ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing in our Company involves risk. Investors should carefully consider the following risk factors and the other information contained within this report. The risks set forth below are those that management believes are most likely to have a material adverse effect on us. Investors are encouraged to read each risk factor as related and interconnected to the other risk factors set forth in this section. However, the risks set forth below are not a comprehensive description of the risks facing our Company. We may also be subject to other risks or uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial but may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in future periods. Investors should not interpret the disclosure of any risk factor to imply that the risk has not already materialized. If the following risks or uncertainties, individually or in combination, actually occur, they may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, results of operations or prospects. See also "Cautionary Statement Pursuant to Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995."
Risks Related to our Company and Operations
Deterioration of general economic, political, credit and/or capital market conditions, including those caused by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Middle East conflict or other geopolitical tensions, could adversely affect our financial performance, our ability to grow or sustain our business, financial condition and results of operations, and our ability to access the capital markets. We operate around the world and global economic and political conditions affect our business and the businesses of our customers, suppliers and consumers. Because our product sales rely on discretionary spending by consumers, recessions, economic downturns, price instability, inflation, tariffs, slowing economic growth, social and political instability, violent crime, war, terrorism and related matters in the markets where we compete could negatively affect our revenues and financial performance, and adversely impact our ability to grow or sustain our business. Geopolitical tensions and political conflicts could adversely impact our employees, financial performance and global operations, including by, among other things, jeopardizing the safety of our employees and facilities, disrupting our and our partners’ operations and causing market volatility, which could adversely impact consumer demand and our sales. For example, current macroeconomic and political instability caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Middle East conflict, global supply chain disruptions and inflation have adversely impacted and could continue to adversely impact our business and financial results.
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Specifically, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has adversely affected the global economy, and the geopolitical tensions and conflicts it has generated, and could continue to generate, negatively impact our business operations and financial results. It has resulted in heightened economic sanctions from the international community, including the U.S., the U.K. and the European Union. As a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in 2022 we suspended all exports of all our brands to Russia and subsequently terminated the license to produce any of our brands in Russia. Even though our sales in Russia have historically been limited, and we have no physical assets in Russia, the widespread impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, particularly in Eastern Europe, has had and could continue to have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, supply chain, intellectual property, partners, customers or employees. Nevertheless, further escalation of geopolitical tensions, including increased trade barriers or restrictions on global trade, could result in, among other things, broader impacts that expand into other markets, economic recessions, inflationary pressures, cyberattacks, energy supply availability shortages, supply chain and logistics cost increases or disruptions, lower consumer demand and volatility in foreign exchange rates, interest rates and financial markets, any of which may adversely affect our business and supply chain. In addition, the effects of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict could amplify or affect many of our other risks described elsewhere in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In addition, the capital and credit markets provide us with liquidity to operate and grow our business beyond the liquidity that operating cash flows provide, which can vary from period to period. A global or regional economic downturn or disruption of the credit markets could increase our future borrowing costs and impair our ability to access capital and credit markets for our operations or to execute our strategic plan. If our access to capital on terms commercially acceptable to us were to become significantly constrained, or if costs of capital increased significantly, then our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected. Further, continued disruption and declines in the global economy have impacted and could continue to impact our customers' liquidity and capital resources, which in turn could impact our ability to collect accounts receivable from them in a timely manner and may have a material adverse impact on our performance, cash flows and capital resources. Finally, political shifts within our core markets and other related geographies, can lead policymakers to alter laws and policies governing foreign trade and investment policies that could adversely affect our supply chain, business and results of operations, and consumers, as discussed further below.
The global beer industry and the broader alcohol industry are constantly evolving, and our position within these industries and the success of our products in our markets may fundamentally change. If we do not successfully transform along with the evolving industries, market dynamics and consumer preferences, our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected. The brewing industry has significantly evolved over the years becoming an increasingly consolidated global beer market. For many years, the industry operated primarily on local presence with modest international expansion achieved through export, license and partnership arrangements. In contrast, it has now become increasingly complex and competitive as the consolidation of brewers has resulted in fewer major market participants. As a result of the increased global consolidation of brewers and the dynamic of expanding new segments within the industry with new market entrants, including the non-alcohol market, the markets in which we operate, particularly the more mature markets, may evolve at a disadvantage to our current market position. Ongoing evolution in certain of our beer markets, together with emerging changes in consumer preferences, have resulted in a significant increase in market entrants, consumer choices and market competition, as well as increased government scrutiny. In addition, local governments may intervene, which may fundamentally accelerate transformational changes to such markets. For example, the beer markets in the U.S. and Canada have long consisted of a select number of significant market participants with government-regulated routes to market. In Canada, changes to interprovincial trade rules, regulations, distribution models and packaging requirements, such as government-owned retail outlets and industry standard returnable bottles, may be disadvantageous to us. As discussed further below, in the second half of 2024, the licensed sale of beer, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages in the Province of Ontario was expanded to all convenience stores and all eligible grocery and big-box grocery stores. This ongoing evolution of the Ontario beer market may have a significant impact on the financial results of our ownership in Brewers Retail, Inc.
