Ingredion (INGR) Risk Factors

We have operated in foreign countries and with foreign currencies for many years, and our results are subject to foreign currency exchange fluctuations. We primarily sell products derived from world commodities. Historically, we have been able to adjust local prices relatively quickly to offset the effect of local currency depreciation versus the U.S. dollar, although we cannot guarantee our ability to do this in the future. The anticipated strength in the U.S. dollar may continue to involve risks, as it could take us an extended period of time to fully recapture the impact of a loss of foreign currency value versus the U.S. dollar. We may hedge transactions that are denominated in a currency other than the currency of the operating unit entering into the underlying transaction. Our hedging activities may not be fully successful in limiting the adverse impacts of our currency risks. Our operations are subject to political, economic and other risks. There has been and continues to be significant political instability in some countries in which we operate. Economic changes, terrorist activity and political unrest may result in business interruption or decreased demand for our products. Country capital controls, such as those in Pakistan and Argentina, may prevent the repatriation of dividends or payments due to us from our subsidiaries in the country. Protectionist trade measures and import and export licensing requirements could also adversely affect our results of operations.

The price and availability of corn and other raw materials are subject to volatility as a result of economic and industry conditions, including supply and demand factors such as supply chain disruptions, crop disease and severe weather conditions that include drought, floods, frost and ocean currents. These conditions are difficult to anticipate, are beyond our control and could adversely impact our profitability by affecting the prices we pay for raw materials.

We operate in a highly competitive environment. Competition in markets in which we compete is largely based on price, quality and product availability. Many of our products compete with virtually identical or similar products manufactured by other companies in the starch and sweetener industry. In the U.S., our competitors include divisions of larger enterprises that have greater financial resources than we do. Some of these competitors, unlike us, have vertically integrated their corn refining and other operations. Many of our products also compete with products made from raw materials other than corn, including cane and beet sugar. Fluctuation in prices of these competing products may affect prices of, and profits derived from, our products. In addition, government programs supporting sugar prices indirectly impact the price of corn sweeteners, especially high fructose corn syrup. Furthermore, co-products such as corn oil and gluten meal compete with products of the corn dry milling industry and with soybean oil, soybean meal and other products, the price of some of which may be affected by government programs such as tariffs or quotas.

Our finished products are made primarily from corn. Purchased corn and other raw material costs generally account for between 40 percent and 60 percent of our finished product costs. Some of our products are based upon specific varieties of corn that are produced in significantly smaller volumes than yellow dent corn. These specialty grains cost more due to their more limited availability and require planning cycles of up to three years to ensure we receive an adequate supply. We also manufacture certain starch-based products from potatoes. Our current potato starch requirements constitute a material portion of the total available North American supply. It is possible that, in the long term, continued growth in demand for potato starch-based ingredients and new product development could result in capacity constraints. Also, we utilize tapioca in the manufacturing of starch products primarily in Thailand, as well as pulses, gum, rice, stevia and other raw materials around the world. A significant supply disruption or sharp increase in prices of any of these raw materials that we are unable to recover through pricing increases to our customers could have an adverse impact on our growth and profitability, especially if such an event disproportionately affects us as compared to our competitors. Our business in the past has been adversely affected by fluctuations in our energy costs, which represented approximately 8 percent of our finished product costs in 2023; and could be negatively affected by such fluctuations in future periods. We use energy primarily to create steam required for our production processes and to dry products. We consume natural gas, electricity, coal, fuel oil, wood and other biomass sources to generate energy. Because we ship products worldwide, our business in the past and has been, and in future periods could be, adversely affected by fluctuations in freight and logistics costs, and disruptions in supply channels between parties and locations that include our suppliers, production and storage facilities, tolling and packaging partners, distributors and customers. Risks to our business include impacts from labor strikes or weather-related events that affect transportation by rail, air, shipping or ground. The market prices for our raw materials, supply chain freight and logistics, and energy may vary considerably depending on supply and demand, world economies, trade agreements and tariffs and other factors. We purchase these commodities and services based on our anticipated usage and future outlook for these costs. We may not be able to purchase these commodities and services at prices that we can adequately pass on to customers, which could have an adverse impact on our growth and profitability.

