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Ferrellgas Partners (FGPR)
OTHER OTC:FGPR
Risk Overview Q4, 2023
Risk Distribution
44% Finance & Corporate
24% Legal & Regulatory
15% Production
7% Macro & Political
5% Tech & Innovation
5% Ability to Sell
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.
Risk Change Over Time
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
Ferrellgas Partners Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.
Risk Highlights Q4, 2023
Main Risk Category
Finance & Corporate
With 18 Risks
Finance & Corporate
With 18 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
41
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
41
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Jan 2024
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Jan 2024
Number of Risk Changed
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
0
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of Ferrellgas Partners in the last period.
Risk Word Cloud
The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 41
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 18/41 (44%)Above Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights9 | 22.0%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
We may not be able to clearly establish when a sale of all or substantially all of the assets has occurred under New York law.Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
Our Class A Units are no longer listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are instead traded on the OTC Pink Market. The OTC Pink Market has less liquidity than the NYSE and unitholders may face limited availability of market quotations for our Class A Units, reduced liquidity for the trading of our Class A Units and potentially lower trading prices for our Class A Units.We expect our Class A Units to be quoted on the OTC Pink Market for the foreseeable future. Unitholders may face limited availability of market quotations for our Class A Units, reduced liquidity for the trading of our Class A Units and potentially lower trading prices for our Class A Units. In addition, we could experience a decreased ability to issue additional securities and obtain additional financing in the future, and it could impair our ability to provide equity incentives to our employees. There can be no assurance that the trading market for our Class A Units will improve in the future or that any improvement will be sustained.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
There may be no active trading market for our debt securities, which may limit a holder's ability to sell our debt securities.The OpCo Notes are not, and we do not expect any debt securities we may issue in the future to be, listed on any securities exchange quoted through any automated quotation system. An established market for our debt securities may not develop, or if one does develop, it may not be maintained. We cannot assure a debt holder that a liquid market for the debt securities will develop, or that the holder will be able to sell its debt securities or receive a specific price upon any sale of its debt securities. If a public market for our debt securities did develop, the debt securities could trade at prices that may be higher or lower than their principal amount or purchase price, depending on many factors.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
Unitholders have limited voting rights; our general partner manages and operates us, thereby generally precluding the participation of our unitholders in operational decisions.Our general partner manages and operates us. Unlike the holders of common stock in a corporation, our unitholders generally have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business. Holders of Ferrellgas Partners' Class B Units and the operating partnership's Preferred Units have certain additional voting rights focused on their respective distribution rights or preferences and their respective protective covenants and other rights under the partnership agreements of Ferrellgas Partners and the operating partnership. Amendments to the agreement of limited partnership of Ferrellgas Partners may be proposed only by or with the consent of our general partner. Proposed amendments must generally be approved by holders of at least a majority of Ferrellgas Partners' outstanding Class A Units and, in certain cases, holders of Ferrellgas Partners' Class B Units and the operating partnership's Preferred Units.
Class A Unitholders will have no right to elect our general partner or the directors of our general partner on an annual or other continuing basis. See Note J "Equity (Deficit)" to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein for Board rights related to the Class B Units. Under certain circumstances, holders of the Preferred Units may have the right to appoint a majority of the Board of Directors of our general partner after March 30, 2031. See Note I "Preferred units" to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein.
Our general partner may not be removed except pursuant to the vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding units entitled to vote thereon, which includes the Class A Units owned by our general partner and its affiliates and upon the election of a successor general partner by the vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the outstanding Class A Units entitled to vote; provided that holders of the Class B Units will have the right to remove the general partner under certain circumstances.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
Unitholders may not have limited liability in specified circumstances and may be liable for the return of distributions.The limitations on the liability of holders of limited partner interests for the obligations of a limited partnership have not been clearly established in some states. The limited partners could be held liable in some circumstances for our obligations to the same extent as a general partner if it were determined that we had been conducting business in any state without compliance with the applicable limited partnership statute.
In addition, under some circumstances a unitholder may be liable to us for the amount of a distribution for a period of three years from the date of the distribution. Unitholders will not be liable for assessments in addition to their initial capital investment in our Class A Units. Under Delaware law, we may not make a distribution to our unitholders if the distribution causes all our liabilities to exceed the fair value of our assets. Liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and liabilities for which recourse is limited to specific property are not counted for purposes of determining whether a distribution is permitted. Delaware law provides that a limited partner who receives such a distribution and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution violated the Delaware law will be liable to the limited partnership for the distribution amount for three years from the distribution date. Under Delaware law, an assignee that becomes a substituted limited partner of a limited partnership is liable for the obligations of the assignor to make contributions to the partnership. However, such an assignee is not obligated for liabilities unknown to that assignee at the time such assignee became a limited partner if the liabilities could not be determined from the partnership agreements.