Our Coors Light and Miller Lite brands in the Americas, and Carling, Staropramen, Coors, Madrí Excepcional, Ožujsko, and Bergenbier brands in EMEA&APAC represented a significant share of each respective segment's sales volumes in 2024, and several of our other brands represent a significant share of their respective market. Therefore, continued volatility in these markets could disproportionately impact the performance of these brands. Consequently, any material shift in consumer preferences away from these brands, or from the categories in which they compete, could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
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Furthermore, the broader alcohol industry is experiencing a shift in consumer drinking preferences and behaviors due to, among others, changing demographics and taste preferences (such as the expansion in above premium products, specifically flavored malt beverages, ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages, spirit-based beverages, cider, and other similar beverages, as well as a shift toward non-alcoholic beverages, health and wellness trends (including the use of glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) agonists, and other similar beverages) downturns in economic conditions or perceived value, as well as changes in consumers' perception of our brands and the brands of our competitors. If we are unsuccessful in evolving with, and navigating through, these changes to the markets in which we operate, there could be a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. If our competitors are able to respond more quickly to the evolving trends within beverage categories, or if our new products in these categories are not successful, our business and financial results may be adversely impacted.
Our success as an enterprise depends on our ability to successfully and timely premiumize our portfolio and innovate beyond beer, and any inability to deliver new products could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. As part of our Acceleration Plan, our future growth will depend, in part, on our ability to premiumize our portfolio and timely innovate and develop new products beyond traditional beer. In connection with our Acceleration Plan, we plan to continue to innovate, test and scale products. In addition, we also rely on certain arrangements with partner brands for innovation, development and growth in new products beyond beer. However, the launch and ongoing success of new products are inherently uncertain, especially with respect to consumer appeal. The launch of a new product can give rise to a variety of incremental or one-time costs and an unsuccessful launch or short-lived popularity of our product innovations could, among other things, affect consumer perception of our existing brands and our reputation as well as result in inventory write-offs and other costs. Our inability to attract consumers to our product innovations relative to our competitors’ products, especially over time, could have a material adverse effect on our growth, business and financial results.
Weak, or weakening of, economic, social or other conditions in the markets in which we do business, including cost inflation, tariffs and reductions in discretionary consumer spending, could adversely impact demand for our products or cause consumers to suffer financial hardship, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. Consumption of our products in some of our markets could be closely tied to general economic conditions. As a result, difficult macroeconomic conditions in our markets, such as further decreases in per capita income and level of disposable income driven by increases in inflation, impacts of tariffs, energy costs, income (and other) taxes and the cost of living, increased and prolonged unemployment or a further decline in consumer confidence, as well as limited or significantly reduced points of access of our product, political or economic instability or other country-specific factors, could continue to have a material adverse effect on the demand for our products.
For example, under difficult or deteriorating economic conditions, consumers may seek to reduce discretionary spending by forgoing purchases of our products by shifting away from our premium and above premium products to lower-priced products offered by us or our competitors, by shifting from on-premise to off-premise consumption, or by shifting purchase to other categories, such as legal cannabis, delta-9, other hemp derived products, or online gambling, each of which could negatively impact our net sales and financial results. A significant portion of our consolidated net sales are concentrated in the U.S., Canada and countries in Europe. Therefore, unfavorable macroeconomic conditions could negatively affect consumer demand for our products in these important markets, which could reduce our profitability, and consequently may negatively affect the results of operations in our Americas and EMEA&APAC segments.
Our operations are dependent on the global supply chain and face significant exposure to changes in commodity and other input prices, impacts of supply chain constraints and disruptions and inflationary pressures, including tariffs, which could adversely impact our operating results. We depend on the effectiveness of our supply chain management to assure reliable and sufficient supply of quality products. Our business has been, and may continue to be, impacted by supply chain constraints and disruptions, caused in part, by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the uncertain economic environment worldwide. These supply chain constraints could put significant inflationary pressures on commodity and other input prices. Supply chain disruptions may cause delays in shipments of our products and supplies. Failure to adequately produce and timely ship our products to customers could lead to lost potential revenue, failure to meet customer demand, strained relationships with customers including wholesalers, and diminished brand loyalty.