Producing starches and sweeteners through corn refining is a capital-intensive industry. We conduct preventive maintenance and de-bottlenecking programs at our manufacturing facilities designed to maintain and improve grind capacity and facility reliability. If we encounter operating difficulties at a facility for an extended period of time or start-up problems with any capital improvement projects, we may not be able to meet a portion of our sales order commitments and could incur significantly higher operating expenses, both of which could adversely affect our operating results. Furthermore, we use boilers to generate steam required in our production processes. An event that impaired the operation of a boiler for an extended period of time could have a significant adverse effect on the operations of any manufacturing facility in which such event occurred. In addition, we are subject to risks related to such matters as product safety and quality issues, product recalls, and customer claims, including product liability claims. The liabilities that could result from these risks may not always be covered by, or could exceed the limits of, our insurance coverage related to product liability and the other applicable forms of insurance that we carry. In addition, negative publicity caused by these types of risks may damage our reputation. The occurrence of any of the matters described above could adversely affect our revenues and operating results.

Our future profitability and growth depend on our ability to contain operating costs and per unit product costs and to maintain and implement effective cost control programs, while also maintaining competitive pricing and superior quality products, customer service and support. Our ability to maintain a competitive cost structure depends on continued containment of manufacturing, delivery and administrative costs, as well as the implementation of cost-effective purchasing programs for raw materials, energy and related manufacturing requirements. Our working capital requirements, including margin requirements on open positions on futures exchanges, are directly affected by the price of corn and other agricultural commodities, which may fluctuate significantly and change quickly. In North America, we sell a large portion of our finished products derived from corn at firm prices established in supply contracts typically lasting for a period of one year. To minimize the effect of volatility in the cost of corn related to these firm-priced supply contracts, we enter into corn futures and options contracts, or take other hedging positions in the corn and soy futures market. These derivative contracts typically mature within one year. At expiration, we settle the derivative contracts at a net amount equal to the change in the price of the commodity from the date we entered the derivative contract, with the intention of offsetting the change in commodity prices from the time we entered the firm-priced supply contracts. The fluctuations in the fair value of these hedging instruments may adversely affect our cash flow. We fund any unrealized losses or receive cash for any unrealized gains on futures contracts on a daily basis. While the corn and soy futures contracts or hedging positions are intended to minimize the effect of volatility of corn costs on operating profits, the hedging activity can result in losses, some of which may be material. In addition, our hedging activities may not be fully successful in limiting the effect of volatility in the cost of corn. If we are unable to contain our operating costs and maintain the productivity and reliability of our production facilities, our profitability and growth could be adversely affected.

Our operating results could be affected by changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies, laws and regulations, and other activities of the U.S. and foreign governments, agencies and similar organizations. These conditions include, among others, changes in a country's or region's economic or political conditions, modification or termination of trade agreements or treaties promoting free trade, creation of new trade agreements or treaties, trade regulations affecting production, pricing and marketing of products, local labor conditions and regulations, including regulations regarding child labor, reduced protection of intellectual property rights, changes in the regulatory or legal environment, restrictions on currency exchange activities, currency exchange rate fluctuations, burdensome taxes and tariffs, and other trade disputes or trade barriers. International risks and uncertainties, including changing social and economic conditions as well as terrorism, political hostilities and war, could limit our ability to transact business in these markets and could adversely affect our revenues and operating results. Furthermore, the national and global regulation or taxation of greenhouse gas emissions could negatively affect our business, operations and financial results. Our operations could be adversely affected by actions taken in connection with cross-border disputes by the governments of countries in which we conduct business.