Tax Risks
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6
Unitholders may be required to pay taxes on their share of our taxable income even if they do not receive cash distributions from us.Unitholders may be required to pay federal income taxes and, in some cases, state and local income taxes on their share of our taxable income, including our taxable income associated with a disposition of property or cancellation of debt, whether or not they receive any cash distributions from us. Unless we are able to pay and actually pay cash distributions on our Class A Units, Class A Unitholders will not receive any cash from us to cover any such tax liabilities, and, if we do pay cash distributions in the future, such cash distributions may not be equal to unitholders' share of our taxable income or even equal to the actual tax liability which results from that income.
We continue to pursue a strategy to normalize our capital structure. As part of this strategy, we may engage in transactions that could have significant adverse tax consequences to our unitholders. For example, we may sell some of our assets and use the proceeds to fund capital expenditures or a redemption or conversion of our Class B Units or Preferred Units rather than distributing the proceeds to our unitholders, and some or all of our unitholders may be allocated substantial taxable income and gain resulting from the sale without receiving a cash distribution. We may also engage in transactions to reduce our existing debt or debt service costs, such as debt exchanges, debt repurchases, or modifications of our existing debt, which could result in cancellation of indebtedness income, or other income, being allocated to our unitholders as taxable income. This may cause a unitholder to be allocated taxable income with respect to our units with no corresponding distribution of cash to fund the payment of the unitholder's resulting tax liability. The ultimate effect of any such allocations will depend on the unitholder's individual tax position with respect to its units. Unitholders are encouraged to consult their tax advisors with respect to the consequences to them of this income.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7
Our unitholders may be subject to limitations on their ability to deduct interest expense incurred by us.In general, our Class A Unitholders are entitled to a deduction for the interest we have paid or accrued on indebtedness properly allocable to our business during our taxable year. However, under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "Tax Act"), for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the deductibility of net interest expense is limited to the sum of our business interest income and 30% (or 50% for 2020, as amended by the CARES Act) of our "adjusted taxable income". For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2022, the Tax Act calculates adjusted taxable income using an EBITDA-based calculation. For tax years beginning January 1, 2022 and thereafter, the calculation of adjusted taxable income will not add back depreciation or amortization. Any business interest expense disallowed at the partnership level is then generally carried forward and may be deducted in a succeeding taxable year by a unitholder, in accordance with the unitholder's applicable tax laws. These limitations might cause interest expense to be deducted by our unitholders in a later period than recognized in the GAAP financial statements.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8
If Ferrellgas Partners is permitted to make and makes distributions to its partners, while any Class B Units remain outstanding, Class B Unitholders collectively will receive at least approximately 85.7% of the aggregate amount of each such distribution and may receive up to 100% of any such distribution. Accordingly, while any Class B Units remain outstanding, Class A Unitholders may not receive any distributions and, in any case, will not receive collectively more than approximately 14.1% of any distribution.See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources" for information on partnership distributions pursuant to the Amended Ferrellgas Partners LPA. For additional discussion of the terms of the Class B Units, see Note J "Equity (Deficit)" in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein. Although the general partner has not made any decisions or adopted any policy with respect to the allocation of future distributions by Ferrellgas Partners to its partners, the general partner may determine that it is advisable to pay more than the minimum amount of any distribution, up to 100% of the amount of such distribution, to Class B Unitholders.
Risks Arising from Our Partnership Structure and Relationship with Our General Partner
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9
A unitholder whose Class A Units are the subject of a securities loan (e.g., a loan to a "short seller" to cover a short sale of Class A Units) may be deemed to have disposed of those Class A Units. If so, the unitholder would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those Class A Units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition.Because there are no specific rules governing the U.S. federal income tax consequences of loaning a partnership interest, a unitholder whose Class A Units are the subject of a securities loan may be deemed to have disposed of the loaned units. In that case, the unitholder may no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those Class A Units during the period of the loan and the unitholder may recognize gain or loss from such disposition. Moreover, during the period of the loan, any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those Class A Units may not be reportable by the unitholder and any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those Class A Units could be fully taxable as ordinary income. Unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller should modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing their Class A Units.
Conflicts of Interest
Conflicts of interest could arise as a result of the relationships between us, on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other. The directors and officers of our general partner have fiduciary duties to manage our general partner in a manner beneficial to our general partner and its stockholder. At the same time, our general partner has a contractual good faith duty of care to manage us in a manner the general partner reasonably believes to be in, or not inconsistent with, our best interests. The contractual duties of our general partner to us and our unitholders, therefore, may conflict with the fiduciary duties of the directors and officers of our general partner to our general partner and its stockholder.
