ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Our business is subject to various risks and uncertainties. Any of the risks and uncertainties described below could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations and should be considered in evaluating us. Although the risks are organized by heading, and each risk is described separately, many of the risks are interrelated. While we believe we have identified and discussed below the material risks affecting our business, there may
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be additional risks and uncertainties that we do not presently know or that we do not currently believe to be material that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations in the future.
Business and Operating Risks
We may not be able to offset cost increases on inputs necessary for the production and distribution of our products, such as labor, raw materials, energy, fuel, and packaging materials.
A significant portion of our cost of goods comes from commodities such as raw potatoes, edible oil, grains, starches, and energy. These commodities are subject to price volatility and fluctuations in availability caused by many factors, including: changes in global supply and demand, governmental incentives and controls (including import/export restrictions, such as new or increased tariffs, sanctions, quotas or trade barriers including the tariffs announced by the U.S. in April 2025 on U.S. imports, and any retaliatory tariffs imposed by foreign governments on U.S. exports, as well as selective tariff exemptions), weather conditions (including any potential effects of climate change), fire, natural disasters (such as a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, wildfire or flooding), disease or pests, agricultural uncertainty, water stress, health epidemics or pandemics or other contagious outbreaks,as was the case with the COVID-19 pandemic, limited or sole sources of supply, inflation, political uncertainties, acts of terrorism, governmental instability, war or other conflicts (such as the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan), or currency exchange rates.
During fiscal 2025, we continued to experience elevated commodity and supply chain costs, including the costs of labor, raw materials (such as potatoes, edible oil, grain and starch), energy, fuel, packaging materials, and other inputs necessary for the production and distribution of our products, as well as transportation and logistics costs. Commodity price increases, or a sustained interruption or other constraints in the supply or availability of key commodities, including necessary services such as transportation and warehousing, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Our attempts to offset these cost pressures, such as through increases in the selling prices of some of our products, may not be successful or may not be sustainable. Higher product prices may result in reductions in sales volume, especially given the current highly competitive frozen potato product market and soft restaurant traffic and the volatility of the macroeconomic environment. To the extent that price increases are not sufficient to offset these increased costs adequately or in a timely manner, and/or if they result in significant decreases in sales volume, our business, financial condition, or results of operations may be adversely affected. Though we provide most of our customers with local/regional supply, products we manufacture at our one production facility in Canada and import to the U.S., as well as the 5% of our inputs, primarily edible oils and natural gas, that are sourced in Canada, are currently exempt from these tariffs as they are compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada trading agreement. Despite the current exemptions, the implementation of new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, China or other countries for an extended period and without specific exemptions for our products may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, any retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products by other countries, or other trade protection measures by foreign countries in favor of their local producers of competing products, such as governmental subsidies, tax benefits, and other measures giving local producers a competitive advantage over Lamb Weston, may adversely affect our business and results of operations in those countries.
We also may not be successful in mitigating the effects of these cost increases through productivity initiatives or through our commodity hedging activity. Our future success and earnings growth depend in part on our ability to maintain the appropriate cost structure and operate efficiently in the highly competitive value-added frozen potato product category. We continue to implement profit-enhancing initiatives to improve the efficiency of our supply chain and general and administrative functions. These initiatives are focused on cost-saving opportunities in procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and customer service, as well as general and administrative functions. However, gaining additional efficiencies may become more difficult over time. In addition, there is currently no active derivatives market for potatoes in the U.S. Although we have experience in hedging against commodity price increases, these practices and experience reduce, but do not eliminate, the risk of negative profit impacts from commodity price increases. As a result, the risk management procedures that we use may not always work as we intend. To the extent we are unable to offset present and future cost increases, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Disruption to our supply chain could adversely affect our business.
Our ability to manufacture or sell our products may be impaired by damage or disruption to our manufacturing, warehousing or distribution capabilities, or to the capabilities of our suppliers, logistics service providers, or independent distributors. This damage or disruption could result from execution issues, as well as factors that are difficult to predict or beyond our control such as increased temperatures due to climate change, water stress, extreme weather events, natural
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disasters, product or raw material scarcity, fire, terrorism, pandemics, armed hostilities (including the ongoing war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East), strikes, labor shortages, cybersecurity breaches, governmental restrictions or mandates, disruptions in logistics, supplier capacity constraints, or other events. Failure to take adequate steps to mitigate the likelihood or potential impact of such events, or to effectively manage such events if they occur, may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Further, the inability of any supplier, including, but not limited to, those that supply our packaging, ingredients, equipment and other necessary operating materials, co-manufacturer, independent contractor, logistics service provider, or independent distributor to deliver or perform for us in a timely or cost-effective manner could cause our operating costs to increase and our profit margins to decrease. We have experienced, and may continue to experience, disruptions in our supply chain, including as a result of temporary systems disruptions, labor shortages, increased transportation and warehousing costs, longer shipping times, pandemics or other public health crisis, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East. The occurrence of a significant supply chain disruption or the inability to access or deliver products that meet requisite quality and safety standards in a timely and efficient manner, could lead to increased warehouse and other storage costs or otherwise adversely affect our profitability and weaken our competitive position or harm our business.
Labor shortages or stoppages, an inability to attract and retain key personnel, increased turnover or increases in labor costs could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Labor is a primary component of operating our business. A number of factors may adversely affect the available labor force, or increase labor costs, for us or our third-party business partners, including hybrid or remote work arrangements, higher unemployment subsidies, other government regulations, and general macroeconomic factors. The labor market has been increasingly tight and competitive, and we may face sudden and unforeseen challenges in the availability of labor, such as we experienced in fiscal 2022 and 2023 at some of our production facilities, which reduced our production run-rates and increased our manufacturing costs, or as we and our suppliers experienced in 2022 with the shortage of drivers and reduced trucking capacity, which increased transportation costs. As we experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic, sustained labor shortages or increased turnover rates within our workforce, could lead to production or shipping delays, increased costs, such as increased overtime to meet demand and increased wage rates to attract and retain employees, and could negatively affect our ability to efficiently operate our production and distribution facilities and overall business. Further, our success depends on our ability to attract, retain, and develop effective leaders and personnel with professional and technical expertise, such as agricultural and food manufacturing experience or emerging technologies experience, as well as finance, marketing, and other senior management professionals. The loss of the services of these persons could deplete our institutional knowledge and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The market for these employees is competitive, and we could experience difficulty from time to time in hiring and retaining the personnel necessary to support our business. In addition, changes in immigration laws and policies or restrictions could make it more difficult for us to recruit or relocate skilled employees. Our ability to recruit and retain a highly skilled workforce could also be materially impacted if we fail to adequately respond to rapidly changing employee expectations regarding fair compensation, an inclusive workplace, flexible working, or other matters. If we are unable to hire and retain employees capable of performing at a high-level, develop adequate training and succession plans for leadership positions, or if mitigation measures we may take to respond to a decrease in labor availability, such as overtime and third-party outsourcing, have unintended negative effects, our business could be adversely affected.
In addition, health care and workers’ compensation costs have been increasing. Inflationary pressures and any shortages in the labor market could continue to increase labor costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Our labor costs include the cost of providing employee benefits in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions, including pension, health and welfare and severance benefits. We are in the process of terminating our pension plan for certain of our U.S. employees. The termination and settlement process preserves retirement benefits due to participants but changes the ultimate payor of such benefits. During fiscal 2026, we expect to complete the purchase of group annuity contracts that will transfer any remaining pension benefit obligation to an insurance company. The final pension settlement charges and the actual amount we will be required to contribute to the plan is dependent on various factors, including the value of plan assets, distributions paid to plan participants, and the cost to purchase annuity contracts to settle the pension obligation. Additionally, the annual costs of benefits vary with increased costs of health care and the outcome of collectively bargained wage and benefit agreements. A significant increase in our obligations could have a negative impact on our results of operations and cash flows from operations. In addition, our financial condition and ability to meet the needs of our customers could be materially and adversely affected if strikes or work stoppages or interruptions occur as a result of delayed negotiations with union-represented employees within or outside the U.S, or if we are unable to renew collectively bargained agreements on satisfactory terms as they expire. As discussed above, most of the union workers at our facilities are represented under contracts that expire at various times over the next several years. Of the hourly employees who are represented by these contracts, 65% are party to a collective
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bargaining agreement currently in negotiations or scheduled to expire over the course of the next twelve months. As the agreements expire and are renegotiated, there is no guarantee that they will be renewed in a timely manner or on satisfactory terms.
Our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected by the political and economic conditions of the countries in which we conduct business and other factors related to our international operations, including foreign currency risks and trade barriers.
We conduct a substantial and growing amount of business with customers located outside the U.S. During each of fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, net sales outside the U.S., primarily in Australia, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan, accounted for approximately 35%, 34%, and 23% of our net sales, respectively. Factors relating to our domestic and international sales and operations, many of which are outside of our control, have had, and could continue to have, a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, including:
•foreign exchange rates, foreign currency exchange and transfer restrictions, which may unpredictably and adversely impact our combined operating results, asset and liability balances, and cash flow in our Consolidated Financial Statements, even if their value has not changed in their original currency;
•our consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, and we must translate the assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses into U.S. dollars for external reporting purposes;
•changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. and foreign governments, including modification or termination of existing trade agreements or treaties, creation of new trade agreements or treaties, trade regulations, and increased or new tariffs, sanctions, quotas, import or export licensing requirements, and other trade barriers imposed by governments;
•changes in capital controls, including currency exchange controls, government currency policies or other limits on our ability to import raw materials or finished products into various countries or repatriate cash from outside the United States;
•negative economic developments in economies around the world and the instability of governments, including the actual or threat of wars, terrorist attacks, epidemics or civil unrest, including the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East;
•currency devaluations or fluctuations in currency values, including in developed and emerging markets, such as the highly inflationary environment in Argentina;
•earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, floods or other major disasters that may limit the supply of raw materials that are purchased abroad for use in our international operations or domestically;
•volatile commodity prices and increased costs of raw and packaging materials, labor, energy and transportation, disruptions in shipping or reduced availability of freight transportation and warehousing, such as the reduced availability of shipping containers that we encountered in fiscal 2022;
•pandemics and other public health crises, which may lead, and in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, led, to measures that decrease revenues, disrupt our supply chain or otherwise increase our storage, production or distribution costs and adversely affect our workforce, local suppliers, customers and consumers of our products;
•differing employment practices and labor standards in the international markets in which we operate;
•differing levels of protection of intellectual property across the international markets in which we operate;
•difficulties and costs associated with complying with U.S. laws and regulations applicable to entities with overseas operations, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act;
•the threat that our operations or property could be subject to nationalization and expropriation;
•varying regulatory, tax, judicial and administrative practices in the international markets in which we operate;
•difficulties associated with operating under a wide variety of complex foreign laws, treaties and regulations; and
•potentially burdensome taxation.
The nature and degree of the various risks we face can differ significantly among our regions and businesses. All these factors could result in increased costs or decreased revenues and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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Changes in our relationships with significant customers could adversely affect us.
We maintain a diverse customer base across our reporting segments. Customers include global, national and regional quick service and fast casual restaurants as well as small, independently operated restaurants, multinational, broadline foodservice distributors, regional foodservice distributors, and major food retailers. Some of these customers independently represent a meaningful portion of our sales. In addition, we depend on foodservice distributors to help us create end-customer demand, provide technical support and other value-added services to customers, fill customer orders, and stock our products. A material change in our relationship with one or more of these distributors or their failure to perform as expected could reduce our revenue. The foodservice distributors also sell products that compete with our products, and we sometimes need to reduce prices or provide rebates and other incentives to focus them on the sale of our products.
