HORMEL FOODS CORP DE

When assessing its liquidity and capital resources, the Company evaluates cash and cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments, income from operations, and borrowing capacity.

Cash Flow Highlights

Cash and cash equivalents decreased $72 million during the first six months of fiscal 2025 as the Company utilized cash on hand to make additional purchases of inventory, capital assets, and energy tax credits as well as fund regular dividend payments. During the first six months of fiscal 2024, cash and cash equivalents increased $750 million primarily as a result of proceeds received from the issuance of long-term debt. Cash provided by operating activities was sufficient to cover dividend payments and capital expenditures during the first six months of fiscal 2024. Additional details related to significant drivers of cash flows are provided below.

Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities

•Cash flows from operating activities were largely impacted by changes in operating assets and liabilities.

–Inventory increased $156 million during the first six months of fiscal 2025 compared to a decrease of $7 million in the comparable period of the prior year. The increase in inventory during fiscal 2025 was driven by intentional seasonal and promotional inventory build, as well as softer sales. The decrease in inventory during fiscal 2024 was due to improvements in the Company’s supply chain, partially offset by higher levels of turkey on hand.

–Accounts payable and accrued expenses decreased $77 million and $78 million during the first six months of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024, respectively. The decrease during fiscal 2025 was driven by annual incentive payments, legal settlements, and livestock and feed deferral payments which were partially offset by higher marketing accruals. The decrease during fiscal 2024 was caused by the general timing of payments, annual incentive payments, and livestock and feed deferral payments, which were partially offset by higher accruals for marketing and legal expenses.

–Net income taxes payable decreased $12 million during the first six months of fiscal 2025, compared to an increase of $29 million in the comparable period of the prior year. The decrease in fiscal 2025 was the result of purchasing federal transferable energy tax credits.

–Accounts receivable decreased $71 million and $88 million during the first six months of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024, respectively, primarily due to lower sales compared to the fourth quarter of the prior year.

Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities

•Capital expenditures were $147 million and $107 million during the first six months of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024, respectively. The largest project during both years was for the transition from harvest to value-added capacity for Hormel® Fire Braised® products and Applegate® products at the facility in Barron, Wisconsin. Other significant projects included investments in data and technology during fiscal 2025 and wastewater infrastructure to support operations in Austin, Minnesota during fiscal 2024.

•Proceeds from the sale of business were $13.1 million during the first six months of fiscal 2025, primarily from the sale of the Company’s equity interest in Mountain Prairie, LLC.

Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities

•In the first six months of fiscal 2024, proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt were $498 million due to the Company's issuance of senior unsecured notes with aggregate principal amount of $500 million.

•Cash dividends paid to the Company’s shareholders totaled $314 million during the first six months of fiscal 2025, compared to $305 million in the comparable period of fiscal 2024.

•Proceeds from the exercise of stock options were $26 million in the first six months of fiscal 2025, compared to $27 million in the first six months of fiscal 2024.

Sources and Uses of Cash

The Company believes its balanced business model, with diversification across raw material inputs, channels, and categories, provides stability in ever-changing economic environments. The Company maintains a disciplined capital allocation strategy and uses a waterfall approach, which focuses first on core uses of cash, such as capital expenditures to maintain facilities, dividend returns to investors, mandatory debt repayments, and fulfillment of pension obligations. Next, the Company looks to strategic items in support of growth initiatives, such as other capital projects, acquisitions, additional dividend increases, and working capital investments. Finally, the Company evaluates opportunistic uses, including incremental debt repayment and share repurchases.

The Company believes its anticipated income from operations, cash on hand, borrowing capacity under the current unsecured revolving credit facility, and access to capital markets will be adequate to meet all short-term and long-term commitments. The Company continues to look for opportunities to make investments and acquisitions that align with its strategic priorities. The Company has multiple sources of liquidity to complete such investments and acquisitions. For example, the Company’s historic ability to leverage its balance sheet through the issuance of debt has provided the flexibility to pursue strategic opportunities.

Dividend Payments

The Company remains committed to providing returns to investors through cash dividends on its common stock. The Company has paid 387 consecutive quarterly dividends since becoming a public company in 1928. The Board of Directors approved an increased annual dividend rate for fiscal 2025, raising it to $1.16 per share from $1.13 per share, representing the 59th consecutive annual dividend increase.

Capital Expenditures

Capital expenditures are allocated to required maintenance and growth opportunities based on the needs of the business. Capital expenditures supporting growth opportunities in fiscal 2025 are expected to focus on projects related to value-added capacity, infrastructure, and new technology. Capital expenditures for fiscal 2025 are estimated to be $275 million to $300 million.

Debt

As of April 27, 2025, the Company’s outstanding debt included $2.9 billion of fixed rate unsecured senior notes due in fiscal 2027, 2028, 2030, and 2051 with interest payable semi-annually. During the first six months of fiscal 2025, the Company made $37 million of interest payments and the Company expects to make an additional $37 million of interest payments during fiscal 2025 on these notes. See Note K - Long-term Debt and Other Borrowing Arrangements of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Borrowing Capacity

As a source of short-term financing, the Company maintains a $750 million unsecured revolving credit facility. The maximum commitment under this credit facility may be further increased by $375 million upon the satisfaction of certain conditions. Extensions of credit under the facility may be applied by the Company to refinance existing indebtedness and for working capital and other general corporate purposes, including acquisition funding, and may be made in the form of revolving loans, swing line loans, and letters of credit. The lending commitments under the facility are scheduled to expire on March 25, 2030, at which time the Company will be required to pay in full all obligations then outstanding. As of April 27, 2025, the Company had no outstanding borrowings from this facility.

Debt Covenants

The Company’s debt agreements contain customary terms and conditions including representations, warranties, and covenants. These debt covenants limit the ability of the Company to, among other things, incur debt for borrowed money secured by certain liens, or engage in certain sale and leaseback transactions, and the covenants require the Company to maintain certain consolidated financial ratios. As of April 27, 2025, the Company was in compliance with all covenants in its debt agreements and expects to maintain compliance in the future.

Cash Held by International Subsidiaries

As of April 27, 2025, the Company’s international subsidiaries held $247 million of cash and cash equivalents. The Company maintains all undistributed earnings as permanently reinvested. The Company evaluates the balance and uses of cash held internationally based on the needs of the business.

Share Repurchases

The Company is authorized to repurchase 3,677,494 shares of common stock as part of an existing plan approved by the Company’s Board of Directors. Under the share repurchase authorization, the Company may repurchase shares periodically, depending on market conditions and other factors, and may do so in open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions. The share repurchase authorization has no expiration date. The Company did not repurchase any shares of stock during the first six months of fiscal 2025. The Company continues to evaluate share repurchases as part of its capital allocation strategy.

Commitments

There have been no material changes to the information regarding the Company’s future contractual financial obligations previously disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 27, 2024.

TRADEMARKS

References to the Company’s brands or products in italics within this report represent valuable trademarks owned or licensed by Hormel Foods, LLC or other subsidiaries of Hormel Foods Corporation.