J.M. Smucker 10-Q 2023-10-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

For the quarterly period ended: October 31, 2023

or

For the transition period from to

Commission file number: 1-5111

The J. M. Smucker Company

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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 ý No o

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 ý No o

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. o

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

The Company had 106,143,808 common shares outstanding on November 28, 2023.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

THE J. M. SMUCKER COMPANY

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED INCOME

(Unaudited)

(A)Includes certain divestiture, acquisition, integration, and restructuring costs (“special project costs”). For more information, see Note 5: Special Project Costs, Note 6: Reportable Segments, and Note 8: Debt and Financing Arrangements.

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

THE J. M. SMUCKER COMPANY

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Unaudited)

See notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Table of Contents

THE J. M. SMUCKER COMPANY

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

Showing the first 8K of 110K characters. Open the full section

(Dollars and shares in millions, unless otherwise noted, except per share data)

This discussion and analysis deals with comparisons of material changes in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended October 31, 2023 and 2022. All comparisons presented are to the corresponding period of the prior year, unless otherwise noted.

During the second quarter of 2024, we announced a definitive agreement to acquire Hostess Brands. On November 7, 2023, we completed the cash and stock transaction, valued at approximately $5.5 billion. The transaction was funded with new debt, inclusive of $3.5 billion of Senior Notes, a Term Loan of $800.0, and $700.0 of short-term borrowings under our commercial paper program, as well as the issuance of approximately 4.0 million of our common shares valued at $450.2. Hostess Brands is a manufacturer and marketer of sweet baked goods brands including Hostess Donettes, Twinkies, CupCakes, DingDongs, Zingers, CoffeeCakes, HoHos, Mini Muffins, and Fruit Pies, and the Voortman cookie brand. In addition to its headquarters in Lenexa, Kansas, the transaction included six manufacturing facilities located in Emporia, Kansas; Burlington, Ontario; Chicago, Illinois; Columbus, Georgia; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Arkadelphia, Arkansas, a distribution facility in Edgerton, Kansas, and a commercial center of excellence in Chicago, Illinois. Approximately 3,000 employees transitioned with the business at close of the transaction. We anticipate the acquired business to contribute net sales of approximately $650.0 in 2024. We anticipate cost synergies of approximately $100.0, which are expected to be achieved by the end of 2026.

On October 17, 2023, we entered into a definitive agreement to sell our Canada condiment business to TreeHouse Foods. We expect the transaction to close during the third quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions. The transaction includes Bick’s pickles, Habitant pickled beets, Woodman’s horseradish, and McLarens pickled onions brands, inclusive of certain trademarks. Under our ownership, these brands generated net sales of approximately $60.0 in 2023, which were included in the International operating segment. The transaction is valued at approximately $20.0, subject to a working capital adjustment. As of October 31, 2023, the disposal group met the criteria to be classified as held for sale, and as a result, a valuation allowance was established to reflect the fair value less costs to sell of the disposal group, which was based on the expected proceeds and the estimated carrying value of the net assets to be disposed. The valuation allowance was included within other current assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet and the estimated pre-tax loss on the disposal group was included within other operating expense (income) – net in the Condensed Statement of Consolidated Income and within loss (gain) on divestitures – net in the Condensed Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows.

On September 27, 2023, we entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Sahale Snacks business to Second Nature, which closed on November 1, 2023. The transaction included products sold under our Sahale Snacks brand, inclusive of certain trademarks and licensing agreements, a leased manufacturing facility in Seattle, Washington, and approximately 100 employees who supported the brand. Under our ownership, the Sahale Snacks brand generated net sales of approximately $48.0 in 2023, primarily included in the U.S. Retail Consumer Foods segment. The transaction is valued at approximately $34.0, subject to a working capital adjustment. As of October 31, 2023, the disposal group met the criteria to be classified as held for sale, and as a result, a valuation allowance was established to reflect the fair value less costs to sell of the disposal group, which was based on the expected proceeds and the estimated carrying value of the net assets to be disposed. The valuation allowance was included within other current assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet and the estimated pre-tax loss on the disposal group was included within other operating expense (income) – net in the Condensed Statement of Consolidated Income and within loss (gain) on divestitures – net in the Condensed Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows.