There can be no assurance that our customers will continue to purchase our products in the same quantities or on the same terms as in the past. The loss of a significant customer or a material reduction in sales to a significant customer could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, the financial condition of our significant customers, including restaurants, distributors and retailers, are affected by events that are largely beyond our control, such as the impacts of past and possible future pandemics or other contagious outbreaks, and political or military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine or conflicts in the Middle East. Deterioration in the financial condition of significant customers could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Changes in our relationships with our growers could adversely affect us.
We expend considerable resources to develop and maintain relationships with many potato growers. In some instances, we have entered into long-term agreements with growers; however, a portion of our potato needs are sourced on an annual contracted basis. To the extent we are unable to maintain positive relationships with our long-term growers, contracted growers deliver less supply than we expect, or we are unable to secure sufficient potatoes from uncontracted growers in a given year, we may not have sufficient potato supply to satisfy our business opportunities. To obtain sufficient potato supply, we may be required to purchase potatoes at prices substantially higher than expected, or forgo sales to some market segments, which would reduce our profitability. If we forgo sales to such market segments, we may lose customers and may not be able to regain or replace them later.
Disruption of our access to export mechanisms could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
To serve our customers globally, we rely primarily on our international operations, but also in part on exports from the U.S. During fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, export sales from the U.S. accounted for approximately 6%, 6% and 11%, respectively, of our total net sales. Circumstances beyond our control, such as retaliatory non-U.S. tariffs countermeasures, a labor dispute at a port, or workforce disruptions (such as disruptions that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic), could prevent us from exporting our products in sufficient quantities to meet customer opportunities. For example, during the latter half of fiscal 2022, limited shipping container availability along the U.S. West Coast and disruptions to ocean freight networks across the Pacific Ocean resulted in lower export volumes in our International segment. We have access to production outside of the U.S. through our facilities in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, but we may be unsuccessful in mitigating any future disruption to export mechanisms. If this occurs, we may be unable to adequately supply all our existing customers’ needs and new customer opportunities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our operations are dependent on a wide array of third parties.
The success of our end-to-end supply chain relies on the continued performance of a wide array of third parties. Suppliers, co-packers, third-party outsourcers, warehousing partners, and transportation providers are among our critical partners. Although we take steps to qualify and audit third parties with whom we do business, we cannot guarantee that all third parties will perform dependably or at all. It is possible that events beyond our control, such as operational failures, labor issues, heightened inflation, recession, financial and credit market disruptions, or other economic conditions, cybersecurity events, global geopolitical conflict, such as the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, pandemics or other health issues, such as was the case with the COVID-19 pandemic, or other issues could impact our third parties. If our third parties fail to deliver on their commitments, introduce unplanned risk to our operations (e.g., through cyber activity), or are unable to fulfill their obligations, we could experience manufacturing challenges, shipment delays, increased costs, or lost revenue, which could also impact our relationships with customers and our brand image.
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In addition to our own production facilities, we source a portion of our products under co-packing agreements. The success of our business depends, in part, on maintaining a strong sourcing and manufacturing platform. We believe that there are a limited number of competent, high-quality co-packers in the industry, and if we were required to obtain additional or alternative co-packing agreements or arrangements in the future, we can provide no assurance that we would be able to do so on satisfactory terms or in a timely manner. Our inability to enter into satisfactory co-packing agreements could limit our ability to implement our business plan or meet customer demand.
Damage to our reputation as a trusted partner to customers and good corporate citizen could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our customers rely on us and our co-manufacturers to manufacture safe, high quality food products. Product contamination or tampering, the failure to maintain high standards for product quality, safety, and integrity, or allegations of product quality issues, mislabeling or contamination, even if untrue, may damage the reputation of our customers, and ultimately our reputation as a trusted industry partner. Damage to either could reduce demand for our products or cause production and delivery disruptions.
Our reputation could also be adversely impacted by any of the following, or by adverse publicity (whether or not valid) relating thereto: the failure to maintain high ethical, social, and environmental standards for our operations and activities, including the health, safety, and security of our employees and our supply chain; our research and development efforts; our environmental impact, including use of agricultural materials, packaging, energy and water use, and waste management, and the failure to set certain goals, or to achieve any stated goals, with respect to such matters; our failure to comply with local laws and regulations; our failure to maintain an effective system of internal controls; or our failure to provide accurate and timely financial information. If we do not successfully manage ESG-related expectations across stakeholders, it could erode stakeholder trust, impact our reputation and adversely affect our business. Moreover, the growing use of social and digital media by consumers and other stakeholders has greatly increased the speed and extent that information or misinformation and opinions can be shared. Negative posts or comments about us, our brands, or our products on social or digital media could damage our reputation and our brands. Damage to our reputation or loss of customer confidence in our products for any of these or other reasons could result in decreased demand for our products and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, as well as require additional resources to rebuild our reputation.
We may not realize the anticipated cost savings and/or operating efficiencies associated with strategic initiatives, including our FY25 Restructuring Plan and recently announced Cost Savings Program.
Our future success and earnings growth depend in part on our ability to achieve the appropriate cost structure and operate efficiently in the highly competitive industry. We continuously review our operations in an effort to pursue initiatives to reduce costs, increase effectiveness, and optimize cash flow. These initiatives may focus on opportunities to improve the procurement, manufacturing, and logistics within our supply chain as well as general and administrative processes. We may not realize all the anticipated cost savings or other benefits from such initiatives. Other events and circumstances, such as financial or strategic difficulties, delays, or unexpected costs, may also adversely impact our ability to realize all the anticipated cost savings or other benefits, or cause us not to realize such cost savings or other benefits on the expected timetable. If we are unable to realize the anticipated benefits, our ability to fund other initiatives may be adversely affected. Finally, the complexity of the implementation may require a substantial amount of management and operational resources to achieve the anticipated benefits of the initiatives. These and related demands on our resources may divert the organization’s attention from other business issues, have adverse effects on existing business relationships with suppliers and customers, and impact employee morale. Any failure or delay in implementing these initiatives in accordance with our plans could adversely affect our business, operating efficiency, and financial results.
In October 2024, we began implementing a restructuring plan (the “FY25 Restructuring Plan”),which is designed to drive operational and cost efficiencies and improve cash flows, which actions were substantially completed by the end of fiscal 2025. See Note 4, Restructuring, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K for additional information on the plan. In addition, in July 2025, we announced a new cost savings program (the “Cost Savings Program”). If these initiatives do not achieve the expected financial impact in the aggregate or on the expected timeline, or if the benefits, even if achieved, are not adequate to meet our long-term growth and profitability expectations, our financial results and ability to meet our long-term growth expectations could be adversely impacted.
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If we are unable to execute on large capital projects or complete or realize the projected benefits of acquisitions, divestitures and other strategic transactions, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
To support growth, we have invested in our production capabilities either through capital expansion or acquisitions, and are currently investing in a new processing facility in Argentina. If we are unable to complete this or other large capital projects, or encounter unexpected delays, higher costs or other challenges, including those related to supply chain disruptions and availability of necessary labor, materials, and equipment, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
In addition, our ability to meet our objectives with respect to acquisitions and other strategic transactions may depend in part on our ability to identify suitable counterparties, negotiate favorable financial and other contractual terms, obtain all necessary regulatory approvals on the terms expected and complete those transactions. Potential risks also include:
•the inability to integrate acquired businesses into our existing operations in a timely and cost-efficient manner;
•diversion of management's attention from other business concerns;
•potential loss of key employees, suppliers and/or customers of acquired businesses;
•assumption of unknown risks and liabilities;
•the inability to achieve anticipated benefits, including revenues or other operating results;
•operating costs of acquired businesses may be greater than expected;
•difficulties integrating personnel and financial and other systems;
•inaccurate estimates of fair value made in the accounting for acquisitions and amortization of acquired intangible assets, which would reduce future reported earnings;
•indemnities and potential disputes with the sellers; and
•the inability to promptly implement an effective control environment.
If we are unable to complete or realize the projected benefits of recent or future acquisitions, divestitures or other strategic transactions, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be adversely impacted.
Industry Risks
Our business is affected by potato crop performance.
Our primary input is potatoes and every year, we must procure potatoes that meet the quality standards for processing into value-added products. Environmental and climate conditions, such as soil quality, moisture, and temperature, affect the yield and quality of the potato crop on a year-to-year basis. Severe weather conditions, including protracted periods of extreme heat or cold, during the planting and growing season in our potato crop regions have in the past significantly affected, and can significantly affect, potato crop performance and our operations. For example, because of the poor quality of the crop in the Pacific Northwest that was harvested in fall 2021 following the extreme heat in the summer of 2021, we encountered lower raw potato utilization rates in our production facilities, which increased our production costs. On the other hand, too much water, such as in times of prolonged heavy rainfalls or flooding, can promote harmful crop conditions like mildew growth and increase risks of diseases, as well as delay planting or affect our ability to harvest the potatoes. For example, wet conditions in Europe delayed planting in 2024. Potatoes are also susceptible to pests and diseases that can cause crop failure, decreased yields, and negatively affect the physical appearance of the potatoes. If a weather or pest-related event occurs in a particular crop year, and our agronomic programs are insufficient to mitigate the impacts thereof, we may have insufficient potatoes to meet our existing customers’ needs and new customer opportunities, or we may experience manufacturing inefficiencies and higher costs, and our competitiveness and profitability could decrease. Alternatively, overly favorable growing conditions can lead to high per acre yields and over-supply. An increased supply of potatoes could lead to overproduction of finished goods and associated increased storage costs or destruction of unused potatoes at a loss. For example, in fiscal 2025, we had an oversupply of potatoes, largely attributable to soft restaurant traffic trends in North America and other key international markets, which resulted in the write-off of excess raw potatoes that adversely affected our financial results.
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In addition, ideal growing conditions for the potatoes necessary for our value-added products (e.g., french fries) are concentrated in a few geographic regions globally. As a result, we source potatoes from specific regions of the U.S. and specific countries abroad, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, where we believe the optimal potato growing conditions exist. Unfavorable crop conditions in any one region have led at times, and could lead, to significant demand on the other regions for production. Our inability to mitigate any such conditions by leveraging our production capabilities in other regions could negatively impact our ability to meet existing customers’ needs and new customer opportunities and could decrease our profitability. See also “- Legal and Regulatory Risks - Climate change, or legal, regulatory, or market measures to address climate change, may negatively affect our business and operations,” in this Item 1A. Risk Factors below.
The sophistication and buying power of some of our customers could have a negative impact on profits.
Some of our customers are large and sophisticated, with buying power and negotiating strength. These customers may be more capable of resisting price increases and more likely to demand lower pricing, increased promotional programs, or specialty tailored products. In addition, some of these customers (e.g., larger distributors and supermarkets) have the scale to develop supply chains that permit them to operate with reduced inventories or to develop and market their own brands. Shelf space at food retailers is not guaranteed, and large retail customers may choose to stock their own retailer and other economy brands that compete with some of our products. This could be exacerbated with a shift in consumer spending as a result of an economic downturn and consumers moving to private label or lower priced products. If the initiatives we undertake to counteract these pressures, including efficiency programs and investments in innovation and quality, are unsuccessful and we are unable to counteract the negotiating strength of these customers, our profitability could decline.
Increased competition may result in reduced sales or profits.
Our business, value-added frozen potato products, is highly competitive. Competitors include large North American and European frozen potato product companies that compete globally, local and regional companies, and retailers and foodservice distributors with their own branded and private label products. Some of our competitors are larger and have substantial financial, sales and marketing, and other resources. We compete based on, among other things, customer service and support, value, product innovation, product quality, brand recognition and loyalty, price, and the ability to identify and satisfy customer preferences. A strong competitive response from one or more of our competitors to our marketplace efforts could result in us reducing pricing, increasing spend on promotional activity, or losing market share. Competitive pressures may restrict our ability to increase prices, including in response to commodity and other input cost increases or additional improvements in product quality. Our profits could decrease if a reduction in prices or increased costs are not counterbalanced with increased sales volume. For example, in fiscal 2025, we faced significant competition as global restaurant traffic continued to soften. As a result, we increased our investments in price and trade to compete in the increasingly competitive environment in both the North America and International segments, which decreased our profits.