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We purchase and use a large volume of agricultural and other raw materials, which are purchased through supply contracts with third parties, to produce our products (including barley, malted barley, hops, corn and other various adjuncts), as well as water and packaging materials (including aluminum cans and bottles, glass and polyethylene terephthalate containers as well as cardboard and other paper products). In addition, we also purchase and use a significant amount of diesel fuel, natural gas, electricity and carbon dioxide in our operations.The supply and price of these raw materials and commodities can fluctuate due to conditions that are difficult to predict and are beyond our control, including global geopolitical conditions or events (including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, especially as to the impact on energy supply prices), global competition for resources, inflationary pressures related to domestic and global economic conditions or supply chain issues, currency fluctuations, alternative sources for suppliers, disease outbreaks or pandemics, trade agreements, governmental regulations (including tariffs), frosts, droughts and other weather conditions and events, agricultural productivity, crop and plant diseases, theft, industry surcharges and other practices.
Similarly, if the costs of goods continue to increase, our suppliers may seek price increases from us. If we are unable to mitigate the impact of these matters through price increases to our customers, cost savings initiatives, hedging arrangements, or other measures, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely impacted.
Changes in the social acceptability, perceptions and the political view of the beverage categories in which we operate, including alcohol, could adversely affect our business. In recent years, there has been an increase in public and political attention on health and well-being as they relate to alcoholic beverages and the other categories in which we operate due in part to public concern over alcohol-related social problems, including driving under the influence, underage drinking and exposure to alcohol advertisements, and health consequences from the use, harmful use and misuse of alcohol. Negative publicity regarding alcoholic beverages and changes in consumer perceptions in relation to beer or other alcoholic beverages could adversely affect the sale and consumption of our products, which could adversely affect our business and financial results. Additionally, the concerns around alcohol, as well as health and well-being, could result in unfavorable regulations or other legal requirements in certain markets in which we operate, such as advertising, selling and other restrictions, increased taxes associated with our sales, or the establishment of minimum unit pricing. Any such regulations or requirements could change consumer and customer purchasing patterns and may require us to incur significant compliance costs, which could negatively impact our business and financial results. In particular, advocates of prohibition and other severe restrictions on the marketing and sales of alcohol are becoming increasingly organized and coordinated on a global basis, seeking to impose laws or regulations or to bring legal actions against us to substantially curtail the consumption of alcohol, including beer, in developed and developing markets. Further, the alcohol industry may be criticized and experience an increase in the number of publications and studies, as well as lobbying efforts, arguing there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. To the extent such views gain traction in regulations of jurisdictions in which we do or plan to do business, they could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. For example, in February 2021, the European Union published its Europe Beating Cancer Plan. As part of the plan, the European Union has indicated it may issue a proposal for mandatory health warnings on alcohol beverage product labels. In January 2025, the United States' outgoing Surgeon General issued an advisory recommending an update to the Surgeon General's warning label in the United States for alcohol-containing beverages to include a cancer risk warning. In addition, Ireland passed a law requiring new health warning labels on alcohol beverage products that will come into effect from May 2026.
Cybersecurity incidents impacting our information systems, and violations of data privacy laws and regulations could disrupt our business operations and adversely impact our reputation and results of operations. Our information systems may be the target of cyberattacks or other security breaches, which, if successful, could, among other things, disrupt our operations, applications and services, cause the loss of key business, employee, customer or vendor information, cause us to breach our legal, regulatory or contractual obligations, prevent us from accessing or relying upon critical business records, cause reputational damage, or impact the costs or ability to obtain adequate insurance coverage. These incidents may result from human errors, equipment failure, or fraud or malice on the part of employees or third parties. The risk of cyber threats or cyberattacks increases as we rely more on digital partners, including supply-chain partners integrated into our business, who may also be the target of cyberattacks or other security breaches. If our information systems suffer severe disruption, damage, or shutdown we could experience delays and disruptions in our business, including brewery operations, production and shipments and delays in reporting our financial results, such as those we experienced with the March 2021 cybersecurity incident, which could adversely affect our cash flows, competitive position, reputation, financial condition or results of operations. A breach of our information systems could subject us to litigation, including class action or derivative lawsuits, regulatory fines, and penalties, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results or reputation. In recent years, we have experienced an increase in the number of attempted cyberattacks due, in part, to the large number of our employees and contractors that are working and accessing our technology infrastructure remotely because of shifts in working arrangements. Furthermore, continued geopolitical turmoil, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, has heightened the risk of cyberattacks. As discussed further below, the rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies may intensify our cybersecurity risks.