Matters in which, and reasons that, such conflicts of interest may arise include:
- we do not have any employees and rely solely on employees of our general partner and its affiliates;- under the terms of the partnership agreements of Ferrellgas Partners and the operating partnership, we must reimburse our general partner and its affiliates for costs incurred in managing and operating us, including costs incurred in providing employees to the operating partnership and rendering corporate staff and support services to us;- our general partner is not restricted from causing us to pay it or its affiliates for any services rendered on terms that are fair and reasonable to us or causing us to enter into additional contractual arrangements with any of such entities;- neither the partnership agreements of Ferrellgas Partners and the operating partnership nor any of the other agreements, contracts and arrangements between us, on the one hand, and our general partner and its affiliates, on the other, are or will be the result of arm's-length negotiations;- whenever possible, our general partner limits our liability under contractual arrangements to all or a portion of our assets, with the other party thereto having no recourse against our general partner or its assets;- the partnership agreements of Ferrellgas Partners and the operating partnership permit our general partner to make these limitations even if we could have obtained more favorable terms if our general partner had not limited its liability;- any agreements between us and our general partner or its affiliates will not grant to our unitholders, separate and apart from us, the right to enforce the obligations of our general partner or such affiliates in favor of us; therefore, our general partner will be primarily responsible for enforcing those obligations against itself or such affiliates;- our general partner may exercise its limited right to call for and purchase Class A Units as provided in the partnership agreement of Ferrellgas Partners or assign that right to one of its affiliates or to us;- our partnership agreements provide that it will not constitute a breach of our general partner's fiduciary duties to us for its affiliates to engage in activities of the type conducted by us, other than retail propane sales to end users in the continental United States in the manner engaged in by our general partner immediately prior to our initial public offering, even if these activities are in direct competition with us;- our general partner and its affiliates have no obligation to present business opportunities to us;- our general partner selects the attorneys, accountants and others who perform services for us, and these persons may also perform services for our general partner and its affiliates; however, our general partner is authorized to retain separate counsel for us or our unitholders, depending on the nature of the conflict that arises; and - James E. Ferrell was the Chief Executive Officer and President of our general partner and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of our general partner through July 31, 2023. Effective August 1, 2023, Mr. Ferrell is the Executive Chairman of our general partner and the Board of Directors of our general partner. Mr. Ferrell owns other companies with whom we may, from time to time, conduct transactions in the ordinary course of our business. Mr. Ferrell's ownership of these entities may conflict with his duties as an officer or director of our general partner, including with respect to our relationship and conduct of business with any of Mr. Ferrell's companies.
Fiduciary Responsibilities
Unless otherwise provided for in a partnership agreement, Delaware law generally requires a general partner of a Delaware limited partnership to adhere to fiduciary duty standards under which it owes its limited partners the highest duties of good faith, fairness and loyalty and which generally prohibit the general partner from taking any action or engaging in any transaction as to which it has a conflict of interest. The partnership agreements of both Ferrellgas Partners and the operating partnership, as permitted by Delaware law, unconditionally eliminate the default fiduciary duty standards and require the general partner to adhere to the contractual good faith duty of care set forth in those agreements. Specifically, the general partner need only take actions that it, as general partner, reasonably believes to be in, or not inconsistent with, the best interest of Ferrellgas Partners and the operating partnership. Thus, neither the general partner nor Ferrellgas Partners owes traditional fiduciary duties to the unitholders.
The partnership agreements of Ferrellgas Partners and the operating partnership expressly permit our general partner to resolve conflicts of interest between itself or its affiliates, on the one hand, and us or our unitholders, on the other, and to consider, in resolving such conflicts of interest, the interests of other parties in addition to the interests of our unitholders. In addition, the partnership agreement of Ferrellgas Partners provides that a purchaser of Class A Units is deemed to have consented to specified conflicts of interest and actions of our general partner and its affiliates that might otherwise be prohibited, including those described above, and to have agreed that such conflicts of interest and actions do not constitute a breach by our general partner of any duty stated or implied by law or equity. Our general partner will not be in breach of its obligations under the partnership agreements of Ferrellgas Partners or the operating partnership or its duties to us or our unitholders if the resolution of such conflict is fair and reasonable to us. Under the partnership agreements, any conflict of interest and any resolution thereof will conclusively be deemed fair and reasonable to us if it is (i) approved by the audit committee of our general partner, or (ii) on terms no less favorable to us than those generally being provided to or available from unrelated third parties or (iii) fair to us, taking into account the totality of the relationships between the parties involved (including other transactions that may be particularly favorable or advantageous to us). The latitude given in the partnership agreements to our general partner in resolving conflicts of interest may significantly limit the ability of a unitholder to challenge what might, in the absence of the partnership agreement provisions eliminating default fiduciary duties be a breach of fiduciary duty.
The partnership agreements of Ferrellgas Partners and the operating partnership expressly limit the liability of our general partner by providing that our general partner, its affiliates and their respective officers and directors will not be liable for monetary damages to us, our unitholders or assignees thereof for errors of judgment or for any acts or omissions if our general partner and such other persons acted in good faith. In addition, we are required to indemnify our general partner, its affiliates and their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and trustees to the fullest extent permitted by law against liabilities, costs and expenses incurred by our general partner or such other persons if our general partner or such persons acted in good faith and in a manner it or they reasonably believed to be in, or (in the case of a person other than our general partner) not opposed to, the best interests of us and, with respect to any criminal proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct was unlawful.