An imbalance of industry supply and demand may result in reduced sales or profits.
Customer and consumer demand for our products may be impacted by weak economic conditions, recession, equity market volatility, or other negative economic factors in the U.S. or other countries. For example, the U.S. has experienced significantly heightened inflationary pressures since 2022. Historically, market demand for value-added frozen potato products has generally been balanced with industry capacity. However, in fiscal 2024 and continuing in fiscal 2025, we experienced declines in sales volume as a result of a slowdown in restaurant traffic in North America and other key international markets as our customers and consumers respond to the cumulative effect of inflation on the cost of food consumed away from home. In addition, if the restaurant traffic trends continue to soften, we may experience sales declines and may have to decrease prices, all of which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In fiscal 2025, we invested in price and trade support to compete in the increasingly competitive environment in both North America and other international markets, though there is no guarantee that such support will be sufficient. As additional industry capacity comes online, restaurant traffic declines, or market demand otherwise decreases, including as a result of inflation, we may face competitive pressures that would restrict our ability to increase or maintain prices, or we may lose market share. For example, during fiscal 2025, we have faced increased pricing pressure as additional industry capacity becomes operational, which capacity is also impacted by softening demand. Our profits would decrease as a result of a reduction in prices or sales volume.
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We must identify changing consumer preferences and consumption trends and develop and offer food products to our customers that help meet those preferences and trends.
Consumer preferences evolve over time and our success depends on our ability to identify the priorities, tastes and dietary habits of consumers and offer products that appeal to those preferences. We need to continue to respond to these changing consumer preferences and support our customers in their efforts to evolve to meet those preferences. For example, as consumers continue to focus on freshly prepared foods and away from processed foods, some restaurants may choose to limit the frying capabilities of their kitchens. As a result, we must evolve our product offering to provide alternatives that work in such a preparation environment. In addition, our products may contain carbohydrates, sodium, genetically modified ingredients, added sugars, saturated fats, and preservatives, the diet and health effects of which remain the subject of public scrutiny. For example, the increased use and/or prevalence of certain weight loss drugs, which may suppress a person’s appetite and/or impact a person’s preferences, may impact the demand or consumption patterns for certain of our products.In addition, consumers have increasingly been focused on well-being including reducing sodium and trans fats and added sugar consumption, as well as the source and authenticity of ingredients in the foods they consume.Efforts to reformulate our products, introduce new products and create product extensions require significant research and development and marketing investments. If our products fail to meet consumer preferences or customer requirements, or we fail to introduce new and improved products on a timely basis, then the return on those investments will be less than anticipated, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, we compete against branded products as well as private label products. Our products must provide higher value and/or quality to our customers and consumers than alternatives, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty. Consumers may not buy our products if relative differences in value and/or quality between our products and private label products change in favor of competitors’ products or if consumers perceive this type of change. If consumers prefer private label products, which are typically sold at lower prices, then we could lose market share or sales volumes or shift our product mix to lower margin offerings. During an economic downturn, some of the effects of which are present in our current environment, factors such as increased unemployment, decreases in disposable income, inflation, and declines in consumer confidence could cause a decrease in demand for our overall product offerings, particularly higher priced products, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Distributors, restaurants, and retailers may also become more conservative in response to these conditions and seek to reduce their inventories. A change in consumer preferences could also cause us to increase capital, marketing, and other expenditures, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Financial and Economic Risks
Our substantial debt may limit cash flow available to invest in the ongoing needs of our business and could prevent us from fulfilling our debt obligations.
We have incurred substantial indebtedness. As of May 25, 2025, we had approximately $4.1 billion of debt, including current portion, and short-term borrowings, recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. Our level of debt could have important consequences. For example, it could:
•make it more difficult for us to make payments on our debt;
•require us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to the payment of debt service, reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, and other general corporate purposes;
•increase our vulnerability to adverse economic or industry conditions;
•limit our ability to obtain additional financing in the future to enable us to react to changes in our business; or
•place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to businesses in our industry that have less debt.
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The agreements governing our debt contain various covenants that impose restrictions on us that may affect our ability to operate our business.
The credit agreements governing our term loans and revolving credit facilities and the indentures governing our senior notes contain covenants that, among other things, limit our ability to:
•borrow money or guarantee debt;
•create liens;
•pay dividends on or redeem or repurchase stock;
•make specified types of investments and acquisitions;
•enter into agreements that limit the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or other payments to us;
•enter into transactions with affiliates; and
•sell assets or merge with other companies.
These restrictions on our ability to operate our business could harm our business by, among other things, limiting our ability to take advantage of financing, merger and acquisition, or other corporate opportunities. Various risks, uncertainties, and events beyond our control could affect our ability to comply with these covenants. Failure to comply with any of the covenants in our existing or future financing agreements could result in a default under those agreements and under other agreements containing cross-default provisions. A default would permit lenders to accelerate the maturity of the debt under these agreements and to foreclose upon any collateral securing the debt. Under these circumstances, we might not have sufficient funds or other resources to satisfy all our obligations. Also, the limitations imposed by these financing agreements on our ability to incur additional debt and to take other actions might significantly impair our ability to obtain other financing.
In addition, the restrictive covenants in our credit agreements require us to maintain specified financial ratios and satisfy other financial condition tests. We cannot provide assurance that we will continue to be in compliance with these ratios and tests. Our ability to continue to meet those financial ratios and tests will depend on our ongoing financial and operating performance, which, in turn, will be subject to economic conditions and to financial, market, and competitive factors, many of which are beyond our control. A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default under one or more of our debt instruments, including as a result of cross default provisions and, in the case of our revolving credit facility, permit the lenders thereunder to cease making loans to us. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under our credit facilities, the lenders could elect to declare all amounts outstanding thereunder to be immediately due and payable and terminate all commitments to extend further credit. Such action by the lenders could cause cross-defaults under our senior notes indentures.
Any failure to meet required payments on our debt, or failure to comply with any covenants in the instruments governing our debt, could result in a downgrade to our credit ratings. A downgrade in our credit ratings could limit our access to capital and increase our borrowing costs.
We face risks related to financial and credit market disruptionsand other economic conditions.
Disruptions in financial and/or credit markets may impact our ability to manage normal commercial relationships with our customers, suppliers, and creditors and might cause us to not be able to continue to have access to preferred sources of liquidity when needed or on terms we find acceptable, and our borrowing costs could increase. An economic or credit crisis could occur and impair credit availability and our ability to raise capital when needed. In addition, disruptions in financial and/or credit markets could result in some of our customers experiencing a significant decline in profits and/or reduced liquidity. A significant adverse change in the financial and/or credit position of a customer could require us to assume greater credit risk relating to that customer and could limit our ability to collect receivables. A significant adverse change in the financial and/or credit position of a supplier or co-packer could result in an interruption of supply. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity. A disruption in the financial markets may also have a negative effect on our derivative counterparties and could impair our banking or other business partners, on whom we rely for access to capital and as counterparties to our derivative contracts. In addition, changes in tax or interest rates in the U.S. or other countries, whether due to recession, economic disruptions, or other reasons, may adversely impact us.
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Impairment in the carrying value of goodwill, other intangible assets, or long-lived assets could result in the incurrence of impairment charges and negatively impact our financial results and net worth.
As of May 25, 2025, we had goodwill of $1,090.2 million and other intangibles, net of $114.0 million. Additionally, we had $3,687.9 million of property, plant, and equipment, net, $113.2 million of operating right-of-use assets, and $354.6 million of other assets as of May 25, 2025. The net carrying value of goodwill represents the fair value of acquired businesses in excess of identifiable assets and liabilities as of the acquisition date (or subsequent impairment date, if applicable). The net carrying value of other intangibles represents the fair value of brands, trademarks, licensing agreements, customer relationships, and other acquired intangibles as of the acquisition date (or subsequent impairment date, if applicable), net of accumulated amortization.
We perform an annual impairment assessment for goodwill, other intangible assets, and long-lived assets. In addition, we perform a similar assessment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances which may indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable, measured by comparing their net book value to the undiscounted projected future cash flows generated by their use. Impairments to goodwill, other intangible assets, and long-lived assets may be caused by factors outside our control, such as increasing competitive pricing pressures, lower than expected revenue and profit growth rates, changes in industry earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) multiples, changes in discount rates based on changes in cost of capital (interest rates, etc.), or the bankruptcy of a significant customer, and could result in the incurrence of impairment charges and negatively impact our financial results and net worth.
Cybersecurity and Technology Risks
Problems with the transition, design, or implementation of our new ERP system have and could further interfere with our business and operations and adversely affect our financial condition.
At the beginning of our third quarter of fiscal 2024, we transitioned certain central systems and functions in North America to a new enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system. In fiscal 2025, we paused the next phase of our ERP implementation for our production facilities in North America.The ERP system implementation process required, and when we restart the next phase of the ERP implementation will require, the investment of significant personnel and financial resources and could be more costly than we anticipated. We have experienced, and may experience in the future, difficulties as we transition to new upgraded systems and business processes. For example, after the ERP transition in our fiscal third quarter 2024, we experienced temporary reduced visibility into finished goods inventories at our distribution centers, which affected our ability to fill customer orders. Although we partnered closely with our customers to minimize the impact of the disruptions and resolved the reduced visibility, within the quarter, our sales volume and margins nevertheless declined. In addition, some customers affected by these disruptions secured supply from alternative sources. Other difficulties may include loss of data; difficulty in completing financial reporting and filing reports with the SEC in a timely manner; or challenges in otherwise running our business. We may also experience decreases in productivity as our personnel implement and become familiar with new systems and processes. Any disruptions, delays, or deficiencies in the transition, design, and implementation of a new ERP system, particularly any disruptions, delays, or deficiencies that impact our operations, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We are significantly dependent on information technology, and we may be unable to protect our information systems against service interruption, misappropriation of data, or breaches of security.
We rely on information technology networks and systems, including the Internet, to process, transmit, and store electronic and financial information, to manage and support a variety of business processes and activities, and to comply with regulatory, legal, and tax requirements. We also depend upon our information technology infrastructure for digital marketing activities and for electronic communications among our locations, personnel, customers, third-party manufacturers and suppliers. The importance of such networks and systems has increased due to our adoption of flexible work-from-home policies for some of our functional support areas, which in turn has heightened our vulnerability to cyberattacks or other disruptions. Despite careful security and controls design, implementation and updating, monitoring and routine testing, independent third-party verification, and annual training of employees on information security and data protection, our information technology systems, some of which are dependent on services provided by third parties, may be vulnerable to, among other things, damage, invasions, disruptions, or shutdowns due to any number of causes such as catastrophic events, natural disasters, infectious disease outbreaks and other public health crises, fires, power outages, systems failures, telecommunications failures, security breaches, computer viruses, ransomware and malware, hackers, employee error or malfeasance, potential failures in the incorporation of artificial intelligence, employee or personnel failures and other causes. While we have experienced threats to our data and systems, to date, we are not aware that we
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have experienced a breach that had a material impact on our operations or business. However, third parties, including our partners and vendors, could also be a source of security risk to us, or cause disruptions to our normal operations, in the event of a breach of their own products, components, networks, security systems, and infrastructure. For example, in April 2023, Americold Realty Trust, Inc., a third-party finished goods storage provider, suffered a cyber incident that impacted its operations and resulted in considerable delays in the delivery of our products to our customers and interrupted other key business processes. While the incident impacted our business and we were unable to ship to certain customers for a short period of time, it did not have a material adverse impact on our business.