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We expend significant financial resources to attempt to vigorously monitor and mitigate against cyber threats and cyberattacks. We may be required to incur further costs to alleviate problems and remedy damage caused by physical, electronic and cybersecurity breaches and to address possible increased information system attacks as a result of the incident, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. Additionally, these events may not be insured against or may not be fully covered by any insurance maintained by us and there is no assurance that the limitations of liability in any of our contracts would be enforceable or adequate to protect us from liabilities or damages as a result of a cybersecurity incident. As techniques used to breach security are growing in frequency and sophistication and are generally not recognized until launched against a target, we may not be able to implement security measures in a timely manner or, if and when implemented, these measures could be circumvented regardless of our expenditures and protection efforts. 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, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Misuse, leakage or falsification of information could result in a violation of data privacy laws and regulations, including but not limited to, the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, California Privacy Rights Act, the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, the Colorado Privacy Act and other similar comprehensive data privacy laws, may damage our reputation and credibility or expose us to increased risk of lawsuits, loss of existing or potential future customers and/or increases in our security costs and compliance burden, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. Other jurisdictions in which we operate have enacted or are proposing similar laws and regulations related to data privacy. These laws and regulations are evolving and subject to interpretation. In addition, we may suffer financial and reputational damage because of lost or misappropriated information relating to identifiable individuals and may become subject to legal action and increased regulatory oversight or consumers may avoid our brands due to negative publicity. In the event of a breach resulting in loss of data, such as personally identifiable information or other such data protected by data privacy or other laws, even if encrypted, we may be liable for damages, fines and penalties for such losses under applicable regulatory frameworks despite not handling the data. Further, the regulatory framework around data custody, data privacy and breaches may be inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and is an evolving area of law. We may not be able to limit our liability or damages in the event of such a loss.
Furthermore, the cybersecurity and data privacy regulatory environment, including, but not limited to, the SEC's cybersecurity rules, is increasingly challenging, and may present material obligations and risks to our business, including significantly expanded compliance burdens, costs and enforcement risks.
Because of our reliance on third-party service providers and internal and outsourced systems for our information technology and certain other administrative functions, we could experience a disruption to our business. We rely extensively on information services providers worldwide for our information technology functions including network, help desk, hardware and software configuration. Additionally, we rely on internal networks and information systems and other technology, including the internet and third-party hosted services, to support a variety of business processes and activities, including brewing operations, procurement and supply chain, manufacturing, distribution, invoicing and collection of payments. We use information systems and global business service providers for certain human resource activities and to process our employee benefits, as well as to process financial information for internal and external reporting purposes and to comply with various reporting, legal and tax requirements. As information systems are critical to many of our operating activities, our business may be impacted by system shutdowns, service disruptions, obsolescence, or security threats or breaches. Furthermore, the importance of such information technology systems and networks has increased due to many of our employees working remotely as a result of our changing workplace dynamics. Additionally, if any of our significant service providers were to fail and we were unable to find a suitable replacement in a timely manner, we could be unable to properly administer our outsourced functions, which could disrupt our business and adversely affect our financial results.
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The success of our business relies heavily on brand image, reputation, product quality and protection of intellectual property. It is important that we maintain and enhance the image and reputation of our existing brands and products, including our corporate purpose, mission and values. Concerns about product quality, even when unsubstantiated, could be harmful to our image and the reputation of our brands and products. While we have quality control programs in place, in the event we or our third-party manufacturers experience an issue with product quality or if any of our products become unsafe or unfit for consumption, are misbranded or cause injury, we may experience recalls or liability in addition to business disruption which could further negatively impact our brand image and reputation, negatively affect our sales and cause us to incur additional costs. A widespread product recall, multiple product recalls or a significant product liability judgment could cause our products to be unavailable for a period of time, which could further reduce consumer demand and brand equity. We also could be exposed to lawsuits relating to product liability, labelling, marketing or sales practices or intellectual property infringement. Our brand image and reputation may also be difficult to protect due to less oversight and control as a result of outsourcing some of our operations internationally or entering new or different product lines. If we are unable to address and uphold our plans with respect to our sustainability initiatives or actions by and attitudes of regulators and the public health community, our image and brand equity may deteriorate, which may be difficult to combat or reverse and could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
In addition, because our brands carry family names and we may partner with celebrities or other famous sponsors, personal activities by certain members of the Molson or Coors families, our promotional partners or business partners that harm their public image or reputation could also have an adverse effect on our brands or our reputation. Our brand image, reputation and financial results may be negatively impacted by our ability to navigate social media campaigns and trends in pursuit of various dynamic issues facing society on regional and global levels across the markets in which we operate.
