competitive crops.

The fair value of the Company’s commodity position is a summation of the fair values calculated for each commodity by valuing all of the commodity positions at quoted market prices for the period, where available, or utilizing a close proxy. The Company has established metrics to monitor the amount of market risk exposure, which consist of volumetric limits and value-at-risk (VaR) limits. VaR measures the potential loss, at a 95% confidence level, that could be incurred over a one-year period. Volumetric limits are monitored daily and VaR calculations and sensitivity analysis are monitored weekly.

In addition to measuring the hypothetical loss resulting from an adverse two standard deviation move in market prices (assuming no correlations) over a one-year period using VaR, sensitivity analysis is performed measuring the potential loss in fair value resulting from a hypothetical 10% adverse change in market prices. The highest, lowest, and average weekly position together with the market risk from a hypothetical 10% adverse price change is as follows:

The change in fair value of the average position was due to an increase in average quantities, partially offset by a decrease in price underlying the weekly commodity position.

As of September 30, 2021, an evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a–15(e) and 15d–15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”)). Based on that evaluation, the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms and (ii) accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. There was no change in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting during the Company’s most recently completed fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

During 2018, the Company launched Readiness to drive new efficiencies and improve the customer experience in the Company’s existing businesses through a combination of data analytics, process simplification and standardization, and behavioral and cultural change, building upon its earlier 1ADM and operational excellence programs. As part of this transformation, the Company is implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system on a worldwide basis, which is expected to occur in phases over the next several years. The Company is also beginning the transition of certain portions of its corporate operations to a global professional services firm which is expected to be substantially completed by end of fiscal 2021. The Company continues to consider these changes in its design of and testing for effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting and concluded, as part of the evaluation described in the above paragraph, that the implementation of the new ERP system and the transition of certain corporate operations to a professional services firm in these circumstances have not materially affected its internal control over financial reporting.

PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The Company is routinely involved in a number of actual or threatened legal actions, including those involving alleged personal injuries, employment law, product liability, intellectual property, environmental issues, alleged tax liability (see Note 11 for information on income tax matters), and class actions. The Company also routinely receives inquiries from regulators and other government authorities relating to various aspects of our business, and at any given time, the Company has matters at various stages of resolution. The outcomes of these matters are not within our complete control and may not be known for prolonged periods of time. In some actions, claimants seek damages, as well as other relief including injunctive relief, that could require significant expenditures or result in lost revenues. In accordance with applicable accounting standards, the Company records a liability in its consolidated financial statements for material loss contingencies when a loss is known or considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. If the reasonable estimate of a known or probable loss is a range, and no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other, the minimum amount of the range is accrued. If a material loss contingency is reasonably possible but not known or probable, and can be reasonably estimated, the estimated loss or range of loss is disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements. When determining the estimated loss or range of loss, significant judgment is required to estimate the amount and timing of a loss to be recorded. Estimates of probable losses resulting from litigation and governmental proceedings involving the Company are inherently difficult to predict, particularly when the matters are in early procedural stages, with incomplete facts or legal discovery; involve unsubstantiated or indeterminate claims for damages; potentially involve penalties, fines, disgorgement, or punitive damages; or could result in a change in business practice.

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS (Continued)

On September 4, 2019, AOT Holding AG (AOT) filed a putative class action under the U.S. Commodities Exchange Act in federal district court in Urbana, Illinois, alleging that the Company sought to manipulate the benchmark price used to price and settle ethanol derivatives traded on futures exchanges. On March 16, 2021, AOT filed an amended complaint adding a second named plaintiff Maize Capital Group, LLC. AOT and Maize allege that members of the putative class suffered “hundreds of millions of dollars in damages” as a result of the Company’s alleged actions. On July 14, 2020, Green Plains Inc. and its related entities (“GP”) filed a putative class action lawsuit, alleging substantially the same operative facts, in federal court in Nebraska, seeking to represent sellers of ethanol. On July 23, 2020, Midwest Renewable Energy, LLC (“MRE”) filed a putative class action in federal court in Illinois alleging substantially the same operative facts and asserting claims under the Sherman Act. On November 11, 2020, United Wisconsin Grain Producers LLC (“UWGP”) and five other ethanol producers filed a lawsuit in federal court in Illinois alleging substantially the same facts and asserting claims under the Sherman Act and Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin law. The court granted ADM’s motion to dismiss the MRE and UWGP complaints without prejudice on August 9, 2021 and September 28, 2021, respectively. On August 16, 2021, the court granted ADM’s motion to dismiss the GP complaint, dismissing one claim with prejudice and declining jurisdiction over the remaining state law claim. MRE filed an amended complaint on August 30, 2021, which ADM moved to dismiss on September 27, 2021. UWGP filed an amended complaint on October 19, 2021. The Company denies liability, and is vigorously defending itself in these actions. As these actions are in pretrial proceedings, the Company is unable at this time to predict the final outcome with any reasonable degree of certainty, but believes the outcome will not have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

The Company is not currently a party to any legal proceeding or environmental claim that it believes would have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations, or liquidity.

There were no significant changes in the Company’s risk factors during the quarter ended September 30, 2021. For further information about the Company’s risk factors, refer to Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

(1)Total shares purchased represents those shares purchased in the open market as part of the Company’s publicly announced share repurchase program described below, shares received as payment for the exercise price of stock option exercises, and shares received as payment for the withholding taxes on vested restricted stock awards. During the three-month period ended September 30, 2021, there were 11,478 shares received as payments for the minimum withholding taxes on vested restricted stock awards and for the exercise price of stock option exercises.

(2)On August 7, 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the extension of the stock repurchase program through December 31, 2024 and the repurchase of up to an additional 100,000,000 shares under the extended program.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Dated: October 26, 2021