Cyber threats are constantly evolving, are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated and are being made by groups of individuals with a wide range of expertise and motives, which increases the difficulty of detecting and successfully defending against them. Continued geopolitical turmoil and geopolitical tensions, such as between the U.S. and China, have heightened the risk of cyberattacks. Sophisticated cybersecurity threats, including potential cyberattacks from China, Russia or other state actors targeted against the U.S., pose a potential risk to the security and viability of our information technology systems, as well as the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data stored on those systems, including cloud-based platforms. In addition, new technology, such as artificial intelligence, that could result in greater operational efficiency may further expose our computer systems to the risk of cyberattacks. Our initiatives to continue to modernize our operations, increase data digitization and improve our production facilities may increase potential exposure to cybersecurity risks and increase the complexity of our cybersecurity program. We anticipate that the risk of cybersecurity attacks will increase as artificial intelligence is increasingly used to identify vulnerabilities and conduct increasingly sophisticated attacks. If we do not allocate and effectively manage the resources necessary to build and sustain the proper technology infrastructure and associated automated and manual control processes, we could be subject to billing and collection errors, business disruptions, or damage resulting from security breaches. If any of our significant information technology systems suffer severe damage, disruption, or shutdown and our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, our product sales, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected, and we could experience delays in reporting our financial results. Any interruption of our information technology systems or those of our suppliers and customers could have operational, reputational, legal, and financial impacts that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, if we are unable to prevent security breaches, unauthorized disclosure of non-public information or lost or misappropriated confidential information, we may suffer financial and reputational damage, litigation or remediation costs, fines, or penalties because of the unauthorized disclosure of such information belonging to us or to our partners, customers, or suppliers. Misuse, leakage, or falsification of information could result in violations of data privacy laws and regulations (including federal, state and international), potentially significant fines and penalties, damage to our reputation and credibility, loss of strategic opportunities, and loss of ability to commercialize products developed through research and development efforts and, therefore, could have a negative impact on net sales. We could also be required to spend significant financial and other resources to remedy the damage caused by a security breach or to repair or replace networks and information systems. While we maintain a cyber insurance policy that provides coverage for security incidents, we cannot be certain that our coverage will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred, that insurance will continue to be available to us on financially reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim. There is no assurance that the measures we have taken to protect our information systems will prevent or limit the impact of a future cyber incident.
Legal and Regulatory Risks
We may be subject to product liability claims and product recalls or withdrawals, which could negatively impact our relationships with customers and harm our business.
We sell food products for human consumption, which involves risks such as product contamination or spoilage, product tampering, other adulteration of food products, mislabeling, and misbranding. We may voluntarily recall or withdraw products from the market in certain circumstances, which would cause us to incur associated costs; those costs could be meaningful. For example, in June 2024, we had a voluntary product withdrawal, which negatively impacted our financial results. We may also be subject to litigation, requests for indemnification from our customers, or liability if the consumption or inadequate preparation of any of our products causes injury, illness, or death. A significant product liability judgment or a widespread product recall or withdrawal may negatively impact our sales and profitability for a period of time depending on the costs of the recall or withdrawal, the destruction of product inventory, product availability, competitive reaction, customer reaction, and consumer attitudes. Even if a product liability or labeling claim is unsuccessful or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding any assertion that our products caused illness or injury could adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential customers and our corporate and brand image. Our
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business could also be adversely affected if consumers lose confidence in the food safety system generally, even if such loss of confidence is unrelated to products in our portfolio.
In addition, we could be the target of claims of false or deceptive advertising under U.S. federal and state laws as well as foreign laws, including consumer protection statutes of some states. The marketing of food products has come under increased regulatory scrutiny in recent years, and the food industry has been subject to an increasing number of proceedings and claims relating to alleged false or deceptive labeling and marketing under federal, state and foreign laws or regulations. Changes in legal or regulatory requirements (such as new food safety requirements, revised or new nutrition facts or allergen labeling, including front of pack labeling, serving size regulations and bans on certain food ingredients or packaging materials), or evolving interpretations of existing legal or regulatory requirements, may result in increased compliance costs, capital expenditures and other financial obligations that could adversely affect our business or financial results. If we are found to be out of compliance with applicable laws and regulations in these areas, we could be subject to civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, termination of necessary licenses or permits, or recalls or withdrawals, as well as potential criminal sanctions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Additionally, as a manufacturer and marketer of food products, we are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other national, state and local government agencies. The Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act, the Food Safety Modernization Act, other laws and their respective regulations govern, among other things, the manufacturing, composition and ingredients, packaging, and safety of food products. Some aspects of these laws use a strict liability standard for imposing sanctions on corporate behavior, meaning that no intent is required to be established. If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we may be subject to civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, recalls, withdrawals, or seizures, as well as criminal sanctions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Regulations imposed by the FDA or EFSA around acrylamide formation in potato products could adversely affect us.
The regulation of food products, both within the U.S. and internationally, continues to be a focus for governmental scrutiny. The presence and/or formation of acrylamide in potato products cooked at high temperatures has become a global regulatory issue as both the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority (‘‘EFSA’’) have issued guidance to the food processing industry to work to reduce conditions that favor the formation of this naturally occurring compound. Acrylamide formation is the result of heat processing reactions that give ‘‘browned foods’’ their desirable flavor. Acrylamide formation occurs in many food types in the human diet, including but not limited to breads, toast, cookies, coffee, crackers, potatoes, and olives. The regulatory approach to acrylamide has generally been to encourage the industry to achieve as low as reasonably achievable content levels through process control (e.g., temperature) and material testing (e.g., low sugar and low asparagine). However, limits for acrylamide exposure have been established in the State of California, and point of sale consumer warnings are required if products exceed those limits. In addition, the EFSA has promulgated regulations establishing specific mitigation measures, sampling, and analysis procedures and benchmark levels for acrylamide in certain food products. If the global regulatory approach to acrylamide becomes more stringent and additional legal limits are established, our manufacturing costs could increase. In addition, if consumer perception regarding the safety of our products is negatively impacted due to regulation, sales of our products could decrease.
If we fail to comply with the many laws and regulations applicable to our business, we may face lawsuits or incur significant fines and penalties.
Our facilities and products are subject to many laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the FDA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and other federal, state, local, and foreign governmental agencies relating to the processing, packaging, storage, distribution, advertising, labeling, quality, and safety of food products, and the health and safety of our employees. Our failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could subject us to additional costs, product detentions, substantial delays or a temporary shutdown in manufacturing, lawsuits, administrative penalties, and civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, and recalls or withdrawals of our products.
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Our operations are also subject to extensive and increasingly stringent regulations administered by foreign government agencies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and comparable state agencies, which pertain to the protection of human health and the environment, including, but not limited to, the discharge of materials into the environment, such as the land application of our processed water, and the handling and disposition of wastes. Failure to comply with these regulations can have serious consequences, including civil and administrative penalties and negative publicity, while compliance could require seasonal shutdowns in manufacturing and increase costs. Changes in applicable laws or regulations or evolving interpretations thereof may result in increased compliance costs, capital expenditures, and other financial obligations for us, which could affect our profitability or impede the production or distribution of our products, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Climate change, or legal, regulatory, or market measures to address climate change, may negatively affect our business and operations.
In the event that climate change has a negative effect on agricultural productivity, we may be subject to decreased availability or less favorable pricing for certain commodities that are necessary for our products, such as potatoes and edible oils. Adverse weather conditions and natural disasters may disrupt the productivity of our facilities or the operation of our supply chain and can reduce crop size and crop quality, which in turn could reduce our supplies of raw potatoes, lower recoveries of usable raw potatoes, increase the prices of our raw potatoes, increase our cost of transporting and storing raw potatoes, or disrupt our production schedules or efficiencies. In addition, water is an important part of potato processing. In times of water stress, we may be subject to decreased availability or less favorable pricing for water, which could impact our manufacturing and distribution operations. For example, during the summer of 2024, our Quincy, Washington production facility temporarily curtailed operations due to concerns of water and electricity availability, as extreme temperatures and dry weather taxed both power grids and water sources. Further, a decrease in the availability of water in certain regions caused by droughts or other factors could increase competition for land and resources in areas that have more favorable growing conditions, and thereby increase costs for such land and resources.
The increasing concern over climate change also may result in more regional, federal, and/or global legal and regulatory requirements to reduce or mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases, as well as more stringent regulation of water rights. In the event that such regulation is enacted and is more aggressive than the sustainability measures that we are currently undertaking to monitor our emissions, improve our energy efficiency, and reduce, reclaim, and reuse water, we may be subject to curtailment or reduced access to resources or experience significant increases in our costs of operation and delivery. In addition, increasing regulation of utility providers, fuel emissions, or fuel suppliers could substantially increase the distribution and supply chain costs of our products. Further, we may experience significant increases in our compliance costs, capital expenditures, and other financial obligations to adapt our business and operations to meet new regulations and standards. For example, in fiscal 2026, we expect our capital expenditures to include approximately $100 million for environmental projects, largely focused on wastewater treatment at our production facilities. Further, we expect to spend about $500 million in the aggregate over the next six years to comply with government environmental regulations and permit limitations.
Even if we make changes to align ourselves with such legal or regulatory requirements, we may still be subject to significant penalties or potential litigation if such laws and regulations are interpreted and applied in a manner inconsistent with our practices. Also, consumers and customers may place an increased priority on purchasing products that are sustainably grown and made, requiring us to incur increased costs for additional transparency, due diligence, and reporting. In addition, we might fail to effectively address increased attention from the media, stockholders, activists, and other stakeholders on climate change and related environmental sustainability matters. From time to time, we establish and publicly announce goals and commitments, including those related to reducing our impact on the environment. Our ability to achieve any stated goal, target or objective is subject to numerous factors and conditions, many of which are outside of our control, including evolving regulatory, tracking and reporting requirements, the pace of scientific and technological developments, and the availability of suppliers that can meet our standards. We may be required to expend significant resources to meet these goals and commitments, which could significantly increase our operational costs. Our selection of voluntary disclosure frameworks and standards, and the interpretation or application of those frameworks and standards, may change from time to time or differ from those of others. Methodologies for reporting this data may be updated and previously reported data may be adjusted to reflect improvement in availability and quality of third-party data, changing assumptions, changes in the nature and scope of our operations (including from acquisitions and divestitures), and other changes in circumstances, which could result in significant revisions to our current goals, reported progress in achieving such goals, or ability to achieve such goals in the future. There can be no assurance of the extent to which any of our goals or commitments will be achieved, or that any future investments we make in furtherance of achieving these goals will meet customer or investor expectations. Any delay or failure (perceived or actual) to achieve our goals with respect to reducing our impact on the environment or perception of a delay or failure to act responsibly with respect to the environment or to
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effectively respond to regulatory requirements concerning climate change can lead to adverse publicity, which could damage our reputation, as well as expose us to enforcement actions and litigation. See also “Industry Risks – Our business is affected by potato crop performance,” in this Item 1A. Risk Factors above.
Our intellectual property rights are valuable, and any inability to protect and/or enforce them could reduce the value of our products and brands.
We consider our intellectual property rights to be a significant and valuable aspect of our business. We attempt to protect our intellectual property rights through a combination of trademark, patent, copyright and trade secret protection, contractual agreements and policing of third-party misuses of our intellectual property. Our failure to timely obtain or adequately protect and/or enforce our intellectual property or any change in law that lessens or removes the current legal protections of our intellectual property may diminish our competitiveness and adversely affect our business and financial results. We also license certain intellectual property, most notably Grown in Idaho and Alexia, from third parties. To the extent that we are not able to contract with these third parties on favorable terms or maintain our relationships with these third parties, our rights to use certain intellectual property could be impacted.