Accounting & Financial Operations2 | 4.9%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
Ferrellgas Partners is a holding entity and has no material operations or assets, other than its ownership stake in the operating partnership and Ferrellgas Partners Finance Corp. Accordingly, Ferrellgas Partners is dependent on distributions from the operating partnership to service its obligations and pay distributions to its unitholders. These distributions are not guaranteed and are subject to significant limitations.Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
There are limits on the deductibility of losses.In the case of unitholders subject to the passive loss rules (generally, individuals, closely held corporations and regulated investment companies), any losses generated by us will only be available to offset our future income and cannot be used to offset income from other activities, including passive activities or investments. Unused losses may be deducted when the unitholder disposes of its entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. A unitholder's share of our net passive income may be offset by unused losses carried over from prior years, but not by losses from other passive activities, including losses from other publicly-traded partnerships.
Debt & Financing6 | 14.6%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
If we are unable to access the financing markets, including through our Credit Facility, it may adversely impact our business and liquidity.Debt & Financing - Risk 2
Our substantial indebtedness and other financial obligations could impair our financial condition and our ability to satisfy our obligations and we may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, which may not be successful.We have substantial indebtedness and other financial obligations. Our ability to make scheduled payments on or refinance our debt obligations depends on our financial condition and operating performance, which are subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions and to certain financial, business, legislative, regulatory and other factors beyond our control. We may be unable to maintain a level of cash flows from operating activities sufficient to permit us to pay the principal, premium, if any, and interest on our indebtedness. See Note H "Debt" to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein for more detail. Our long-term debt obligations do not contain any sinking fund provisions, but require aggregate principal payments, without premium, as disclosed in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations–Liquidity and Capital Resources–Material Cash Requirements."
If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems and could be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures or to dispose of material assets or operations, seek additional debt or equity capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. We may not be able to effect any such alternative measures, if necessary, on commercially reasonable terms or at all and, even if successful, those alternative actions may not allow us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. Our ability to enter leasing transactions at favorable terms could also be impacted. The Indentures, the Credit Agreement and the OpCo LPA Amendment restrict our ability to dispose of assets and use the proceeds from those dispositions and may also restrict our ability to raise debt or equity capital to be used to repay other indebtedness when it becomes due. We may not be able to consummate those dispositions or obtain proceeds in an amount sufficient to meet any debt service obligations then due. For more detail, see Note H "Debt" and Note I "Preferred units" to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein.
Debt & Financing - Risk 3
A lowering or withdrawal of the ratings assigned to our debt securities by rating agencies may increase our future borrowing costs and reduce our access to capital.The operating partnership has a corporate rating of B1 from Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's"). Our senior unsecured notes were assigned a B2 rating by Moody's. Any rating assigned could be lowered or withdrawn entirely by a rating agency if, in that rating agency's judgment, future circumstances relating to the basis of the rating, such as adverse changes, so warrant. Consequently, real or anticipated changes in our credit ratings will generally affect the market value of our debt securities. Any future lowering of our ratings likely would make it more difficult or more expensive for us to obtain additional debt financing. If any credit rating initially assigned to the OpCo Notes or other debt securities is subsequently lowered or withdrawn for any reason, you may not be able to resell such debt securities without a substantial discount.
Debt & Financing - Risk 4
Restrictive covenants in the Indentures, the Credit Agreement and the agreements governing our other future indebtedness and other financial obligations may reduce our operating flexibility and ability to make cash distributions to holders of Class A Units and Class B Units. The Indentures, the Credit Agreement and the OpCo LPA Amendment contain important exceptions to these covenants.The Indentures and the Credit Agreement contain, and any agreement that will govern debt incurred by us in the future may contain, various covenants that limit our ability to take certain actions as described in Note H "Debt" to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein. These covenants also limit the ability of the operating partnership to make distributions to Ferrellgas Partners and therefore effectively limit the ability of Ferrellgas Partners to make distributions to its Class A Unitholders and Class B Unitholders. See Note I "Preferred units" for a discussion of limitations related to distributions.
The Indentures and the Credit Agreement contain important exceptions to the covenants, including the covenants that restrict our ability to sell assets and make restricted payments. For example, the Indentures initially permit the operating partnership to make $60 million plus the amount of the operating partnership's Available Cash from Operating Surplus (as defined in the Indentures) for the preceding fiscal quarter (so long as the operating partnership's fixed coverage ratio is at least 1.75x) or $25 million (if the operating partnership's fixed coverage ratio is below 1.75x) plus an additional $25 million, in each case, of restricted payments for any purpose, subject to compliance with applicable conditions, as well as to make additional restricted payments for specified purposes. Furthermore, we may utilize exceptions to sell assets and such asset sales may be on unfavorable terms.