Further, our success is dependent on our ability to protect our intellectual property rights, including trademarks, patents, domain names, trade secrets and know-how.We cannot be certain that the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property rights will be sufficient or that third parties will not infringe upon or misappropriate these rights or that other parties may claim that our brands infringe on their intellectual property rights. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, it could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Due to a high concentration of workers represented by unions or works councils, we could be significantly affected by labor strikes, work stoppages or other employee-related issues. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 28% and 24% of our Americas and EMEA&APAC workforces, respectively, are represented by labor unions or councils. Stringent labor laws in certain of our key markets expose us to a greater risk of loss should we experience labor disruptions in those markets. From time to time, our collective bargaining agreements come due for renegotiation, and, if we are unable to timely complete negotiations, affected employees may strike, which could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results. Furthermore, there may be additional work stoppages, unionization efforts or other employee-related issues, either prior to or following the expiration of these agreements, each of which could significantly affect our business and financial results. A prolonged labor strike, work stoppage, unionization efforts or other employee-related issues could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. For example, in the first few months of 2021, we experienced a labor disruption with our Toronto brewery unionized employees resulting from on going negotiations of the collective bargaining agreement which resulted in slower than expected production at the Toronto brewery in the first few months of 2021. In addition, at the end of March through mid-June 2022, the unionized employees in our Montreal/Longueuil, Québec brewery and distribution centers went on strike, which significantly adversely affected our business, operations and financial results during the second and third quarters of 2022. Furthermore, in February 2024, the unionized employees at our Fort Worth, Texas brewery went on strike, which adversely affected our business, operations and financial results during the second quarter of 2024.
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We depend on key personnel, the loss of whom could harm our business, and labor shortages, employee turnover and wage increases could significantly impact our operations. The loss of the services and expertise of any key employee, or multiple members of senior management at the same time, could harm our business. Our future success depends on our ability to identify, attract and retain qualified personnel on a timely basis. If we were to experience turnover of any key employee or multiple members of senior management at the same time, or if a member or members of our senior management were to become ill or incapacitated, our stock price, our results of operations, our commercial and supply chain operations and our vendor or customer relationships could each be adversely impacted and such events may make recruiting for future management positions more difficult. The labor market for many of our employees is very competitive, and wages and compensation costs continue to increase. Our ability to attract and retain key talent has been, and may continue to be, impacted by challenges in the labor market, which has recently been experiencing wage inflation, labor shortages, and a continued shift toward remote work. In addition, labor costs are rising and our industry is experiencing a shortage of qualified workers. If we face labor shortages and/or increased labor costs as a result of increased competition for employees, higher employee turnover rates, or increases in employee benefits costs, our operating expenses could increase, which could negatively impact our growth and results of operations. Labor shortages, higher employee turnover rates and labor union organizing efforts could also lead to disruptions in our business, as discussed above. In addition, we must successfully integrate any new management personnel that we hire within our organization, or who join our organization as a result of an acquisition, in order to achieve our operating objectives, and changes in other key management positions may temporarily affect our financial performance and results of operations as new management becomes familiar with our business.
Poor investment performance of pension plan holdings and other factors impacting pension plan costs and contributions could unfavorably affect our business, liquidity and our financial results. Our costs of providing defined benefit pension plans are dependent upon a number of factors, such as the rates of return on the plans' assets, discount rates, the level of interest rates used to measure the required minimum funding levels of the plans, exchange rate fluctuations, government regulation, court rulings or other changes in legal requirements, global equity prices, and our required and/or voluntary contributions to the plans. Although we comply with the minimum funding requirements, we have certain qualified pension plans with obligations which exceed the value of the plans' assets. These funding requirements also may require contributions even when there is no reported deficit. Without sustained growth in the pension investments over time to increase the value of the plans' assets, and depending upon the other factors as listed above, we could be required to fund the plans with significant amounts of cash. Such cash funding obligations (or the timing of such contributions) could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, credit rating, cost of borrowing, financial position and/or results of operations.