Competing intellectual property claims that impact our brands or products may arise unexpectedly. Any litigation or disputes regarding intellectual property may be costly and time-consuming and may divert the attention of our management and key personnel from our business operations. We also may be subject to significant damages or injunctions against development, launch, and sale of certain products. Any of these occurrences may harm our business and financial results.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
Risk Management and Strategy
We assess, identify, and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats through our cybersecurity risk management program. This program includes cybersecurity policies, standards, and procedures, a cybersecurity incident response plan, regular risk assessments, including as part of our annual enterprise risk management (“ERM”) assessment, testing of the Company’s internal infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities, cybersecurity insurance, procedures for recovering from disruptions to our operations, workforce cybersecurity trainings, and third-party assessments and programs. We maintain a cybersecurity incident response plan to help enable timely, consistent responses to actual or attempted cybersecurity incidents impacting the Company. This plan provides guidance to address the overall coordination of our response to a cybersecurity crisis and plan for resources, actions, and decisions we may need to be prepared for; a communication plan for timely and accurate dissemination of evolving information to stakeholders during the crisis; and business continuity plans that document strategies and measures to enable core business activities to continue during a cybersecurity event. To support our cybersecurity incident response plan, we conduct exercises simulating cybersecurity incidents to educate and train our management on response capabilities and inform adjustments to our controls and response. We have engaged third-party cybersecurity firms to advise on these exercises. The status and ongoing enhancement of our cybersecurity risk management program is reported to senior management, as well as the Audit Committee of our Board, on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as warranted.
As part of our broader risk management and control framework, we have implemented cybersecurity controls over the information technology and process control systems of the Companyand of our third-party service providers, to support the oversight, identification, and remediation or mitigation of risks from cybersecurity threats. We engage third-party organizations to assess the controls around sensitive data, including but not limited to financial, employee, customer, and vendor data as well as data affecting our process controls and data used to operate our manufacturing facilities. As part of our cybersecurity risk management program, we conduct information security and data protection training for employees, including training on matters such as phishing, social engineering, cybersecurity awareness, and email security best practices. In addition, we work with third-party providers to undertake penetration testing and maturity assessments of the Company’s information security program based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology cybersecurity framework. With respect to third-party service providers, we perform information security assessments and due diligence reviews prior to entering into a contractual agreement. Further, after engagement, we periodically perform information security assessments of certain third-party service providers that we consider critical to our operations. In addition, in new or amended supplier contracts, we look to include provisions that require the suppliers to maintain an effective information
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security management program and to notify us in the event of a known or suspected cyber incident. For suppliers with required access to our data or systems, a cybersecurity risk assessment is performed to identify potential risk to Company systems or data. If risks are identified, we implement measures to mitigate or remediate the risk and, in cases where we cannot do so effectively, we will not grant access to our data or systems to the supplier. We also consult with external advisors and specialists, as necessary, regarding opportunities and enhancements to strengthen our cybersecurity practices and policies and implement enhancements to our cybersecurity capabilities based on evolving threats.
While we have experienced threats to our data and systems, to date, we are not aware of a cybersecurity incident being experienced by the Company that had, or is reasonably likely to have, a material impact on our business or operations; however, because of frequently changing attack techniques and the increased volume and sophistication of the attacks, there is the potential for the Company to be adversely impacted. This impact could result in reputational, competitive, operational, or other business harm as well as financial costs and regulatory action. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors–Technology Risks” of this Form 10-K for additional discussion of cybersecurity risks and potential related impacts on the Company.
Corporate Governance
Our Board has ultimate oversight of cybersecurity risk, which we manage as part of our ERM program. This program is utilized in making decisions with respect to company priorities, resource allocations, and oversight structures. The Board is assisted by the Audit Committee, which regularly reviews our cybersecurity program with management and reports to the Board on its activities on a quarterly basis or more frequently as warranted.
Our cybersecurity program is managed by our interim Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”), who reports to our Chief Information Officer (“CIO”). Our CISO is informed about and monitors prevention, detection, mitigation, and remediation efforts through regular communication and reporting from professionals in the Company’s information security team, many of whom hold cybersecurity certifications such as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional or Certified Information Security Manager, and through the use of technological tools and software and results from third-party audits. Our CISO has extensive experience assessing and managing cybersecurity programs and cybersecurity risk. Our CISO has served in this position since March 2025 and has over 20 years of experience in information security. His background includes technical experience, strategy and architecture focused roles, governance, risk, and compliance roles, secure application development and implementation roles, cyber and threat experience, and various leadership roles in several areas of information technology. Our CIO joined the Company in May 2025 with 35 years of experience in information technology roles, including implementing new information security teams on a global scale and overseeing information technology teams in multiple industries, including wholesale distribution, retail, manufacturing, finance, and information technology services, leading new global software development, and establishing global information security standards for his previous company.
Our CISO and CIO regularly update the Audit Committee on the Company's cybersecurity programs, policies, and practices as warranted, including review of the state of the Company's cybersecurity programs and risks, emerging cybersecurity developments, threats and vulnerability, and the Company's strategy and key cybersecurity initiatives designed to improve the Company’s risk posture. In addition, we have an escalation process in place to inform senior management and the Board of material cyber-related issues. The Audit Committee also reviews with our CIO, on an annual basis, our global information technology structure and strategic efforts to protect, optimize, and support the growth of the Company. The Chair of the Audit Committee reports to the full Board on its activities.
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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We are headquartered in Eagle, Idaho. The following table sets forth our principal production and processing facilities as of May 25, 2025:
Location Type of Facility and Number Owned/ Leased (Number of Facilities)
Domestic:
American Falls, ID Production Facility and Cold Storage Owned (1)
Delhi, LA Production Facility, Cold Storage, Farm Owned (1), Leased (2)
Hermiston, OR Production Facility Owned (1)
Park Rapids, MN (a) Production Facility and Cold Storage Owned (1)
Pasco, WA Production Facility (2) Owned (2)
Paterson, WA Production Facility, Farm (4) Owned (2), Leased (3)
Quincy, WA Production Facility Owned (1)
Richland, WA Production Facility, Innovation Center Owned (2)
Twin Falls, ID Production Facility Owned (1)
Warden, WA Production Facility Owned (1)
International:
Bergen-op-Zoom, The Netherlands Production Facility Owned (1)
Broekhuizenvorst, The Netherlands Production Facility Owned (1)
Buenos Aires, Argentina Production Facility Owned (1)
Hallam, Australia Production Facility and Cold Storage (2) Leased (2)
Hollabrunn, Austria (b) Production Facility Owned (1)
Kruiningen, The Netherlands Production Facility Owned (1)
Oosterbierum, The Netherlands Production Facility Owned (1)
Shangdu, China Production Facility Owned (1)
Taber, Canada Production Facility and Cold Storage Owned (1)
Ulanqab, China Production Facility and Cold Storage Owned (1)
Wisbech, The United Kingdom Production Facility Owned (1)
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(a)We own a 50% interest in this facility through our Lamb Weston RDO joint venture.
(b)LW EMEA owns a 75% interest in a joint venture in Austria that owns this facility. This joint venture’s financial results are consolidated in our financial statements.
We use our farms as a source of raw materials, to better understand the costs of growing potatoes, and to deploy agronomic research. Overall, our facilities vary in age and condition, and each of them has an active maintenance program to ensure a safe operating environment and to keep the facilities in good condition. We believe all our buildings are in satisfactory operating condition to conduct our business as intended. We also own and lease general office/support facilities in the regions in which we operate, including North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
On October 1, 2024, we announced our FY25 Restructuring Plan, which included the closure of one of our manufacturing facilities in Connell, Washington. For more information, see Note 4, Restructuring, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.
Our manufacturing assets are shared across all reportable segments. Therefore, we do not identify or allocate assets by reportable segment. For more information, see Note 13, Segments, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.
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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
For information regarding our legal proceedings, see Note 14, Commitments, Contingencies, Guarantees, and Legal Proceedings, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “LW.” At July 17, 2025, there were 9,362 holders of record of our common stock. The majority of holders of Lamb Weston common stock are “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares of record are held by banks, brokers, and other financial institutions.
Dividends
Our Board intends to continue to consider declaring and paying dividends on Lamb Weston common stock based on our financial condition and results of operations, as well as applicable covenants under our debt agreements. However, our Board has no obligation under Delaware law or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to declare or pay dividends, and dividends on Lamb Weston common stock are limited to legally available funds.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer
The following table presents information related to total shares purchased during the periods presented below:
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(a)Represents repurchased shares of our common stock under our publicly announced share repurchase program, which were repurchased at a weighted average price of $52.76 per share, and shares withheld from employees to cover income and payroll taxes on equity awards that vested during the period.
(b)On December 19, 2024, we announced that the Board increased our total share repurchase authorization under our existing $500 million share repurchase program (originally announced in 2018 and amended in 2021) by $250 million to an aggregate amount of $750 million. As of May 25, 2025, approximately $358 million remained authorized and available for repurchase under the program. The program has no expiration date. Repurchases under our share repurchase program may be made at our discretion from time to time on the open market, subject to applicable laws, including pursuant to a repurchase plan administered in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, or through privately negotiated transactions or accelerated share repurchases or other structured transactions.
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Performance Graph
The following graph and table compare the cumulative total return on our common stock with the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) 500 Index, the S&P 400 Packaged Foods Index, which we consider to be our peer group, and the S&P 500 Packaged Foods Index for the five years ended May 25, 2025 (the last trading day of our fiscal year). The graph and table assume that $100 was invested in our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P 400 Packaged Foods Index, and the S&P 500 Packaged Foods Index on May 29, 2020, and that all dividends were reinvested. The cumulative total return shown below are based on the last trading day in Lamb Weston’s fiscal year.
The above performance graph and other information furnished under this Part II, Item 5 of this Form 10-K shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C, or to the provisions of Section 18, of the Exchange Act.
ITEM 6. RESERVED
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following management’s discussion and analysis of our results of operations and financial condition, which we refer to in this filing as “MD&A,” should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes thereto. Discussions of fiscal 2023 items and fiscal year comparisons between fiscal 2024 and 2023 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 26, 2024, which we filed with the SEC on July 24, 2024. Results for the fiscal year ended May 25, 2025 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be attained in the future.
Our MD&A is based on financial data derived from the financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). We have also presented Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted Selling, General and Administrative expenses (“SG&A”), and Adjusted Equity Method Investment Earnings, each of which is considered a non-GAAP financial measure, to supplement the financial information included in this report. Refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for the definitions of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted SG&A, and Adjusted Equity Method Investment Earnings, and a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, net income, gross profit, SG&A, and equity method investment earnings, as applicable. For more information, refer to the “Results of Operations” and “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” sections below.
Overview
Lamb Weston is a leading global producer, distributor, and marketer of value-added frozen potato products. We are the number one supplier of value-added frozen potato products in North America and are a leading supplier of value-added frozen potato products internationally, with a strong and growing presence in high-growth emerging markets. We offer a broad product portfolio to a diverse channel and customer base in over 100 countries. French fries represent most of our value-added frozen potato product portfolio.
During fiscal 2025, we operated our business in two reportable segments: North America and International. We report net sales and adjusted EBITDA by segment and on a consolidated basis. Net sales and Segment Adjusted EBITDA are the primary measures reported to our chief operating decision maker for purposes of allocating resources to our segments and assessing their performance. For additional information on our reportable segments, see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below and Note 13, Segments, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Form 10-K.