Debt & Financing - Risk 5
The operating partnership issued $700.0 million aggregate initial liquidation preference of Preferred Units, the terms of which restrict us from undertaking certain actions while such Preferred Units are outstanding.The Preferred Units are entitled to quarterly distributions in cash or payment in kind and are redeemable at the option of the operating partnership at any time, or at the option of the holders no earlier than March 30, 2031, subject to the terms as described in more detail under Note I "Preferred units" to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein.
For so long as at least 20% of the Preferred Units initially issued (without any adjustment for new Preferred Units issued as payment in kind) remain outstanding, holders of the Preferred Units have the right, voting as a separate class, to designate one director onto the board of the general partner, which may not exceed nine directors.
For so long as at least $35.0 million aggregate liquidation preference of Preferred Units remain outstanding, the partnership agreements of Ferrellgas Partners and the operating partnership limit certain actions, unless agreed by holders of at least 1/3 of the outstanding Preferred Units. Accordingly, the holders of the Preferred Units will have significant influence with respect to our management, business plans and policies. The interests of holders of the Preferred Units may conflict with our interests or the interests of our debtholders or securityholders.
Additionally, upon the occurrence of certain "change of control" transactions, the holders of the Preferred Units will have the option to require the redemption of all or a portion of the Preferred Units in cash in an amount equal to the redemption price; and such a "change of control" will also trigger a "change of control" under the Indentures.
In the event that no Class B Units are outstanding and the outstanding amount of Preferred Units is greater than $233.3 million after March 30, 2031, to the extent the operating partnership fails to redeem all the outstanding Preferred Units, holders of at least 1/3 of the outstanding Preferred Units will have the right to appoint a majority of the members of the board of directors of the general partner and initiate a sale of the operating partnership. These restrictions may limit our flexibility to pursue strategic opportunities.
Debt & Financing - Risk 6
We may be unable to repurchase the OpCo Notes or repay or repurchase other debt or other securities upon a change of control.Upon the occurrence of a "change of control" under the Indentures, we or a third party will be required to make a change of control offer to repurchase the OpCo Notes at 101% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest. Additionally, a change of control under the Credit Facility constitutes an event of default that permits the lenders to accelerate the maturity of borrowings under the Credit Agreement and terminate their commitments to lend thereunder. We may not have the financial resources to purchase the OpCo Notes, particularly if a change of control event triggers a similar repurchase requirement for, or results in the acceleration of, other indebtedness, including under our Credit Facility. In addition, the Preferred Units have similar change of control provisions which require us to offer to redeem the Preferred Units at a price equal to the then-current liquidation preference per unit, plus accrued and unpaid distributions. These restrictions could prevent us from satisfying our obligations to purchase such securities unless we are able to refinance the indebtedness or obtain waivers or consents from the holders thereof. Our failure to pay the change of control purchase price or repay borrowings when due would allow the holders to declare such indebtedness be immediately due and payable. The exercise by the holders of our indebtedness under the OpCo Notes or the Credit Agreement of their right to require us to repurchase or repay such indebtedness upon a change of control could cause a default under the agreements governing our other indebtedness or other securities, including future agreements, even if the change of control itself does not, due to the financial effect of such repurchases on us. In the event a repurchase or repayment is required at a time when we are prohibited from purchasing or repaying such indebtedness, we could attempt to refinance the indebtedness that contains such prohibitions. If we do not obtain a consent or repay such indebtedness, our failure to purchase or repay such indebtedness would constitute an event of default which could, in turn, constitute a default under our other indebtedness. Finally, our ability to pay cash to the holders of such indebtedness upon a change of control may be limited by our then existing financial resources.
Corporate Activity and Growth1 | 2.4%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
We may not be successful in making acquisitions, and any acquisitions we make may not result in achievement of our anticipated results. In either case, this failure would potentially limit our growth, limit our ability to compete and impair our results of operations and financial condition.Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 10/41 (24%)Above Sector Average
Regulation1 | 2.4%
Regulation - Risk 1
Subject to certain restrictions, Ferrellgas Partners may dilute existing interests of unitholders by selling additional limited partner interests. Ferrellgas Partners may also dilute existing Class A Units by converting Class B Units to Class A Units.Taxation & Government Incentives6 | 14.6%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Tax gain or loss on the disposition of our Class A Units could be different than expected.Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
Tax-exempt entities, regulated investment companies, and foreign persons face unique tax issues from owning Class A Units that may result in additional tax liability or reporting requirements for them.An investment in Class A Units by tax-exempt entities, such as employee benefit plans, individual retirement accounts, regulated investment companies, generally known as mutual funds, and non-U.S. persons, raises issues unique to them. For example, virtually all of our income allocated to organizations exempt from federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, will be unrelated business taxable income and thus will be taxable to them. Net income from a "qualified publicly-traded partnership" is qualifying income for a regulated investment company, or mutual fund. However, no more than 25% of the value of a regulated investment company's total assets may be invested in the securities of one or more qualified publicly-traded partnerships. We expect to be treated as a qualified publicly-traded partnership. Distributions, if any, made to non-U.S. persons will be reduced by withholding taxes, at the highest effective tax rate applicable to individuals, and non-U.S. persons will be required to file federal income tax returns and generally pay tax on their share of our taxable income.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 3
Reporting of partnership tax information is complicated and subject to audits; we cannot guarantee conformity to IRS requirements. As a result of investing in our units, a unitholder will likely be subject to state and local taxes and return filing requirements in jurisdictions in which it is not domiciled. Additionally, unitholders may have negative tax consequences if we default on our debt or sell assets.We will furnish each unitholder with a Schedule K-1 that sets forth that unitholder's allocable share of income, gains, losses and deductions. In preparing these schedules, we will use various accounting and reporting conventions and adopt various depreciation and amortization methods. We cannot guarantee that these schedules will yield a result that conforms to statutory or regulatory requirements or to administrative pronouncements of the IRS. If any of the information on these schedules is successfully challenged by the IRS, the character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or deduction previously reported by unitholders might change, and unitholders might be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.