Competition and other factors in our markets could require us to adjust prices or increase capital and other expenditures or cause us to lose sales volume, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. In many of our markets, our primary competitors may have greater financial, marketing, production and distribution resources than we do, and may be more diverse in terms of their geographies and brand portfolios. We compete with other beer and beverage companies not only for consumer acceptance and loyalty, but also for shelf, refrigerator and tap space in retail establishments and for marketing focus by our distributors and customers, most of which also distribute and sell other beers and beverage products. If we do not successfully transform along with the evolving industry, market dynamics and consumer preferences, our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected. Furthermore, our competitors may respond to industry and economic conditions and shifts in consumer behaviors more rapidly or effectively than we do. In order for us to remain competitive, we will need to quickly and correctly adopt digital technologies, build analytical capabilities and scale brand expense investment levels, which our competitors may be able to achieve faster and with more resources. In all of the markets in which we operate, aggressive marketing strategies, such as reduced pricing, brand positioning, and increased capital or other investments by these competitors could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Our profitability may be impacted by prices that do not offset the inflationary pressures, which may impact our gross margins. Even if we are able to raise the prices of our products, we may not be able to sustain such price increases and consumers might react negatively to such price increases, which could have a material adverse effect on, among other things, our brand, reputation and sales. Price increases may also lead to a decrease in demand for our products as competitors may not adjust their prices or consumers may decide not to pay higher prices for our products, which could lead to a decline in sales volume and loss of market share. Our projections may not accurately predict the volume impact of price increases, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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In addition, continuing consolidation among major global brewers and between brewers and other beverage companies and convergence of beverage categories may lead to stronger or new competitors, loss of partner brands, negative impacts on our distributor networks, alternate distribution networks and pressures from marketing and pricing tactics by competitors. Further consolidation of distributors in our industry could reduce our ability to promote our brands in the markets in a manner that enhances rather than diminishes our brands' value, as well as reduce our ability to manage our pricing effectively and efficiently. Additionally, due to competition with brewers and other beverage companies, an increase in the purchasing power of our large competitors may cause further pricing pressures which could prevent us from increasing prices to recover higher costs necessary to compete. Such pressures could have a material adverse impact on our business and our financial results and market share. Increased pressures for reduced pricing or difficulties in increasing prices while remaining competitive within our markets, as well as the need for increased capital investment, marketing and other expenditures could result in lower profitability or loss of market share and volumes. We may also face inflationary pressures that may negatively influence our or our competitors' prices and reduce margins on our products. Moreover, most of our major markets are mature, so growth opportunities may be more limited to us than to our global competitors who may already be in higher growth or emerging markets. For example, net sales in our Americas segment accounted for approximately 79% of our total 2024 net sales. As a result, to the extent that we are unable to maintain or grow our market share in our mature markets, our sales and, in turn, business and financial results could be materially and adversely affected.
Loss, operational disruptions or closure of a major brewery or other key facility, including those of our suppliers, due to unforeseen or catastrophic events or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. Our business could be interrupted and our financial results could be materially adversely impacted by physical risks such as earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, floods, other severe weather events, acts of war, terrorist attacks, cyberattacks and other disruptions in information systems, such as the March 2021 cybersecurity incident, disease outbreaks or pandemics and other natural disasters or catastrophic events that damage, disrupt or destroy one of our breweries or key facilities or the key facilities of our significant suppliers. Such significant losses or disruptions could be due to, among other things, the loss or disruption of the timely availability of adequate supplies of essential raw materials for us and our suppliers, including single-source suppliers; our ability to effectively integrate new suppliers into our operations; material financial issues facing our suppliers, such as bankruptcy or similar proceedings; transportation and logistics challenges, including as a result of governmental restrictions and the availability and capacity of shipping channels as customers may shift to increased online shopping; the loss or disruption of other manufacturing, distribution and supply capabilities; labor shortages, strikes or work stoppages; the loss or disruption of the supply of carbon dioxide gas; acts of war and terrorism; or natural disasters, pandemics, public health crises, or other catastrophic events and the associated impacts of such events, including impacts on our employees, their families, or our suppliers.
If any of our breweries or key facilities or the key facilities of our significant suppliers experience a significant operational disruption or catastrophic loss, it could delay, disrupt or reduce production, shipments and revenue, and result in potentially significant expenses to repair or replace these properties. We experienced certain of the foregoing risks and losses in connection with the March 2021 cybersecurity incident and the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Certain catastrophes are not covered by our general insurance policies, which could result in significant unrecoverable losses. Our business and results of operations could also be adversely impacted by under-investment in physical assets or production capacity, including contract brewing and impact the priority of our brands if production capacity is limited. Further, significant excess capacity at any of our breweries as a result of increased efficiencies in our supply chain process or continued volume declines could result in under-utilization of our assets, which could lead to excess overhead expenses or additional costs incurred associated with the closure of one or more of our facilities. For example, as part of a strategic review of our supply chain network, certain breweries and bottling lines were closed in recent years, and we have incurred brewery closure costs, including charges associated with the closure of our breweries in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, 10th Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Irwindale, California. We regularly review our supply chain network in an attempt to ensure that our supply chain capacity is aligned with the needs of the business. Such reviews could potentially result in further closures and the related costs could be material.