Executive Summary
We ended the year with improved trends in customer wins and retention, leading to volume growth for the full year. Inflationary pressure persisted in fiscal 2025, which contributed to consumer uncertainty and lower overall restaurant traffic and frozen potato demand. To compete in this highly competitive environment, we supported our customers with price and trade investments. Halfway through the year, we made important changes to adapt to the evolving environment and put our business on a path back to growth. We announced our FY25 Restructuring Plan, which included the permanent closure of one of our manufacturing facilities, temporarily curtailing certain production lines across our manufacturing network in North America, and other operating and capital expense reductions. We continue to make important changes to adapt to the evolving environment. On July 23, 2025, we outlined “Focus to Win,” a new strategic plan to focus on four pillars including (1) prioritizing markets and channels, (2) strengthening customer partnerships, (3) achieving executional excellence and (4) setting the pace for industry-leading innovation. This strategic plan includes our Cost Savings Program which is expected to deliver at least $250 million of annualized run rate savings by the end of fiscal year 2028. Approximately $200 million of these annualized cost savings are expected by the end of fiscal year 2027. In addition, we expect to generate approximately $120 million of working capital improvements, compared to current levels, by the end of fiscal 2027. In connection with the Cost Savings Program, we expect to recognize total pre-tax cash charges of $70 million to $100 million, most of which will be paid in fiscal 2026.
A detailed review of our fiscal 2025 performance compared to fiscal 2024 is included in the “Results of Operations” and “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” sections below. For more information related to the FY25 Restructuring Plan, see Note 4, Restructuring, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements” of this Form 10-K.
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Outlook
In fiscal 2026, we expect continued pressure on consumers from macroeconomic and geopolitical factors and that global restaurant traffic will remain approximately even with fiscal 2025 levels. We believe customers and consumers will continue to prioritize french fries as a menu and at home item and that our customer win momentum that began in the second half of fiscal 2025 and the contribution of a 53rd week in fiscal 2026, with the additional week falling in the fourth quarter, will increase sales volumes, despite continued soft restaurant traffic. We expect earnings will decline as they are pressured by carryover price investments and new investments in fiscal 2026, overall input cost increases, net of the benefit of lower raw potato costs, incremental depreciation from the capacity expansions in the Netherlands and Argentina, and increased compensation and benefits as we normalize incentives, which will only be partially offset by benefits from the FY25 Restructuring Plan and Cost Savings Program. Our outlook does not include additional impacts of evolving trade policies, including additional changes in tariffs and retaliatory countermeasures.
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”). Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740, Income Taxes, requires the effects of changes in tax rates and laws to be recognized in the period in which the legislation is enacted. We expect the OBBBA to primarily provide cash tax timing benefits with no material impact to the effective tax rate. We are evaluating the OBBBA impact and will provide further information related to the estimated effect on our fiscal 2026 financials in our Form 10-Q for the quarter ending August 24, 2025.
Results of Operations
Fiscal Year Ended May 25, 2025 Compared to Fiscal Year Ended May 26, 2024
For the Fiscal Years Ended May
(in millions, except percentages) 2025 2024 %Increase (Decrease)
Segment net sales
Segment Adjusted EBITDA
Net Sales
Lamb Weston’s net sales declined $16.3 million to $6,451.3 million in fiscal 2025. Price/mix declined 2%, reflecting the impact of planned investments in price and trade support in a competitive environment to attract and retain customers globally. The decrease in price/mix was mostly offset by a 2% increase in volume, primarily in the International segment and included fully replacing the combined regional, small, and retail customer volume lost, primarily in North America, in the prior year during the Company’s transition to a new ERP system in the second half of fiscal 2024. Volume increased despite a decrease in global restaurant traffic in fiscal 2025, compared to fiscal 2024.
North America segment net sales declined $98.0 million, or 2%, to $4,265.2 million. Price/mix declined 3%, reflecting planned investments in price and trade driven by an increasingly competitive market, with moderate offsets in channel and product mix. Despite a low single-digit percentage point decline related to softer North America restaurant traffic in fiscal 2025, compared with fiscal 2024, volume increased 1%. Increased regional, small, and retail customer volume more than offset low single-digit volume declines with large chain customers, in North America, which were primarily in the first half of the year.
International segment net sales increased $81.7 million, or 4%, to $2,186.1 million. Volume increased 5%, which reflects growth related to new customer wins and growth with existing customers in all regions. Price/mix declined 1%, which reflects pricing actions in key international markets in response to the continued competitive environment.
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Gross Profit
Gross profit declined $368.1 million versus the prior fiscal year to $1,398.6 million. Adjusted Gross Profit declined $298.2 million versus the prior fiscal year to $1,460.5 million, driven primarily by increased manufacturing costs per pound, including higher factory burden absorption. In response to softer restaurant traffic and to reduce inventory levels, we temporarily curtailed production in fiscal 2025. In addition, key input costs increased low-single-digits, including: potato, labor, and packaging costs, as well as $57.6 million of incremental depreciation expense largely associated with the Company’s recent capacity expansions in China, the U.S. and the Netherlands. Transportation and warehousing costs increased in the low double-digits, primarily related to higher warehouse inventories. The increased costs were partially offset by lapping an estimated $88 million of pre-tax losses associated with the ERP transition in fiscal 2024; $85.1 million pre-tax charge for the write-off of excess raw potatoes; and an estimated $9 million incremental pre-tax loss related to the voluntary product withdrawal initiated in the fourth quarter of the prior year.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
SG&A declined $67.9 million versus the prior fiscal year to $633.5 million. Adjusted SG&A declined $30.3 million to $643.9 million, primarily related to lapping higher expenses associated with the ERP transition in the prior year, a $13.9 million decrease in advertising and promotion expenses, and the benefit of cost savings associated with the FY25 Restructuring Plan, partially offset by $14.6 million of incremental depreciation and amortization expense primarily related to our ERP transition in the prior year and higher compensation and benefit expenses.
Restructuring Expense
Restructuring expense was $100.0 million, which was related to the FY25 Restructuring Plan. For more information, see Note 4, Restructuring, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Form 10-K.
Net Income, Adjusted EBITDA and Segment Adjusted EBITDA
Net income was $357.2 million, down $368.3 million versus the prior fiscal year, and diluted EPS was $2.50, down $2.48 from the prior fiscal year.
Adjusted EBITDA declined $196.2 million from the prior fiscal year to $1,220.5 million, reflecting lower Adjusted Gross Profit partially offset by lower Adjusted SG&A.
North America Segment Adjusted EBITDA declined $161.7 million to $1,101.4 million, reflecting investments in price and trade, higher manufacturing costs per pound (which largely reflected higher factory burden absorption related to temporarily curtailed production as part of our effort to reduce inventory to current demand levels), and higher transportation and warehousing costs per pound. These cost increases were partially offset by lapping an approximately $83 million negative impact of the ERP transition in the prior year and lower Adjusted SG&A in fiscal 2025, including a $9.5 million decrease in advertising and promotion expenses.
International Segment Adjusted EBITDA declined $78.2 million to $253.7 million. Higher net sales and lower Adjusted SG&A were offset by an increase in manufacturing costs per pound, including mid-to-high single-digit increases in raw potato costs, primarily in the first half of the year and incremental costs related to the start-up of the new production line in the Netherlands. Higher warehouse inventories also led a mid-to-high single-digit increase in warehousing costs. These costs more than offset lapping a $9.9 million charge for the write-off of excess raw potatoes, approximately $9 million, net of allocated losses related to the voluntary product withdrawal, and an approximately $5 million negative impact related to the ERP transition in the prior year.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net in fiscal 2025 increased $44.2 million, or 33%, to $180.0 million. The increase in interest expense, net was driven by a decline of $23.6 million of capitalized interest in fiscal 2025, compared to the prior fiscal year, and higher borrowings during the year. The increase in our total debt reflected increased borrowing under a new term loan agreement. For more information, see Note 8, Debt and Financing Obligations, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Form 10-K.
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Income Taxes
Our effective tax rate for fiscal 2025 was 28.6%, versus 24.1% in fiscal 2024, with the increase largely attributable to foreign losses without tax benefits and a higher proportion of overall earnings in our International segment. Our effective tax rate varies from the U.S. statutory tax rate of 21% primarily due to the impact of U.S. state taxes, foreign taxes, permanent differences, and discrete items.
For further information on income taxes, see Note 3, Income Taxes, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” in this Form 10-K.
Equity Method Investment Earnings
Equity method investment earnings from unconsolidated joint ventures were $15.2 million and $26.0 million for fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively. The results for the current and prior fiscal years reflect earnings associated with the Company's 50 percent interest in Lamb Weston/RDO Frozen, an unconsolidated potato processing joint venture in Minnesota.
Adjusted Equity Method Investment Earnings was slightly down at $25.7 million compared to $26.0 million the prior fiscal year. The prior fiscal year included a $10.8 million charge for the write-off of excess raw potatoes. The decrease in equity method investment earnings reflects lower net sales and higher manufacturing costs per pound, primarily related to softer restaurant traffic contributing to lower production and increased factory burden absorption.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The primary source of our liquidity is from cash flow from operations. We generated $868.3 million of cash from operations in fiscal 2025. We use cash from operations to fund our capital expenditures, acquisitions, and debt service. A substantial portion of our operating cash flow has been returned to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.
We ended fiscal 2025 with $70.7 million of cash and cash equivalents and approximately $1.2 billion of availability under our revolving credit facility. We believe we have sufficient liquidity to meet our business requirements for at least the next 12 months and the foreseeable future thereafter.
Cash Flows
Below is a summary table of our cash flows, followed by a discussion of the sources and uses of cash through operating, investing, and financing activities:
For the Fiscal Years Ended May
(in millions, except percentages) 2025 2024
Net cash flows provided by (used for):
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 4.0 0.5
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (0.7) (233.4)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 71.4 304.8
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 70.7 71.4
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Operating Activities
During fiscal 2025, cash provided by operating activities increased $70.1 million to $868.3 million, compared to $798.2 million for fiscal 2024. The increase primarily related to $349.1 million of favorable changes in working capital, primarily attributable to reduced inventories and a favorable change in accrued liabilities related to changes in compensation and benefit accruals in the prior year. Inventory days on hand at the end of fiscal 2025 declined eight days compared with fiscal 2024. This was partially offset by a $279.0 million decrease in net income, adjusted for non-cash income and expenses. See “Results of Operations” in this MD&A for more information related to the decrease in income from operations.
Investing Activities
Investing activities used $648.0 million of cash in fiscal 2025, compared with $984.1 million in fiscal 2024. The decrease was primarily attributable to reduced cash expenditures in fiscal 2025 as our strategic capacity expansion projects in China and the U.S. were completed in fiscal 2024 and our capacity expansion in the Netherlands was completed in the first half of fiscal 2025. We expect our capacity expansion project in Argentina will begin production in August 2025.
We expect to use approximately $500 million for investing activities in fiscal 2026, primarily related to maintenance and facility modernization, as well as expenditures related to environmental projects largely focused on wastewater treatment at our production facilities.
Financing Activities
During fiscal 2025, we used $225.0 million of net cash for financing activities. We had net proceeds of $42.8 million from our revolving credit facility and other short-term credit facilities held by subsidiaries and $500 million of proceeds from our amended term loan facility that was used primarily to repay an existing term loan facility and outstanding borrowings under our revolving credit facility. We used $294.4 million to repurchase an aggregate of 4,867,449 shares at a weighted-average price of $57.94 per share and withheld 216,317 shares from employees to cover income and payroll taxes on equity awards that vested during the period. In addition, we paid $206.9 million in cash dividends to common stockholders.
During fiscal 2024, proceeds from short-term borrowings and debt issuances were $756.9 million, of which $164.9 million were short-term and $592.0 million related to upsizing our term loan borrowing capacity in connection with entering into a new term loan credit agreement in May 2024. We repaid $401.1 million of debt and financial obligations, which primarily included repayments towards the Term A-2 loan facility and Euro loan facility in connection with entering into new term loan and revolving credit agreements. We used $225.3 million of cash to repurchase 2,294,654 shares of our common stock at an average price of $91.51 per share, and we withheld 146,259 shares from employees to cover income and payroll taxes on equity awards that vested during the year. In addition, we paid $174.0 million in cash dividends to common stockholders.