We may be audited by the IRS and tax adjustments could be made. The rights of a unitholder owning less than a 1% interest in us to participate in the income tax audit process are very limited. Further, any adjustments in our tax returns may lead to adjustments in unitholders' tax returns and may lead to audits of unitholders' tax returns and adjustments of items unrelated to us. A unitholder will bear the cost of any expenses incurred in connection with an examination of its personal tax return.
Pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, if the IRS makes audit adjustments to our income tax returns for tax years beginning after 2017, it may collect any resulting taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) directly from us. We will generally have the ability to shift any such tax liability to our general partner and our unitholders in accordance with their interests in us during the year under audit, but there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so under all circumstances. If we are required to make payments of taxes, penalties and interest resulting from audit adjustments, our cash available for distribution to our unitholders might be substantially reduced.
In addition to federal income taxes, unitholders will likely be subject to other taxes, such as state and local taxes, unincorporated business taxes and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that are imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property. A unitholder will likely be required to file state and local income tax returns and pay state and local income taxes in some or all of the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. We currently conduct business in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. It is each unitholder's responsibility to file all required federal, state and local tax returns.
If we default on any of our debt, the holders will have the right to sue us for non-payment. That action could cause an investment loss and negative tax consequences for our unitholders through the realization of taxable income by unitholders without a corresponding cash distribution. Likewise, if we were to dispose of assets and realize a taxable gain while there is substantial debt outstanding and proceeds of the sale were applied to the debt, our unitholders could have increased taxable income without a corresponding cash distribution.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 4
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") could challenge our classification as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, which, if successful, would result in our being treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. Additionally, changes in federal or state laws could subject us to entity-level taxation. Either of these events would substantially reduce the cash available for distribution to our unitholders.We believe that, under current law, we have been and will continue to be classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes; however, we have not requested, and do not plan to request, a ruling from the IRS with respect to our treatment as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. One of the requirements for such classification is that at least 90% of our gross income for each taxable year has been and will be "qualifying income" within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Internal Revenue Code"). Whether we will continue to be classified as a partnership depends in part on our ability to meet this qualifying income test in the future.
If we were classified as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, we would pay tax on our income at corporate rates, currently a maximum of 21% at the federal level, and we would probably pay additional state income taxes as well. In addition, distributions would generally be taxable to the recipient as corporate dividends and no income, gains, losses or deductions would flow through to our unitholders. Because a tax would be imposed upon us at the entity level as a corporation, the cash available for distribution to our unitholders would be substantially reduced. Therefore, treatment of us as a corporation would result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to our unitholders and thus would likely result in a substantial reduction in the value of our units.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 5
The tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships could be subject to potential legislative, judicial or administrative changes and differing interpretations, possibly on a retroactive basis.The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including us, may be modified by administrative or judicial interpretation or legislative action at any time. Any modification to the U.S. federal income tax laws and interpretations thereof may or may not be applied retroactively and could make it more difficult or impossible to meet the exception for us to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes that is not taxable as a corporation, affect or cause us to change our business activities, affect the tax considerations of an investment in us and change the character or treatment of portions of our income. Any such changes could cause us to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and thereby subject us to entity-level income taxes, which would cause a material reduction in our anticipated cash flows and adversely affect the value of our units.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 6
A successful IRS contest of the federal income tax positions we take may reduce the market value of our units and the costs of any contest will be borne by us and therefore indirectly by our unitholders and our general partner.The IRS may adopt positions that differ from those expressed herein or from the positions we take. It may be necessary to resort to administrative or court proceedings in an effort to sustain some or all of the positions we take, and some or all of these positions ultimately may not be sustained. Any successful IRS contest may materially reduce the market value of our units and the prices at which our units trade. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne by us and therefore indirectly by our unitholders and our general partner.
