Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are exposed to market risk during the normal course of business from changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. We manage exposure to these risks through a combination of normal operating and financing activities as well as derivative financial instruments in the form of foreign currency forward exchange contracts.
Foreign Currency Risk
We are exposed to foreign currency risks that arise from normal business operations. These risks include transactions denominated in currencies other than a location’s functional currency, transaction gains and losses associated with intercompany loans with foreign subsidiaries, and translation of local currency balances of foreign subsidiaries. Our objective is to minimize our exposure to these risks through a combination of normal operating activities and the use of financial instruments including, but not limited to, foreign currency forward exchange contracts and cross-currency swaps. We enter into these contracts with major financial institutions that we believe to be creditworthy. We do not enter into derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. We record all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value regardless of the purpose for holding them.
The use of foreign currency forward exchange contracts allows us to manage transactional exposure to exchange rate fluctuations as the gains or losses incurred on these contracts will offset, in whole or in part, losses or gains on the underlying foreign currency exposure. Foreign currency forward exchange contracts are denominated in currencies of major industrial countries in which we operate. The fair value of our foreign currency forward exchange contracts is an asset of $8 million and a liability of $23 million at September 30, 2025. For assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than a location’s functional currency without offsetting foreign currency forward exchange contracts, a 10 percent adverse change in the underlying foreign currency exchange rates would reduce our pre-tax income by approximately $35 million.
During 2025, we entered into cross-currency swaps in order to manage foreign currency translation risk of local currency balances of foreign subsidiaries. We designated the cross-currency swaps as a partial hedge of our net investment in certain subsidiaries that are not U.S. dollar functional. As a result, changes in the fair value of the cross-currency swaps are recorded in accumulated currency translation adjustments within equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. A hypothetical 10 percent adverse change in the cross-currency swaps’ underlying spot rates would result in an additional cash outflow at maturity of $80 million. The fair value of these instruments prior to maturity also includes an interest rate component; however, we currently have no plans to settle these swaps before their maturity and, therefore, fluctuations in market interest rates would not have an effect on our results of operations.
Derivatives that are not designated as hedges for accounting purposes are adjusted to fair value through earnings. For derivatives that are hedges, depending on the nature of the hedge, changes in fair value are either offset by changes in the fair value of the hedged assets, liabilities, or firm commitments through earnings or recognized in Other comprehensive income until the hedged item is recognized in earnings. We recognize the ineffective portion of a derivative’s change in fair value in earnings immediately. There was no impact on earnings due to ineffective hedges in 2025, 2024, or 2023. A hypothetical 10 percent adverse change in underlying foreign currency exchange rates associated with the hedged exposures and related contracts would not be significant to our financial condition or results of operations.
The strengthening of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies has an unfavorable impact on our sales and results of operations. While future changes in foreign currency exchange rates are difficult to predict, our sales and profitability may be adversely affected if the U.S. dollar strengthens relative to current levels.
Interest Rate Risk
In addition to existing cash balances and cash provided by normal operating activities, we use a combination of short-term and long-term debt to finance operations. We are exposed to interest rate risk on certain of these debt obligations.
Our Short-term debt as of September 30, 2025 and 2024, includes commercial paper borrowings of $522 million and $657 million, with a weighted average interest rate of 4.24 percent and 5.14 percent, and a weighted average maturity period of 16 days and 24 days, respectively. In December 2022, Sensia entered into an unsecured $75 million line of credit. As of September 30, 2025 and 2024, included in Short-term debt was $70 million borrowed against the line of credit with an interest rate of 5.18 percent and 6.17 percent, respectively. Also included in Short-term debt as of September 30, 2025, and September 30, 2024, was $14 million and $42 million, respectively, of interest-bearing loans from Schlumberger (SLB) to Sensia. In April 2025, $14 million of new interest-bearing loans from SLB to Sensia were entered into, and in October 2025, these loans were extended to January 15, 2026. The loans outstanding as of September 30, 2024, were extended to October 15, 2026, and are included in Long-term debt as of September 30, 2025. We have issued, and anticipate continuing to issue, short-term commercial paper obligations as needed. Changes in market interest rates on commercial paper borrowings affect our results of operations. A hypothetical 50 basis point increase in average market interest rates related to our short-term debt would not be significant to our results of operations or financial condition.
We had outstanding fixed rate long-term and current portion of long-term debt obligations with a carrying value of $2,616 million at September 30, 2025, and $2,868 million at September 30, 2024. The fair value of this debt was approximately $2,352 million at September 30, 2025, and $2,639 million at September 30, 2024. The potential increase in fair value on such fixed-rate debt obligations from a hypothetical 50 basis point decrease in market interest rates would not be significant to our results of operations or financial condition. We currently have no plans to repurchase our outstanding fixed-rate instruments before their maturity and, therefore, fluctuations in market interest rates would not have an effect on our results of operations or shareowners’ equity.
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