J.M. Smucker (SJM)

Risks

• The COVID-19 pandemic and related ongoing implications could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
• Our proprietary brands, packaging designs, and manufacturing methods are essential to the value of our business, and the inability to protect our intellectual property could harm the value of our brands and adversely affect our sales and profitability.
• We use a single national broker to represent a portion of our branded products to the retail grocery trade and any failure by the broker to effectively represent us could adversely affect our business.
• Loss or interruption of supply from single-source suppliers of raw materials and finished goods could have a disruptive effect on our business and adversely affect our results of operations.
• Certain of our products are produced at single manufacturing sites.
• A significant interruption in the operation of any of our supply chain or distribution capabilities could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
• Our business could be harmed by strikes or work stoppages.
• The success of our business depends substantially on consumer perceptions of our brands.
• Our operations are subject to the general risks associated with acquisitions, divestitures, and restructurings.
• We may not realize the benefits we expect from our cost reduction and other cash management initiatives.
• Our operations are subject to the general risks of the food industry.
• Changes in our relationships with significant customers, including the loss of our largest customer, could adversely affect our results of operations.
• We operate in the competitive food industry and continued demand for our products may be affected by our failure to effectively compete or by changes in consumer preferences.
• We may be limited in our ability to pass cost increases on to our customers in the form of price increases or may realize a decrease in sales volume to the extent price increases are implemented.
• Our ability to competitively serve customers depends on the availability of reliable transportation. Increases in logistics and other transportation-related costs could adversely impact our results of operations.
• We must leverage our brand value to compete against private label products.
• Our results may be adversely impacted as a result of increased cost, limited availability, and/or insufficient quality of raw materials, including commodities and agricultural products.
• Our efforts to manage commodity, foreign currency exchange, and other price volatility through derivative instruments could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
• Weak financial performance, downgrades in our credit ratings, or disruptions in the financial markets may adversely affect our ability to access capital in the future.
• Our substantial debt obligations could restrict our operations and financial condition. Additionally, our ability to generate cash to make payments on our indebtedness depends on many factors beyond our control.
• A material impairment in the carrying value of acquired goodwill or other intangible assets could negatively affect our consolidated operating results and net worth.
• We work with our suppliers to extend our payment terms, which are then supplemented by a third-party administrator to assist in effectively managing our working capital. If the extension of payment terms is reversed or the financial institution terminates its participation in the program, our ability to maintain acceptable levels of working capital may be adversely affected.
• We could be subject to adverse publicity or claims from consumers.
• Changes in tax, environmental, or other regulations and laws, or their application, or failure to comply with existing licensing, trade, and other regulations and laws could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
• Our operations in certain developing markets expose us to regulatory risks.
• Risks associated with climate change and other environmental impacts or legal, regulatory, or market measures to address climate change may negatively affect our business and operations.
• We may be unable to grow market share of our products.
• If our information technology systems fail to perform adequately or we are unable to protect such information technology systems against data corruption, cyber-based attacks, or network security breaches, our operations could be disrupted, and we may suffer financial damage or loss because of lost or misappropriated information.
• The conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the related disruptions to the global economy could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.