We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and in foreign jurisdictions. Our effective tax rates could be adversely affected by changes in the mix of earnings by jurisdiction, changes in tax laws, tax rates changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities and material adjustments from tax audits. The recoverability of our deferred tax assets is dependent upon our ability to generate future taxable income. In addition, we are subject to ongoing audits in various jurisdictions and final determinations of prior-year tax liabilities are dependent upon many factors, including negotiations and dispute resolutions with tax or other governmental authorities. The outcome of these final determinations could have a material effect on our profitability and cash flows. On October 8, 2021, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") members approved a framework for reform of the international tax rule ("Inclusive Framework Statement"). The Inclusive Framework Statement sets forth key terms for a two-pillar solution designed to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the economy. Pillar One focuses on nexus and profit allocation and would apply to multinational enterprises with annual global revenue above 20 billion euros and profitability above 10 percent. Based on these thresholds, we would currently be outside the scope of Pillar One. The Pillar Two rules, which would apply to us, are designed to ensure certain multinational enterprises, with consolidated revenues of at least 750 million euros in at least two out of the last four years, pay a global minimum effective corporate tax rate of 15 percent in each jurisdiction in which they operate. On February 1, 2023, the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board indicated that it believes the minimum tax imposed under Pillar Two is an alternative minimum tax. Therefore, deferred tax assets and liabilities associated with the minimum tax will not be recognized or adjusted for the estimate future effects of the minimum tax but instead will be recognized in the period incurred. Pillar Two legislation has been enacted in certain jurisdictions in which we operate. The legislation will be effective for the financial year beginning January 1, 2024. We have performed an assessment of our potential exposure to Pillar Two income taxes. This assessment is based on the most recent tax information available regarding the financial performance of the constituent entities in our group. Based on the assessment performed, we do not expect Pillar Two, as currently enacted, to have a material impact on our effective tax rate. The OECD continues to release additional guidance on Pillar Two, and additional countries are expected to enact legislation. Although is is difficult at this stage to determine with precision the impact future Pillar Two proposals would have, their implementation could adversely impact our effective tax rate. During 2023, the Brazilian Government published Law 14.789, effective January 1, 2024, that eliminated the exclusion of certain tax incentives provided by federal, state, and municipal authorities from taxable income and modified the interest on net equity instrument. This law will adversely impact our provision for income taxes.

We are subject to risks associated with the long-term effects of climate change on the global economy and on our industry in particular. Extreme weather and natural disasters that occur around the globe, such as drought, wildfires, storms, changes in ocean currents and flooding, could make it more difficult and costly for us to manufacture and deliver our products to our customers, obtain raw materials from our suppliers, or perform other critical corporate functions. In particular, if such climate change impacts negatively affect agricultural productivity, we may be subject to decreased availability or less favorable pricing from certain commodities that are necessary for our products, such as corn, specialty grains, rice, stevia, peas and sugar. Adverse weather conditions and natural disasters could reduce crop size and crop quality, which could reduce our supplies of raw materials, lower recoveries of usable raw materials, increase the prices of our raw materials, increase our costs of storing and transporting raw materials, or disrupt production schedules. Our manufacturing operations also could be adversely affected by reduced water availability resulting from droughts. There is a growing societal concern that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may have an adverse effect on global temperatures, weather patterns and the frequency and severity of natural disasters. The increasing concern over climate change could result in new domestic or international legal requirements for us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts of our operations, improve our energy efficiency, or undertake sustainability measures that exceed those we currently pursue. Furthermore, such measures may result in the taxation of greenhouse gas emissions. Any such regulatory requirements could cause disruptions in the manufacture of our products and result in increased capital, procurement, manufacturing and distribution costs. Our reputation and brand could be harmed if we fail, or are seen as having failed, to respond responsibly and effectively to changes in legal and regulatory measures adopted to address climate change. In addition, changing customer preferences may result in increased demands regarding packaging materials and other components in our products and their environmental impact on sustainability. Moreover, customers may place increasing importance on purchasing products that are sustainably grown and made, requiring us to incur additional costs for increased due diligence and reporting. These demands may cause us to incur additional costs or make other changes to other operations to respond to such demands, which could adversely affect our financial results. We are or soon will be obligated to comply with new climate-related reporting requirements under SEC rules, California climate-related reporting statutes, laws of member states of the European Union implementing the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, and other laws and regulations. These sustainability reporting frameworks will require us to provide, at least annually, detailed public disclosures about the greenhouse gas emissions and other climate-related effects our activities produce, the climate-related operating and financial risks we face, and the strategies we pursue to reduce and adapt to the impacts of climate change. We expect to incur substantial costs to prepare these disclosures. If we fail to compile, assess and report the required operating and accounting information in a timely manner and in accordance with mandatory reporting standards, we could be exposed to fines and other sanctions and sustain harm to our reputation.