For more information about our debt, including among other items, our revolving credit agreement, term loan facilities, interest rates, maturity dates, and covenants, see Note 8, Debt and Financing Obligations, of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K. At May 25, 2025, we were in compliance with all covenants contained in our credit agreements.
Obligations and Commitments
As part of our ongoing operations, we enter into arrangements that obligate us to make future payments under contracts such as debt agreements, lease agreements, potato supply agreements, and unconditional purchase obligations. The unconditional purchase obligations are enforceable and legally binding arrangements entered into in the normal course of business to ensure adequate levels of sourced product are available.
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A summary of our material cash requirements for our known contractual obligations as of May 25, 2025 are as follows:
(in millions) Total Payable within 12 Months
Interest on long-term debt (b) 876.9 184.4
Purchase obligations and capital commitments (a) 1,011.0 309.0
_____________________________________________________
(a)See the below Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K for more information.
•Short-term borrowings and long-term debt, including current portion. See Note 8, Debt and Financing Obligations, for more information on debt payments and the timing of expected future payments.
•Leases. See Note 9, Leases, for more information on our operating and finance lease obligations and timing of expected future payments. The total obligation amount for leases includes imputed interest.
•Purchase obligations and capital commitments. See Note 14, Commitments, Contingencies, Guarantees, and Legal Proceedings, for more information on our purchase obligations and the timing of future payments and capital commitments in connection with the expansion and replacement of existing facilities and equipment.
(b)Amounts represent estimated future interest payments assuming our long-term debt is held to maturity and using interest rates in effect as of May 25, 2025. This does not reflect a reduction for future estimated capitalized interest amounts.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as of May 25, 2025 that are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, or capital resources.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Critical accounting estimates are those that are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and operating results. These estimates require management’s most difficult, subjective, or complex judgments. In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically dictated by GAAP with no need for the application of our judgment. In certain circumstances, however, the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to use our judgment to make certain estimates and assumptions. These estimates affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the Consolidated Financial Statements and the reported amounts of net sales and expenses during the reporting period. We have identified the estimates described below as our critical accounting estimates. See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a detailed discussion of significant accounting policies. We review the development, selection, and disclosure of our critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board.
We have made appropriate accounting estimates based on the facts and circumstances available as of the reporting date. To the extent there are differences between these estimates and actual results, our Consolidated Financial Statements may be affected.
Sales Incentives and Trade Promotion Allowances
We promote our products with advertising, consumer incentives, and trade promotions. Sales promotions include, but are not limited to, discounts, coupons, rebates, and volume-based incentives. The estimates for sales incentives are based principally on historical sales and redemption rates, influenced by judgments about current market conditions such as competitive activity in specific product categories.
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Trade promotion programs include introductory marketing funds such as slotting fees, cooperative marketing programs, temporary price reductions, and other activities conducted by our customers to promote our products. The costs of these programs are recognized as a reduction to revenue with a corresponding accrued liability. The estimate of trade promotions is inherently difficult due to information limitations as the products move beyond distributors and through the supply chain to operators. Estimates made by management in accounting for these costs are based primarily on our historical experience with marketing programs, with consideration given to current circumstances and industry trends and include the following: quantity of customer sales, timing of promotional activities, current and past trade-promotion spending patterns, the interpretation of historical spending trends by customer and category, and forecasted costs for activities within the promotional programs.
The determination of sales incentive and trade promotion costs requires judgment and may change in the future as a result of changes in customer demand for our products and promotion participation, particularly for new programs related to the introduction of new products. Final determination of the total cost of promotion is dependent upon customers providing information about proof of performance and other information related to the promotional event. Because of the complexity of some of these trade promotions, the ultimate resolution may result in payments that are different from our estimates. As additional information becomes known, we may change our estimates. At May 25, 2025 and May 26, 2024, we had $88.2 million and $90.0 million, respectively, of accrued trade promotions payable recorded in “Accrued liabilities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Income Taxes
We compute the provision for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. We measure deferred tax assets and liabilities using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled.
Inherent in determining the annual tax rate are judgments regarding business plans, planning opportunities, and expectations about future outcomes. Management judgments are required for the following items:
•Management reviews deferred tax assets for realizability. Valuation allowances are established when management believes that it is more likely than not that some portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Changes in valuation allowances from period to period are included in the tax provision.
•We establish accruals for unrecognized tax benefits when, despite the belief that our tax return positions are fully supported, we believe that an uncertain tax position does not meet the recognition threshold of ASC 740, Income Taxes. These contingency accruals are adjusted in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the progress of tax audits, the expiration of the statute of limitations for the relevant taxing authority to examine a tax return, case law and emerging legislation. While it is difficult to predict the final outcome or timing of resolution for any particular matter, we believe that the accruals for unrecognized tax benefits at May 25, 2025, reflect the estimated outcome of known tax contingencies as of such date in accordance with accounting for uncertainty in income taxes under ASC 740.
•We recognize the tax impact of including certain foreign earnings in U.S. taxable income as a period cost. We have not recognized deferred income taxes for local country income and withholding taxes that could be incurred on distributions of certain non-U.S. earnings or for outside basis differences in our subsidiaries, because we plan to indefinitely reinvest such earnings and basis differences. Remittances of non-U.S. earnings are based on estimates and judgments of projected cash flow needs, as well as the working capital and investment requirements of our non-U.S. and U.S. operations. Material changes in our estimates of cash, working capital, and investment needs in various jurisdictions could require repatriation of indefinitely reinvested non-U.S. earnings, which could be subject to applicable non-U.S. income and withholding taxes. While we believe the judgments and estimates discussed above and made by management are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances, actual resolution of these matters may differ from recorded estimated amounts. Further information on income taxes is provided in Note 3, Income Taxes, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.
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New and Recently Issued Accounting Standards
For a listing of new and recently issued accounting standards, see Note 1, Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement the financial information included in this report, we have presented Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted SG&A, and Adjusted Equity Method Investment Earnings, each of which is considered a non-GAAP financial measure. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to assist in analyzing what management views as our core operating performance for purposes of business decision making. Management believes that presenting these non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with useful supplemental information because they (i) provide meaningful supplemental information regarding financial performance by excluding impacts of foreign currency exchange rates and unrealized mark-to-market derivative gains and losses and other items affecting comparability between periods, (ii) permit investors to view performance using the same tools that management uses to budget, make operating and strategic decisions, and evaluate our core operating performance across periods, and (iii) otherwise provide supplemental information that may be useful to investors in evaluating our financial results. In addition, we believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures, when considered together with their most directly comparable GAAP financial measure and the reconciliations to those GAAP financial measures, provides investors with additional tools to understand the factors and trends affecting our underlying business than could be obtained absent these disclosures.
The non-GAAP financial measures presented in this report should be viewed in addition to, and not as alternatives for, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP that are also presented in this report. These measures are not substitutes for their comparable GAAP financial measures, such as net income, gross profit, SG&A, equity method investment earnings, or other measures prescribed by GAAP, and there are limitations to using non-GAAP financial measures. For example, the non-GAAP financial measures presented in this report may differ from similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures presented by other companies, and other companies may not define these non-GAAP financial measures the same way we do.
The following table reconciles net income to Adjusted EBITDA:
For the Fiscal Years Ended May
Income from operations including equity method investment earnings 680.3 1,091.3
Depreciation and amortization (b) 378.2 306.2
Unrealized derivative gains (23.1) (24.9)
Foreign currency exchange losses 15.2 28.6
Blue chip swap transaction gains (21.1) (18.0)
Items impacting comparability:
Restructuring Plan and other expenses 185.8 —
Shareholder activism expense 5.2 —
Inventory step-up from acquisition — 20.7
Integration and acquisition-related items, net — 12.8
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(a)Net income included:
i.Restructuring plan expenses of $185.8 million ($143.7 million after-tax, or $1.01 per share) related to the FY25 Restructuring Plan announced on October 1, 2024, for fiscal 2025. Further information on the FY25 Restructuring Plan is provided in Note 4, Restructuring, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.
ii.Shareholder activism expense of $5.2 million ($4.0 million after-tax, or $0.03 per share). for fiscal 2025.
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iii.A $23.1 million unrealized gain ($17.2 million after-tax, or $0.12 per share) and a $24.9 million unrealized gain ($18.6 million after-tax, or $0.13 per share) related to mark-to-market adjustments associated with commodity and currency hedging contracts for fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively;
iv.Foreign currency exchange losses of $15.2 million ($10.9 million after-tax, or $0.07 per share) and $28.6 million ($21.4 million after-tax, or $0.14 per share) for fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively.
v.Blue chip swap transaction gains of $21.1 million ($20.0 million after-tax, or $0.14 per share) and $18.0 million ($13.4 million after-tax or $0.09 per share) for fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively;
vi.In fiscal 2024, we recorded a $12.8 million loss ($9.6 million after-tax, or $0.07 per share) related to actions taken to mitigate the effect of changes in currency rates on the purchase of the remaining equity interest in LW EMEA, net of other acquisition-related costs;
vii.In fiscal 2024, we recorded a $20.7 million ($15.4 million after-tax, or $0.11 per share) charge related to the step-up and sale of inventory following completion of the LW EMEA Acquisition; and
viii.In fiscal 2025, we recorded an estimated $31 million loss related to the voluntary product withdrawal that was initiated in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024. The total charge to reporting segments was approximately $19 million to the North America segment and approximately $12 million to the International segment. Fiscal year 2024 included an estimated $40 million loss ($30 million after-tax, or $0.20 per share) related to the voluntary product withdrawal. The total charge to the reporting segments was approximately $19 million to the North America segment and approximately $21 million to the International segment.
ix.In fiscal 2024, we estimate that we incurred approximately $95 million of losses ($72 million after-tax) related to the ERP transition in the fiscal third quarter, including approximately $83 million in the North America segment, approximately $5 million in the International segment, and $7 million of unallocated corporate costs.
x.In fiscal 2024, we recorded a $95.9 million charge ($72.9 million after-tax, or $0.50 per share) related to a write-off of excess raw potatoes. The total charge to the reporting segments was as follows: $86.0 million to the North America segment and $9.9 million to the International segment.
(b)Depreciation and amortization included interest expense, income tax expense, and depreciation and amortization from equity method investments of $8.2 million and $8.3 million for fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively.
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The following tables reconcile gross profit to Adjusted Gross Profit, SG&A to Adjusted SG&A, and Equity Method Investment Earnings to Adjusted Equity Method Investment Earnings:
(in millions) Gross Profit SG&A Equity Method Investment Earnings
Unrealized derivative gains and losses (13.4) 9.7 —
Foreign currency exchange losses — (15.2) —
Blue chip swap transaction gains — 21.1 —
Items impacting comparability:
Restructuring Plan and other expenses 75.3 — 10.5
Shareholder activism expense — (5.2) —
Unrealized derivative gains and losses (28.7) (3.8) —
Foreign currency exchange losses — (28.6) —
Blue chip swap transaction gains — 18.0 —
Items impacting comparability:
Inventory step-up from acquisition 20.7 — —
Integration and acquisition-related items, net — (12.8) —
Total adjustments (8.0) (27.2) —
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(a)See the footnotes in the reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA above for a discussion of the items impacting comparability.
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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Our operations are exposed to market risks from adverse changes in commodity prices affecting the cost of raw materials and energy, changes in currency rates, and interest rates. In the normal course of business, we may periodically enter into derivatives to minimize these risks, but not for trading purposes. All of the following potential changes are based on sensitivity analyses performed on our financial positions as of May 25, 2025 and May 26, 2024. Actual results may differ materially.