Environmental / Social3 | 7.3%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
We may incur significant costs in order to comply with privacy and data security laws and regulations, and any failure to comply with such laws and regulations could result in significant penalties or other liabilities or costs.Environmental / Social - Risk 2
We may incur significant costs in order to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, and any failure to comply with such laws and regulations could result in significant penalties or other liabilities or costs.Our operations are subject to stringent federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to protection of the environment or human health and safety. Compliance with current and future environmental laws and regulations may increase our overall cost of business, including our capital costs to construct, maintain and upgrade equipment and facilities. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of significant administrative, civil and criminal penalties, the imposition of investigatory and remedial liabilities, and even the issuance of injunctions that may restrict or prohibit some or all of our operations. Such laws and regulations are subject to change and we cannot provide assurance that the cost of compliance or the consequences of any failure to comply will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
Risks Inherent in an Investment in our Class A or Class B Units or our Debt Securities and Other Risks Related to Our Capital Structure and Financing Arrangements
Environmental / Social - Risk 3
Our operations, capital expenditures and financial results may be affected by regulatory changes and/or market responses to global climate change, including competition from other energy sources in response to such changes.There continues to be concern, both nationally and internationally, about climate change and the contribution of GHG emissions, most notably carbon dioxide, to global warming. Because propane is considered a clean alternative fuel under the federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, we anticipate that this will provide us with a competitive advantage over other sources of energy, such as fuel oil and coal, as new climate change laws and regulations become effective. At the same time, increased regulation of GHG emissions, especially in the transportation sector, could impose significant additional costs on us, our suppliers and our customers. Numerous proposals have been made and are likely to continue to be made at the national, regional and state levels of government to monitor and limit GHG emissions. These efforts include cap-and-trade programs, carbon taxes, GHG reporting and tracking programs and regulations that limit GHG emissions from certain sources. The impact of new legislation and regulations will depend on a number of factors, including (i) which industry sectors would be impacted, (ii) the timing of required compliance, (iii) the overall GHG emissions cap level, (iv) the allocation of emission allowances to specific sources, and (v) the costs and opportunities associated with compliance. At this time, we cannot predict the effect that climate change regulation may have on our business, financial condition or operations in the future.
Furthermore, increasing concentrations of GHGs in the Earth's atmosphere may produce climate changes that have significant physical effects, such as volatility in seasonal temperatures and increased frequency and severity of storms, floods and other climatic events. To the extent weather conditions are affected by climate change or demand is impacted by regulations associated with climate change, customers' energy use could increase or decrease depending on the duration and magnitude of the changes, leading either to increased investment or decreased revenues.
Propane competes with other sources of energy, some of which can be less costly for equivalent energy value and which also may become more prevalent in response to climate change regulation and other factors. See "Item I. Business – Industry" for additional information on our competition for customers against suppliers of electricity, natural gas and fuel oil.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the "EPA") has determined that carbon dioxide and other GHGs are regulated pollutants under the Clean Air Act. In June 2019, the EPA replaced the Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy rule. In January 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ("D.C. Circuit") vacated the Affordable Clean Energy rule and remanded the question to the EPA to consider a new regulatory framework to replace the Affordable Clean Energy rule, thereby allowing the incoming administration to implement standards for emissions from the power sector. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the D.C. Circuit's decision on the Affordable Clean Energy rule and remanded the case back to the D.C. Circuit. On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the "Inflation Reduction Act"). The Inflation Reduction Act contains hundreds of billions of dollars in incentives for the development of renewable energy, clean hydrogen, clean fuels, electric vehicles and supporting infrastructure and carbon capture and sequestration, amongst other provisions. These incentives could further accelerate the transition of the U.S. economy away from the use of fossil fuels towards lower- or zero-carbon emissions alternatives and impact demand for propane. Propane competes with electricity, among other alternative fuels, and to the extent the cost of production and delivery is reduced for electricity and other alternative fuel sources with which we compete, we may experience reduced demand for our propane. The ultimate impact on propane demand and our business is uncertain and may change as implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act moves forward. We cannot predict the effect that the development of alternative energy sources and related laws might have on our financial position or results of operations.
Production
Total Risks: 6/41 (15%)Above Sector Average
Employment / Personnel1 | 2.4%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
We compete with other businesses to attract and retain qualified employees, and labor shortages and increased labor costs could adversely affect our business.Supply Chain2 | 4.9%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
We are dependent on our principal suppliers, which increases the risks from an interruption in supply and transportation.Supply Chain - Risk 2
Our failure or our counterparties' failure to perform on obligations under commodity derivative and financial derivative contracts and increased costs associated with such contracts could materially affect our liquidity, cash flows and results of operations.Volatility in the oil and gas commodities sector for an extended period of time or intense volatility in the near term could impair our or our counterparties' ability to meet margin calls, which could cause us or our counterparties to default on commodity and financial derivative contracts. This could have a material adverse effect on our financial position or liquidity or on our ability to procure product at acceptable prices or at all and could increase our costs to procure product.