Issues and regulations related to climate change, sustainability, human rights and human capital, and stakeholder response thereto may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and may damage our reputation. Companies across all industries are facing increasing scrutiny relating to their workforce and environmental practices and policies. The landscape related to such regulation, compliance, and reporting is constantly evolving, including expanding in scope and complexity. For example, the SEC, the State of California, and the European Commission have published proposed or final rules, including the European Commission's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, that will require significantly increased disclosures related to climate change and other issues. We may experience significant future cost increases associated with regulatory compliance for sustainability matters, including fees, licenses, reporting, auditing, and the cost of capital improvements for our operating facilities to meet sustainability and/or environmental regulatory requirements.
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Investor advocacy groups, institutional investors, stockholders, activists, employees, consumers, customers, regulators, proxy advisory services and other market participants have increasingly focused on these types of matters and initiatives, as well as the related practices and policies of companies. These stakeholders have placed increased importance on these practices and their effect on companies from an investor, consumer, customer or employee perspective. We have also published goals across a range of environmental sustainability and safety matters. Although we have initiatives against these goals, we may be required to expend resources for them, which could increase our operational costs.
In addition, we could be criticized for the scope or nature of these goals, or for any revisions to our goals. Furthermore, some stakeholders may disagree with our goals and there is also a risk that stakeholders may change their views on these topics over time. Our various stakeholders or regulators may also have divergent opinions on these types of matters as well as conflicting expectations regarding our culture, values, goals and business, which makes it difficult to achieve a consistently positive perception amongst all of our various stakeholders. Moreover, we may determine that it is in the best interest of our Company and our stockholders to prioritize other investments over the achievement of our current goals based on economic, technological developments, regulatory and social factors, business strategy or pressure from investors, activists, or other stakeholders.
If our practices do not meet evolving investor, industry, stakeholder or regulatory expectations and standards, related to, among other things, climate change, carbon emissions, safety and related matters, or if we are perceived (whether or not valid) to have not responded appropriately to the growing and various concerns for or against such issues, or if we fail to meet the goals, among other things, our reputation, culture, ability to attract or retain employees, brands, sales, stock price, ability to access the capital markets, or our overall business or financial results could be adversely affected. Further, if we incur adverse publicity and reaction from investors, activists, or other stakeholders related to our efforts and goals, the perception of us and our products and services by current and potential customers, as well as investors, could cause our customers and consumers to stop purchasing our products or to purchase products from a competitor or subject us to legal and regulatory proceedings, any of which could adversely impact our business and financial results.
Climate change and other weather events may negatively affect our business and financial results. There is concern that the continuing increase in global average temperatures could cause significant changes in global weather patterns and an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters. Global climate change could have various impacts on our operations, ranging from more frequent extreme weather events to extensive governmental policy developments, which have the potential individually or collectively to significantly disrupt our business as well as negatively affect our suppliers, supply chain and customers. Changing weather patterns and more volatile weather conditions could result in decreased agricultural productivity in certain regions that may impact quality, limit availability or increase the cost of key agricultural commodities, such as hops, barley and other cereal grains, which are important ingredients for our products. Increased frequency or duration of extreme weather conditions, including power disruptions and/or water availability implications due to the foregoing, could also impair production capabilities, disrupt our supply chain, distribution networks and routes to market, or impact demand for our products, any of which may cause us to experience additional costs to maintain or resume operations.
Public concern over climate change has resulted in, and may continue to result in, new or increased regional, federal and global legal and regulatory requirements, including taxation, to reduce or mitigate carbon emissions and to limit or impose additional costs on carbon and water usage or other climate-related objectives. In the event that such regulation is more stringent than current regulatory obligations, or the measures that we are currently undertaking to monitor and improve our resource efficiency are insufficient, we may experience disruptions in, or increases in our costs of, operation and delivery to comply with new regulatory requirements due to investments in facilities and equipment or the relocation of our facilities. If we or our suppliers are required to comply with these laws and regulations, or if we choose to take additional voluntary steps to reduce or mitigate our impact on the climate, we may experience increased costs for energy, production, transportation, and raw materials, increased capital expenditures, or increased insurance premiums and deductibles, each of which could adversely impact our operations. In particular, proposed, new or inconsistent regulation and taxation of fuel and energy could increase the cost of complying with such laws and regulations as well as the cost of operation, including fuel required to operate our facilities or transport and distribute our products, thereby increasing the distribution and supply chain costs associated with our products. Any assessment of the potential impact of future climate change legislation, regulations or industry standards, as well as any international treaties and accords, is uncertain given the wide scope of potential regulatory change in the countries in which we operate.