On April 28, 2023, we sold certain pet food brands to Post. The transaction included the Rachael Ray Nutrish, 9Lives, Kibbles ’n Bits, Nature’s Recipe, and Gravy Train brands, as well as our private label pet food business, inclusive of certain trademarks and licensing agreements, manufacturing and distribution facilities in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, manufacturing facilities in Meadville, Pennsylvania and Lawrence, Kansas, and approximately 1,100 employees who supported these pet food brands. Under our ownership, these brands generated net sales of $1.5 billion in 2023, primarily included in the U.S. Retail Pet Foods segment. Final net proceeds from the divestiture were $1.2 billion, consisting of $683.9 in cash, net of a working capital adjustment and cash transaction costs, and approximately 5.4 million shares of Post common stock, valued at $491.6 at the close of the transaction. We recognized a pre-tax loss of $1.0 billion upon completion of this transaction during the fourth quarter of 2023, within other operating expense (income) – net in the Statement of Consolidated Income, net of a working capital adjustment and cash transaction costs. During 2024, we finalized the working capital adjustment and transaction costs, which resulted in an immaterial adjustment to the pre-tax loss. Furthermore, during the first quarter of 2024, we began entering into equity forward derivative transactions under an agreement with an unrelated third party to facilitate the forward sale of the Post common stock. All 5.4 million shares of Post common stock were hedged as of October 31, 2023, and were subsequently settled for $466.3 on November 15, 2023. For additional information, see Note 10: Derivative Financial Instruments.

Table of Contents

On January 31, 2022, we sold the natural beverage and grains businesses to Nexus. The transaction included products sold under the R.W. Knudsen and TruRoots brands, inclusive of certain trademarks, a licensing agreement for Santa Cruz Organic beverages, dedicated manufacturing and distribution facilities in Chico, California and Havre de Grace, Maryland, and approximately 150 employees who supported the natural beverage and grains businesses. The transaction did not include Santa Cruz Organic nut butters, fruit spreads, syrups, or applesauce. Final net proceeds from the divestiture were $98.7, net of a working capital adjustment and cash transaction costs. We recognized a pre-tax gain of $28.3 related to the natural beverage and grains businesses, of which $1.6 was recognized during the first quarter of 2023, within other operating expense (income) – net in the Condensed Statement of Consolidated Income, upon finalization of the working capital adjustment.

For additional information, see Note 3: Acquisition and Note 4: Divestitures.

We are the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for the following, which are used under license: Dunkin’ is a trademark of DD IP Holder LLC used under three licenses (the “Dunkin’ Licenses”) for packaged coffee products, including K-Cup® pods, sold in retail channels, such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, e-commerce, and drug stores, as well as in certain away from home channels. The Dunkin’ Licenses do not pertain to coffee or other products for sale in Dunkin’ restaurants. K-Cup® is a trademark of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., used with permission.

Trends Affecting our Business

During the first half of 2024, we continued to experience

Showing the first 8K of 67K characters. Open the full section

(Dollars in millions, unless otherwise noted)

The following discussions about our market risk disclosures involve forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. We are exposed to market risk related to changes in interest rates, commodity prices, and foreign currency exchange rates.

Interest Rate Risk: The fair value of our cash and cash equivalents at October 31, 2023, approximates carrying value. We are exposed to interest rate risk with regard to existing debt consisting of fixed- and variable-rate maturities. Our interest rate exposure primarily includes U.S. Treasury rates, SOFR, and commercial paper rates in the U.S.

From time to time, we utilize derivative instruments to manage interest rate risk associated with anticipated debt transactions, as well as to manage changes in the fair value of our long-term debt. At the inception of an interest rate contract, the instrument is evaluated and documented for qualifying hedge accounting treatment. If the contract is designated as a cash flow hedge, the mark-to-market gains or losses on the contract are deferred and included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and generally reclassified to interest expense in the period during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. If the contract is designated as a fair value hedge, the contract is recognized at fair value on the balance sheet and changes in the fair value are recognized in interest expense. Generally, changes in the fair value of the contract are equal to changes in the fair value of the underlying debt and have no net impact on earnings.

In 2020, we terminated all outstanding interest rate contracts concurrent with the pricing of the Senior Notes due March 15, 2030, and March 15, 2050. The contracts were designated as cash flow hedges and were used to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility associated with the anticipated debt financing. The termination resulted in a pre-tax loss of $239.8, which was deferred and included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and is being amortized as interest expense over the life of the debt.

In measuring interest rate risk by the amount of net change in the fair value of our financial liabilities, a hypothetical 100 basis-point decrease in interest rates at October 31, 2023, would increase the fair value of our long-term debt by $317.4.

Commodity Price Risk: We use certain raw materials and other commodities that are subject to price volatility caused by supply and demand conditions, political and economic variables, weather, investor speculation, and other unpredictable factors. To manage the volatility related to anticipated commodity purchases, we use derivatives with maturities of generally less than one year. We do not qualify commodity derivatives for hedge accounting treatment. As a result, the gains and losses on all commodity derivatives are immediately recognized in cost of products sold.