A significant portion of our growth depends on innovation in products, processes and services. Our R&D efforts may not result in new products and services at a rate or of a quality sufficient to gain market acceptance. Increasing capabilities from generative artificial intelligence may increase the ability of competitors or customers to identify or develop new solutions that could compete with or reduce demand for our products and services.

Our operations rely on certain key information technology systems, which are dependent on services provided by third parties and provide critical data connectivity, information and services for internal and external users. These interactions include, among others, ordering and managing materials from suppliers, risk management activities, converting raw materials to finished products, inventory management, shipping products to customers, processing transactions, summarizing and reporting results of operations, human resources benefits and payroll management, complying with regulatory, legal and tax requirements, and other processes necessary to manage our business. Increased information technology security and social engineering threats and more sophisticated computer crime, including advanced persistent threats, pose potential risks to the security of our information technology systems, networks and services, as well as the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our third-party and employee data. The frequency, sophistication and unpredictability of cybersecurity events globally have increased, and can be acute during times of geopolitical tension or instability between countries or when we make changes to our information technology systems or implement new ones. We have been subjected in the past, and may be subjected in the future, to incidents including phishing, e-mails purporting to come from vendors making payment requests, malware, and communications from look-alike corporate domains, as well as security-related risks resulting from our use of third-party software and services. The use of generative artificial intelligence is increasing the sophistication and effectiveness of these types of social engineering attacks. Future data security incidents could compromise or lead to the loss of material confidential, proprietary or otherwise protected information, seize, destroy or corrupt data, or otherwise disrupt our operations or affect our customers or other stakeholders. Insider or employee cyber and security threats are also a significant concern for all companies, including ours. Despite our substantial investment in physical and technological security measures, employee training and contractual precautions, our information technology networks and infrastructure (or those of our third-party vendors and other service providers) are potentially vulnerable to unauthorized access to data, loss of access to systems or breaches of confidential information due to criminal conduct, attacks by hackers, employee or insider malfeasance or human error. Although we have put in place security measures to protect ourselves against cyber-based attacks and disaster recovery plans for our critical systems that are designed to protect our data and customer data and to prevent data loss and other security incidents, these security measures cannot provide absolute security. In some cases, it is difficult to anticipate, detect or identify indicators of such incidents and assess the damage caused by the incidents. In addition, a failure to promptly disclose such material incidents as required by law may result in additional financial or regulatory consequences. If our information technology systems are breached, damaged, or cease to function properly due to any number of causes, such as catastrophic events, power outages, security incidents, or cyber-based attacks, and if our cyber security response plans and disaster recovery and our cyber incident response plans do not effectively mitigate the risks on a timely basis, we may encounter significant disruptions that could interrupt our ability to manage our operations, cause loss of valuable data, and damage our reputation. Any such incidents also could subject us to government investigations or private litigation. These factors may adversely impact our revenues, operating results and financial condition. We could also experience delays in reporting our financial results. The third-party data management providers and other vendors that we rely upon may have or develop security problems or security vulnerabilities which may also affect our systems or data. We cannot guarantee that a data security or privacy breach of their systems or other form of cyber-based attack will not occur in the future. In addition, we use external vendors to perform security assessments on a periodic basis to review and assess our information security. We utilize this information to audit ourselves, monitor the security of our technology infrastructure, and assess whether and how to prioritize the allocation of scarce resources to protect data and systems. However, we cannot ensure that these security assessments and audits will identify or appropriately categorize relevant and contemporary risks or result in the protection of our computer networks against security intrusions. Although we require our third-party vendors contractually to maintain a level of security that is acceptable to us and work closely with key vendors to address potential and actual security concerns and attacks, we cannot ensure that all confidential, proprietary, or personal information will be protected on their systems. Regardless of whether incidents result from an attack on us directly or on third-party vendors upon which we rely, the costs to address the foregoing security problems and security vulnerabilities before or after a cybersecurity incident could be significant. Remediation efforts may not be successful or timely and could result in interruptions, delays or cessation of service and loss of existing or potential customers that may impede our sales, manufacturing or other critical functions. Breaches of our security measures and the unapproved dissemination of proprietary information or sensitive or confidential data about us, our employees, our customers or other third parties could expose us, our employees, our customers or other affected third parties to a risk of loss or misuse of this information.