Legislation and rulemaking associated with parties to derivatives transactions may increase our cost of using derivative instruments to hedge risks associated with our business or may reduce the availability of such instruments or the creditworthiness of derivatives counterparties available to us. While costs imposed directly on us due to regulatory requirements for derivatives such as reporting, recordkeeping and electing the end-user exception from mandatory clearing, are relatively minor, costs imposed upon our counterparties may increase the cost of our doing business in the derivatives markets to the extent such costs are passed on to us.
Costs3 | 7.3%
Costs - Risk 1
Sudden and sharp increases in wholesale propane prices may not be completely passed on to our customers, especially those with which we have contracted pricing arrangements. These contracted pricing arrangements will adversely affect our profit margins if they are not immediately hedged with an offsetting propane purchase commitment and wholesale propane prices do increase. Conversely, sudden and sharp decreases in wholesale propane prices may result in our customers' not fulfilling obligations under contracted pricing arrangements entered into with us. Customer defaults under these higher sales price arrangements may adversely affect our profit margins.Costs - Risk 2
We are subject to operating and litigation risks, and related costs or liabilities may not be covered by insurance.We are subject to all operating hazards and risks normally incidental to the handling, storing and delivering of combustible liquids such as propane. These operations face an inherent risk of exposure to general liability claims in the event that they result in injury or destruction of property. As a result, we have been, and are likely to be, a defendant in various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Our insurance policies do not cover all losses, costs or liabilities that we may experience, and insurance companies that currently insure companies in our industry or in the energy industry generally may cease to do so or substantially increase premiums. Although we maintain insurance policies with insurers in such amounts and with such coverages and deductibles as we believe are reasonable and prudent, we cannot guarantee that such insurance will be adequate to protect us from all material expenses related to potential future claims for personal injury and property damage or that such levels of insurance will be available in the future at economical prices.
Costs - Risk 3
A significant increase in motor fuel prices may adversely affect our profits.Motor fuel is a significant operating expense for us in connection with the purchase and delivery of propane to our customers. The price and supply of motor fuel is unpredictable and fluctuates based on events we cannot control, such as geopolitical developments, including impacts from Russian military actions in Ukraine, supply and demand for oil, gas, and refined fuels, actions by oil and gas producers, actions by motor fuel refiners, conflict, unrest or economic instability in oil producing countries and regions, regional production patterns and weather conditions. We may not be able to pass any increases in motor fuel prices on to our customers. As a result, any increases in these prices may adversely affect our profitability and competitiveness.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 3/41 (7%)Above Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment1 | 2.4%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Economic and political conditions may harm the energy business disproportionately to other industries.Natural and Human Disruptions2 | 4.9%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
Weather conditions, including warm winters, dry or warm weather in the harvest season and poor weather in the grilling season, may reduce the demand for propane, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, cash flows, financial condition or liquidity.Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 2
Hurricanes and other natural disasters as well as epidemic diseases or similar public health crises, illnesses or pandemics could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.Hurricanes and other natural disasters can potentially destroy numerous business structures and homes and, if occurring in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, could disrupt the supply chain for oil and gas products. Disruptions in supply could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow. Damage and higher prices caused by hurricanes and other natural disasters could also have an adverse effect on our financial condition due to the impact on the financial condition of our customers. To the extent the frequency or magnitude of significant weather events and natural disasters increases, the resulting increase in disruptions also could have adverse impacts on our business on both the supply and demand side and therefore adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Similarly, epidemic diseases or similar public health crises, illnesses or pandemics or the consequences thereof may increase our operating expenses and reduce the efficiency of our operations and may have further adverse impacts on U.S. and global economic conditions, including a renewed slowdown in the U.S. economy, which could decrease demand for our products and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 2/41 (5%)Above Sector Average
Trade Secrets1 | 2.4%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
The conduct of our business may infringe the intellectual property rights of others, which may cause us to incur unexpected costs and place restrictions on our operations.Cyber Security1 | 2.4%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
If we are unable to protect our information technology systems against service interruption, misappropriation of data, or breaches of security resulting from cyber security attacks or other events, or we encounter other unforeseen difficulties in the operation of our information technology systems, our operations could be disrupted, our business and reputation may suffer, and our internal controls could be adversely affected.Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 2/41 (5%)Above Sector Average
Competition1 | 2.4%
Competition - Risk 1
The propane distribution business is highly competitive, and competition may negatively affect our sales volumes and therefore our results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and liquidity.Demand1 | 2.4%
Demand - Risk 1
The propane distribution industry is a mature one, which may limit our growth.See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.
FAQ
What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
How do companies disclose their risk factors?
Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
What are all the risk factor categories?
TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
1. Financial & Corporate
- Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
- Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
- Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
2. Legal & Regulatory
- Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
- Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
- Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
- Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
3. Production
- Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
- Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
- Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
- Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
4. Technology & Innovation
- Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
- Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
- Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
- Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
5. Ability to Sell
- Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
- Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
- Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
- Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
6. Macro & Political
- Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
- Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
- International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
- Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.