The following sensitivity analysis presents our potential loss of fair value resulting from a hypothetical 10 percent change in market prices related to commodities.

The estimated fair value was determined using quoted market prices and was based on our net derivative position by commodity for the previous four quarters. The calculations are not intended to represent actual losses in fair value that we expect to incur. In practice, as markets move, we actively manage our risk and adjust hedging strategies as appropriate. The commodities hedged have a high inverse correlation to price changes of the derivative instrument. Thus, we would expect that over time any gain or loss in the estimated fair value of its derivatives would generally be offset by an increase or decrease in the estimated fair value of the underlying exposures.

Foreign Currency Exchange Risk: We have operations outside the U.S. with foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities, primarily denominated in Canadian currency. Because we have foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities, financial exposure may result, primarily from the timing of transactions and the movement of exchange rates. The foreign currency balance sheet exposures as of October 31, 2023, are not expected to result in a significant impact on future earnings or cash flows.

We utilize foreign currency derivatives to manage the effect of foreign currency exchange fluctuations on future cash payments primarily related to purchases of certain raw materials and finished goods. The contracts generally have maturities of less than

Table of Contents

one year. We do not qualify instruments used to manage foreign currency exchange exposures for hedge accounting treatment. Therefore, the change in value of these instruments is immediately recognized in cost of products sold. Based on our hedged foreign currency positions as of October 31, 2023, a hypothetical 10 percent change in exchange rates would not materially impact the fair value.

Revenues from customers outside the U.S., subject to foreign currency exchange, represented 6 percent of net sales during the six months ended October 31, 2023. Thus, certain revenues and expenses have been, and are expected to be, subject to the effect of foreign currency fluctuations, and these fluctuations may have an impact on operating results.

Certain Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. The forward-looking statements may include statements concerning our current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and beliefs concerning future events, conditions, plans, and strategies that are not historical fact. Any statement that is not historical in nature is a forward-looking statement and may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “will,” “plan,” and similar phrases.

Federal securities laws provide a safe harbor for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information. We are providing this cautionary statement in connection with the safe harbor provisions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as such statements are by nature subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of our control and could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements and from our historical results and experience. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• our ability to successfully integrate Hostess Brands’ operations and employees and to implement plans and achieve financial forecasts with respect to the Hostess Brands’ business;

• our ability to realize the anticipated benefits, including synergies and cost savings, related to the Hostess Brands acquisition, including the possibility that the expected benefits will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period;

• disruption from the acquisition of Hostess Brands by diverting the attention of our management and making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships;

• the negative effects of the acquisition of Hostess Brands on the market price of our common shares;

• the amount of the costs, fees, expenses, and charges and the risk of litigation related to the acquisition of Hostess Brands;

• the effect of the acquisition of Hostess Brands on our business relationships, operating results, ability to hire and retain key talent, and business generally;

• the effect of the sale of certain pet food brands on our ability to retain key personnel and to maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, and other business partners;

• disruptions or inefficiencies in our operations or supply chain, including any impact caused by product recalls, political instability, terrorism, armed hostilities (including the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine), extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, pandemics (including the novel coronavirus), work stoppages or labor shortages, or other calamities;

• risks related to the availability, and cost inflation in, supply chain inputs, including labor, raw materials, commodities, packaging, and transportation;

• the impact of food security concerns involving either our products or our competitors’ products, including changes in consumer preference, consumer litigation, actions by the FDA or other agencies, and product recalls;

• risks associated with derivative and purchasing strategies we employ to manage commodity pricing and interest rate risks;

• the availability of reliable transportation on acceptable terms;

• our ability to achieve cost savings related to our restructuring and cost management programs in the amounts and within the time frames currently anticipated;

• our ability to generate sufficient cash flow to continue operating under our capital deployment model, including capital expenditures, debt repayment to meet our deleveraging objectives, dividend payments, and share repurchases;

• a change in outlook or downgrade in our public credit ratings by a rating agency below investment grade;

Table of Contents

• our ability to implement and realize the full benefit of price changes, and the impact of the timing of the price changes to profits and cash flow in a particular period;

• the success and cost of marketing and sales programs and strategies intended to promote growth in our business, including product innovation;

• general competitive activity in the market, including competitors’ pricing practices and promotional spending levels;

• our ability to attract and retain key talent;

• the concentration of certain of our businesses with key customers and suppliers, including single-source suppliers of certain key raw materials and finished goods, and our ability to manage and maintain key relationships;

• impairments in the carrying value of goodwill, other intangible assets, or other long-lived assets or changes in the useful lives of other intangible assets or other long-lived assets;

• the impact of new or changes to existing governmental laws and regulations and their application;

• the outcome of tax examinations, changes in tax laws, and other tax matters;

• a disruption, failure, or security breach of our or our suppliers’ information technology systems, including, but not limited to, ransomware attacks;

• foreign currency exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations; and

• risks related to other factors described under “Risk Factors” in other reports and statements we have filed with the SEC.