Commodity Price Risk
Certain commodities we use in the production and distribution of our products are exposed to market price risk. To manage that risk, we utilize derivative contracts, many of which qualify for the normal purchase and normal sales scope exception and are not recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We may use commodity swap or forward purchase contracts, in addition to sourcing from multiple providers, to manage risks associated with market fluctuations in oil and energy prices. Based on our open commodity contract hedge positions as of May 25, 2025, a hypothetical 10% decline in market prices applied to the fair value of the instruments would result in a charge to “Cost of sales” of $6.8 million ($5.1 million after-tax). Based on our open commodity hedge positions as of May 26, 2024, a hypothetical 10% decline in market prices applied to the fair value of the instruments would have resulted in a charge to “Cost of sales” of $9.2 million ($6.9 million after-tax). It should be noted that any change in the fair value of the contracts, real or hypothetical, likely would be substantially offset by an inverse change in the value of the underlying hedged item.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk
We are subject to currency exchange rate risk through investments and businesses owned and operated in foreign countries. Our operations in foreign countries export to, and compete with imports from, other regions. As such, currency movements can have a number of direct and indirect impacts on our financial statements. Direct impacts include the translation of international operations’ local currency financial statements into U.S. dollars and the remeasurement impact associated with non-functional currency financial assets and liabilities. Indirect impacts include the change in competitiveness of exports out of the United States (and the impact on local currency pricing of products that are traded internationally). The currency that has the most impact is the Euro. From time to time, we may economically hedge currency risk with foreign currency contracts, such as forward contracts. Based on monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies, we estimate that a hypothetical 10% adverse change in exchange rates versus the U.S. dollar would result in losses of $68.5 million ($52.1 million after-tax) and $63.3 million ($48.1 million after-tax) as of May 25, 2025 and May 26, 2024, respectively.
Interest Rate Risk
We issue fixed and floating rate debt in a proportion that management deems appropriate based on current and projected market conditions. Our exposure to market risk changes in interest rates relates primarily to the amount of interest expense we expect to pay with respect to our variable-rate debt, which is predominately tied to variable market rates including the Secured Overnight Financing Rate. At May 25, 2025, we had $2,976.6 million of fixed-rate and $1,166.4 million of variable-rate debt outstanding. At May 26, 2024, we had $2,495.0 million of fixed-rate and $1,341.7 million of variable-rate debt outstanding. A one percent increase in interest rates related to variable-rate debt would result in an annual increase in interest expense and a corresponding decrease in income before taxes of $11.8 million ($9.2 million after-tax) and $13.6 million($10.6 million after-tax) at May 25, 2025 and May 26, 2024, respectively.
For more information about our debt, see Note 8, Debt and Financing Obligations, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.
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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 47
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.:
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of May 25, 2025 and May 26, 2024, the related consolidated statements of earnings, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended May 25, 2025, and the related notes and consolidated financial statement schedule (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of May 25, 2025 and May 26, 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended May 25, 2025, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of May 25, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, and our report dated July 23, 2025 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Sufficiency of audit evidence over the finished goods inventory held at third-party warehouse locations
As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has recognized finished goods inventory of $755.7 million as of May 25, 2025, the majority of which is held at third-party warehouse locations. The tracking of the existence and completeness of finished goods inventory quantities held at third-party warehouse locations is reliant upon manual processes and automated processes within the Company’s enterprise resource planning system.
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We identified the evaluation of the sufficiency of audit evidence obtained related to the quantities of finished goods inventory held at third-party warehouse locations as a critical audit matter. Challenging auditor judgment was required to determine the nature and extent of procedures to be performed over the quantity of finished goods inventory held at third-party warehouse locations, including the determination of third-party warehouse locations at which to observe physical inventory counts and the need to involve information technology (IT) professionals with specialized skills and knowledge to assess the IT system involved.
The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We applied auditor judgment to determine the nature and extent of procedures to be performed over the quantities of finished goods inventory held at third-party warehouse locations by evaluating:
•homogeneity of the locations
•historical results of physical counts of inventory
•inventory quantities by location.
We evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of certain internal controls within the Company’s inventory process, including controls over finished goods inventory quantities held at third-party warehouse locations. We involved IT professionals with specialized skills and knowledge, who assisted in testing certain general IT and application controls related to the Company’s process of recording finished goods inventory quantities held at third-party warehouse locations. We tested the existence and completeness of finished goods inventory by observing a sample of physical inventory counts during the year. We also obtained external confirmation of inventory quantities held at certain third-party warehouse locations for a sample of locations. In addition, we evaluated the overall sufficiency of audit evidence obtained over finished goods inventory quantities held at third-party warehouse locations by assessing the results of procedures performed including the appropriateness of such evidence.
/s/ KPMG LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2016.
Seattle, Washington
July 23, 2025
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.:
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries' (the Company) internal control over financial reporting as of May 25, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of May 25, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of May 25, 2025 and May 26, 2024, the related consolidated statements of earnings, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended May 25, 2025, and the related notes and consolidated financial statement schedule (collectively, the consolidated financial statements), and our report dated July 23, 2025 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Seattle, Washington
July 23, 2025
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Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Earnings
(dollars in millions, except per share amounts)
For the Fiscal Years Ended May
Selling, general and administrative expenses 633.5 701.4 550.0
Restructuring expense 100.0 — —
Income before income taxes and equity method earnings 485.1 929.5 772.9
Earnings per share:
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
(dollars in millions)
For the Fiscal Years Ended May
Other comprehensive income (loss):
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(dollars in millions, except share data)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 70.7 $ 71.4
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 145.0 136.4
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt and financing obligations 77.8 56.4
Long-term liabilities:
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Additional distributed capital (479.1) (508.9)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 54.5 (12.9)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 7,392.6 $ 7,367.0
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
(dollars in millions, except share and per share data)
Dividends declared, $1.05 per share — — — — (151.6) — (151.6)
Stock-settled, stock-based compensation expense — — — 38.5 — — 38.5
Dividends declared, $1.28 per share — — — — (184.9) — (184.9)
Stock-settled, stock-based compensation expense — — — 46.8 — — 46.8
Dividends declared, $1.46 per share — — — — (206.9) — (206.9)
Stock-settled, stock-based compensation expense — — — 39.4 — — 39.4
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(dollars in millions)
For the Fiscal Years Ended May
Cash flows from operating activities
Stock-settled, stock-based compensation expense 39.5 46.8 38.5
Gain on acquisition of investments in joint ventures — — (425.8)
Deferred income taxes 0.6 (1.3) 0.4
Blue chip swap transaction gains (21.1) (18.0) —
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Income taxes payable/receivable, net (10.3) 20.1 (12.3)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 9.5 9.7 1.8
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 868.3 $ 798.2 $ 761.7
Cash flows from investing activities
Additions to property, plant and equipment (638.2) (929.5) (654.0)
Additions to other long-term assets (33.6) (62.3) (82.0)
Acquisition of interests in joint venture, net — — (610.4)
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired — (10.5) —
Proceeds from blue chip swap transactions, net of purchases 21.1 18.0 —
Net cash used for investing activities $ (648.0) $ (984.1) $ (1,340.9)
Cash flows from financing activities
Repayments of debt and financing obligations (276.6) (401.1) (32.6)
Net cash used in financing activities $ (225.0) $ (48.0) $ 340.8
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 4.0 0.5 18.2
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (0.7) (233.4) (220.2)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 71.4 304.8 525.0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 70.7 $ 71.4 $ 304.8
See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (“we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” or “Lamb Weston”) is a leading global producer, distributor, and marketer of value-added frozen potato products and is headquartered in Eagle, Idaho. We have two reportable segments: North America and International.
Basis of Presentation
These Consolidated Financial Statements present the financial results of Lamb Weston for the fiscal years ended May 25, 2025, May 26, 2024, and May 28, 2023 (“fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023”), and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States of America (“U.S.”). The fiscal year of Lamb Weston ends the last Sunday in May. The fiscal years for the Consolidated Financial Statements presented consist of 52- week periods.
The financial statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) that we consider necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements. Our Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Lamb Weston and all of our majority-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany investments, accounts, and transactions have been eliminated.
Certain amounts in the prior year period consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation. These reclassifications had no financial impact on previously reported net income, cash flows, or stockholders’ equity.
The equity method of accounting is applied for investments when the Company has significant influence over the investee’s operations, or when the investee is structured with separate capital accounts and our investment is considered more than minor. Our equity method investments are described in Note 6, Other Assets.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including but not limited to those related to the measurement of assets acquired and the liabilities assumed based on the fair value at the acquisition date, provisions for income taxes, estimates of sales incentives and trade promotion allowances. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. We adjust such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. Changes in these estimates will be reflected in the Consolidated Financial Statements in future periods.
Revenue from Contracts with Customers
Generally, we recognize revenue on a point-in-time basis when the customer takes title to the product and assumes the risks and rewards for the product. However, for customized products, which are products manufactured to customers’ unique specifications, we recognize revenue over time, utilizing an output method, which is generally as the products are produced. This is because once a customized product is manufactured pursuant to a purchase order, we have an enforceable right to payment for that product. Conversely, for non-customized products, revenue is generally recognized upon shipment. As a result, the timing of the receipt of a purchase order may create quarterly fluctuations.
The nature of our contracts varies based on the business, customer type, and region; however, in all instances it is our customary business practice to receive a valid order from the customer, in which each party’s rights and related payment terms are clearly identifiable. Our payment terms are consistent with industry standards and generally include early pay discounts. Amounts billed and due from customers are short-term in nature and are classified as receivables, since payments are unconditional and only the passage of time is required before payments are due. As of May 25, 2025 and May 26, 2024, we had $132.7 million and $104.3 million, respectively, of unbilled receivables for customized products for which we recognize revenue as performance obligations are met and record the amounts in “Receivables” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We generally do not offer financing to our customers. We also do not provide a general right of return. However, customers may seek to return defective or non-conforming products. Following a customer return, we
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may offer remedies, including cash refunds, credit towards future purchases, or product replacement. As a result, customers’ right of return and related refund or product liabilities are estimated and recorded as reductions in revenue.
We have contract terms that give rise to variable consideration including, but not limited to, discounts, coupons, rebates, and volume-based incentives. We estimate volume rebates based on the most likely amount method outlined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. We estimate early payment discounts and other customer trade incentives based principally on historical sales and coupon utilization and redemption rates, influenced by judgments about current market conditions such as competitive activity in specific product categories, which is consistent with the expected value method outlined in ASC 606. We have concluded that these methods result in the best estimate of the consideration we are entitled to from our customers. Because of the complexity of some of these trade promotions, however, the ultimate resolution may result in payments that are materially different from our estimates. As additional information becomes known, we may change our estimates. At May 25, 2025 and May 26, 2024, we had $88.2 million and $90.0 million, respectively, of sales incentives and trade promotions payable recorded in “Accrued liabilities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
We have elected to present all sales taxes on a net basis, account for shipping and handling activities as fulfillment activities, recognize the incremental costs of obtaining a contract as expense when incurred if the amortization period of the asset we would recognize is one year or less, and not record interest income or interest expense when the difference in timing of control or transfer and customer payment is one year or less.
Advertising and Promotion
Advertising and promotion expenses totaled $35.8 million, $49.7 million, and $34.4 million in fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, and are included in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings as the expenses are incurred.
Research and Development
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred and totaled $22.0 million, $26.4 million, and $17.2 million in fiscal 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, and are included in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.
Stock-Based Compensation
Compensation expense resulting from all stock-based compensation transactions is measured and recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements based on the grant date fair value of the equity instruments issued. Compensation expense is recognized over the period the employee or non-employee director provides service in exchange for the award. See Note 10, Stock-Based Compensation, for additional information.
Pension and Post-Retirement Benefits