Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We have in the past and may in the future be exposed to certain market risks, including commodity price, foreign currency, and interest rate risks, in the ordinary course of our business, as discussed further below.

Commodity Price Risk

Our results of operations depend in large part upon the market prices of REO and particularly the price of rare earth concentrate. Rare earth concentrate is not quoted on any major commodities market or exchange as product attributes vary and demand is currently constrained to a relatively limited number of refiners, a significant majority of which are based in China.

NdPr represents a significant portion of the economic value of our rare earth concentrate. We expect demand for NdPr to continue to grow, driving demand for our concentrate, separated NdPr oxide, and in the future, permanent magnets containing NdPr. However, actual demand and pricing may fluctuate for numerous reasons beyond our control, including, among other things, supply of NdPr from other producers, discoveries of new mineral properties, technological changes that lead to diminished reliance on NdPr and/or permanent magnets, and shifts in underlying end-user demand for products or components manufactured with NdPr. We have not entered into derivative contracts to protect the price of our products, and do not expect to do so in the foreseeable future, as there is no liquid market for such contracts and their cost may be prohibitive, if they could be obtained at all.

The solvent extraction and finishing processes are highly reliant upon commodity reagents. These reagents, as well as certain other raw materials and supplies we use in our operations, are subject to price volatility caused by weather, supply conditions, political and economic variables and other unpredictable factors. We have not historically used options or swap contracts to manage the volatility related to the above exposures. When possible, we seek to limit our exposure by entering into long-term contracts and price increase limitations in contracts. Also, we currently use natural gas to operate our CHP plant, which powers our processing and separations facilities at Mountain Pass, and expect to use natural gas to power backup generators at our Fort Worth Facility in the future. We generally purchase or expect to purchase natural gas from suppliers at market or tariff rates. From time to time, we use commodity contracts to hedge energy exposures. Such commodity price fluctuations may cause volatility in our results of operations and cash flows in the future.

Foreign Currency Risk

While we currently generate revenue in the United States and in U.S. dollars, the market transactions are denominated mainly in the Chinese Yuan, and we are therefore exposed to currency volatility and devaluation risks. For example, we negotiate monthly U.S. dollar REO prices with Shenghe, which are based in part on the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Chinese Yuan. Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China may lead to increased tariffs, preferences for local producers, some of which may be government-supported, changes in taxing regimes or other trade barriers. Foreign currency risk has not historically had a material impact on our results of operations or cash flows. However, as we expand internationally, we become further exposed to foreign currency risk by entering new markets with additional foreign currencies. The economic impact of currency exchange rate movements is often linked to variability in real growth, inflation, interest rates, governmental actions and other factors. Accordingly, to the extent that foreign currency risk becomes material, we may enter into hedging transactions to manage our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.

Interest Rate Risk

We had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaling $997.8 million as of December 31, 2023, of which $995.0 million was invested in money market funds, U.S. Treasury and agency securities, commercial paper and certificates of deposit. Our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments are held for working capital and general corporate purposes. We have not historically entered into investments for trading or speculative purposes.

Our cash equivalents and short-term investments are subject to market risk due to changes in interest rates. Fixed-rate securities may have their market value adversely affected due to a rise in interest rates. Due in part to these factors, our future investment income may fall short of our expectations due to changes in interest rates or we may suffer losses in principal if we are forced to sell securities that decline in market value due to changes in interest rates. As our short-term investments are classified as available-for-sale, no gains are recognized due to changes in interest rates. As losses due to changes in interest rates are generally not considered to be credit related, no losses in such investments are recognized due to changes in interest rates unless we intend to sell, it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell, we sell prior to maturity, or we otherwise determine that all or a portion of the decline in fair value is due to credit related factors.

As of December 31, 2023, a hypothetical increase of 100-basis points in interest rates would not have a material impact on the value of our cash equivalents or short-term investments in our Consolidated Financial Statements.