Readers are cautioned not to unduly rely on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, when evaluating the information presented in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances subsequent to the filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures: Management, including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act), as of October 31, 2023 (the “Evaluation Date”). Based on that evaluation, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that, as of the Evaluation Date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is (1) recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and (2) accumulated and communicated to management, including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Changes in Internal Controls: There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the six months ended October 31, 2023, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Table of Contents

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings.

Information required for Part II, Item 1 is incorporated by reference to the discussion in Note 15: Contingencies in Part I, Item 1 in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Our business, operations, and financial condition are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The risk factors described in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2023, should be carefully considered, together with the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in our other filings with the SEC, in connection with evaluating the Company, our business, and the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may affect us. The occurrence of any of these known or unknown risks could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The risk factors described below update the risk factors disclosed in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2023, to include information on the recent acquisition of Hostess Brands and related debt financing.

Our operations are subject to the general risks associated with acquisitions, divestitures, and restructurings. Specifically, we may not realize all of the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Hostess Brands, or those benefits may take longer to realize than expected. We may also encounter significant unexpected difficulties in integrating the Hostess Brands business.

Our stated strategic vision is to engage, delight, and inspire consumers by building brands they love and leading in growing categories. We have historically made strategic acquisitions of brands and businesses and intend to do so in the future in support of this strategy. If we are unable to complete acquisitions or to successfully integrate and develop acquired businesses, including the effective management of integration and related restructuring costs, we could fail to achieve the anticipated synergies and cost savings, or the expected increases in revenues and operating results. Additional acquisition risks include the diversion of management attention from our existing business, potential loss of key employees, suppliers, or consumers from the acquired business, assumption of unknown risks and liabilities, and greater than anticipated operating costs of the acquired business. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

In particular, our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Hostess Brands will depend, to a large extent, on our ability to integrate the Hostess Brands business into Smucker. The combination of two independent businesses is a complex, costly, and time-consuming process. As a result, we will be required to devote significant management attention and resources to integrating Hostess Brands’ business practices and operations with our business practices and operations. The integration process may disrupt the businesses and, if implemented ineffectively or if impacted by unforeseen negative economic or market conditions or other factors, we may not realize the full anticipated benefits of the acquisition. Our failure to meet the challenges involved in integrating the two businesses to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition could cause an interruption of, or a loss of momentum in, our activities and could adversely affect our results of operations, or cash flows, cause dilution to our earnings per share, decrease or delay any accretive effect of the transactions, and negatively impact the price of our common shares.

Specifically, the difficulties of combining the operations of Hostess Brands with our business include, among others:

• the diversion of management’s attention to integration matters;

• difficulties in achieving anticipated cost savings, synergies, business opportunities, and growth prospects from combining the Hostess Brands business with our business;

• difficulties in the integration of operations and systems;

• difficulties in managing the expanded operations of a significantly larger and more complex company;

• challenges in keeping existing customers and obtaining new customers;

• challenges in attracting and retaining key personnel;

• unanticipated expenses resulting from integration activities and disputes with third parties; and

• unanticipated liabilities, such as environmental liabilities resulting from contamination at our properties or those of third parties.

In addition, we have made strategic divestitures of brands and businesses, including the recent sale of Sahale Snacks and our Canada condiment business, which is anticipated to close in the third quarter of 2024, as well as past divestitures of certain pet

Table of Contents

food brands, the natural beverage and grains, and private label dry pet food businesses, and we may do so in the future. If we are unable to complete divestitures or successfully transition divested businesses, including the effective management of the related separation and stranded overhead costs, transition services, and the maintenance of relationships with customers, suppliers, and other business partners, our business and financial results could be negatively impacted. Further, we may incur asset impairment charges related to divestitures that reduce our profitability. Divestitures and related restructuring costs, such as the restructuring plan entered into in 2021, and concluded in 2023, require a significant amount of management and operational resources. These additional demands could divert management’s attention from core business operations, potentially adversely impacting existing business relationships and employee morale, resulting in negative impacts on our financial performance. For more information, see Note 4: Divestitures and Note 5: Special Project Costs.

Our business could be harmed by strikes or work stoppages.

As of October 31, 2023, 21 percent of our full-time employees, located at seven manufacturing locations, are covered by collective bargaining agreements. These contracts vary in term depending on location, with no contracts expiring in 2024. On November 7, 2023, we acquired Hostess Brands and approximately 42 percent of their employees, located at four manufacturing locations, were covered by collective bargaining agreements with no contracts expiring in 2024. We cannot assure that we will be able to renew these collective bargaining agreements on the same or more favorable terms as the current agreements, or at all, without production interruptions caused by labor stoppages. If a strike or work stoppage were to occur in connection with negotiations of new collective bargaining agreements or as a result of disputes under collective bargaining agreements with labor unions, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

A material impairment in the carrying value of acquired goodwill or other intangible assets could negatively affect our consolidated operating results and net worth.

A significant portion of our assets is composed of goodwill and other intangible assets, the majority of which are not amortized but are reviewed for impairment at least annually on February 1, and more often if indicators of impairment exist. At October 31, 2023, the carrying value of goodwill and other intangible assets totaled $9.6 billion, compared to total assets of $18.1 billion and total shareholders’ equity of $7.1 billion. If the carrying value of these assets exceeds the current estimated fair value, the asset would be considered impaired, and this would result in a noncash charge to earnings, which could be material. Events and conditions that could result in impairment include a sustained drop in the market price of our common shares, increased competition or loss of market share, obsolescence, product claims that result in a significant loss of sales or profitability over the product life, deterioration in macroeconomic conditions, declining financial performance in comparison to projected results, increased input costs beyond projections, or divestitures of significant brands.

As of October 31, 2023, goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets totaled $5.2 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively. The carrying values of the goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets were $1.6 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively, within the U.S. Retail Pet Foods segment, and $2.1 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively, within the U.S. Retail Coffee segment, which represent approximately 80 percent of the total goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets as of October 31, 2023. Furthermore, the goodwill within the U.S. Retail Pet Foods segment remains susceptible to future impairment charges due to narrow differences between fair value and carrying value, which is primarily attributable to the recognition of these assets at fair value resulting from impairment charges and divestitures in recent years.

We do not believe that the Pet Foods reporting unit or any of the indefinite-lived assets within the U.S. Retail Pet Foods segment are more likely than not impaired as of October 31, 2023. However, significant adverse changes to the assumptions regarding the future performance of the U.S. Retail Pet Foods segment or its brands, a sustained adverse change to macroeconomic conditions, or a change to other assumptions could result in additional impairment losses in the future, which could be significant. As of April 30, 2023, the estimated fair value was substantially in excess of the carrying value for all reporting units and material indefinite-lived intangible assets, and in all such instances, the estimated fair value exceeded the carrying value by greater than 10 percent.

While we concluded there were no indicators of impairment as of October 31, 2023, any significant sustained adverse change in consumer purchasing behaviors, financial results, or macroeconomic conditions could result in future impairment.

In addition, as a result of the acquisition of Hostess Brands on November 7, 2023, we will recognize additional goodwill and other intangible assets, which will be included within the new Sweet Baked Snacks reportable segment, based on their estimated fair values on the acquisition date. Since carrying value will represent estimated fair value, these assets could be more susceptible to future impairment. A change to the assumptions regarding future performance of the business, or a portion of it, or a change to other assumptions, could result in significant impairment losses in the future.

Table of Contents

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers: The following table presents the total number of shares of common stock purchased during the second quarter of 2024, the average price paid per share, the number of shares that were purchased as part of a publicly announced repurchase program, if any, and the approximate dollar value of the maximum number of shares that may yet be purchased under the share repurchase program:

(a)Shares in this column include shares repurchased from stock plan recipients in lieu of cash payments.

(c)During the first six months of 2024, we repurchased approximately 2.4 million common shares under our repurchase program, as discussed in Note 16: Common Shares.

(d) As of October 31, 2023, there were approximately 1.1 million common shares remaining available for repurchase pursuant to the Board’s authorizations.

(c) Trading Plans

During the first six months of 2024, no director or Section 16 officer adopted, modified, or terminated any Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangements or non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangements.

See the Index of Exhibits that appears on Page No. 42 of this report.

Table of Contents

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.

Table of Contents

INDEX OF EXHIBITS

The following exhibits are either attached or incorporated herein by reference to another filing with the SEC.

• Identifies exhibits that consist of a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.