Beyond the commercial pressures implicated by climate change concerns, our operations may face potential adverse physical effects. For example, we have a major brewery in the state of Colorado, which experienced several significant wildfires in 2022, and we have another major brewery in Texas, which experienced a severe winter weather event in 2021. If any of our properties and production facilities experience a significant operational disruption or catastrophic loss due to natural disasters or severe weather events, it could delay or disrupt production, shipments, and revenue, and result in potentially significant expenses to repair or replace these properties, which may negatively affect our business and financial results.
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An inadequate supply or availability of quality water could have a material adverse effect on, among other things, our sales, production processes, other costs and, in turn, profitability. Quality water is a key ingredient in our brewing process. Clean water is a limited resource in many parts of the world and climate change may increase water scarcity and cause a deterioration of water quality in areas where we maintain brewing operations. The competition for water among domestic, agricultural and manufacturing users is increasing in some of our brewing communities and communities in which we or our suppliers manufacture our other products. Even where water is widely available, water purification, regulatory requirements, and waste treatment infrastructure limitations could increase costs or constrain our operations. Further, the lack of availability of clean water at our breweries or our other facilities or the facilities of our suppliers could cause a decrease in production.
We have substantial brewery operations in the states of Colorado and Texas, which have been areas vulnerable to water scarcity conditions. Certain western states in the U.S. are experiencing an extended drought, which can impact the quality and quantity of agricultural ingredients such as barley and hops. The continuation or recurrence of such conditions could have an adverse effect upon our agricultural supply chain. We and our suppliers are dependent on sufficient amounts of quality water for operation of our breweries and key facilities and the key facilities of our significant suppliers. The suppliers of the agricultural raw materials we purchase are also dependent upon sufficient supplies of quality water for their fields. A substantial reduction in water in certain agricultural areas could result in material losses of crops, such as barley or hops, which could lead to a shortage of our product supply. If water available to our operations or the operations of our suppliers becomes scarce or the quality of that water deteriorates, we may incur increased production costs that we are unable or choose not to pass along to distributors through increased prices, or face production constraints, which could adversely affect our business and financial results.
The integration and use of artificial intelligence and similar technology in our business presents challenges and risks that could adversely impact our business, reputation and results of operations. The use of artificial intelligence, combined with an uncertain regulatory environment, may result in reputational harm, liability, or other adverse consequences to our brands, marketing and business operations. Molson Coors or its third-party vendors may adopt and integrate artificial intelligence tools into our systems for specific use cases after review by legal and information security and in alignment with internal oversight and policies and procedures. Our vendors and third-party partners may incorporate artificial intelligence tools into their offerings with or without disclosing this use to us. The providers of these artificial intelligence tools may not meet existing or evolving regulatory or industry standards concerning privacy and data protection, which may result in a loss of intellectual property or confidential information and/or cause harm to our reputation and the public perception of the effectiveness of our security measures. Further, bad actors around the world use increasingly sophisticated methods, including the use of artificial intelligence, to engage in cyberattacks or illegal activities involving the theft and misuse of personal information, confidential information and intellectual property. The technologies underlying artificial intelligence and their use cases are rapidly developing, and it is not possible to predict all of the legal, operational or technological risks related to the use of artificial intelligence. While new artificial intelligence initiatives, laws and regulations are emerging and evolving, uncertainty will remain, and our obligation to comply with the evolving regulatory landscape could entail significant costs, negatively affect our business, or limit our ability to incorporate certain artificial intelligence capabilities into our business. Any of these factors or outcomes could damage our brands and reputation, result in the loss of valuable property and information or otherwise adversely impact our business.
Risks Related to Our Indebtedness, Capital Structure and Financial Condition
Our debt level subjects us to financial and operating risks, and the agreements governing such debt subject us to financial and operating covenants and restrictions. Our indebtedness subjects us to various financial and operating covenants, including, but not limited to, restrictions on priority indebtedness, leverage thresholds, liens, certain types of secured debt and certain types of sale lease-back transactions and transfers of assets, each of which may limit our flexibility in responding to our business needs. If we are not able to maintain compliance with stated financial covenants or if we breach other covenants in any debt agreement, we could be in default under such agreement or trigger a cross-default of other debt instruments. Such a default would adversely affect our credit ratings, may allow our creditors to accelerate the related indebtedness, and may result in the acceleration of any other indebtedness to which a cross-acceleration or cross-default provision applies.
Our current and future debt levels and the terms of such debt could, among other things:
•make it more difficult to satisfy our obligations under the terms of our indebtedness;
•limit our ability to refinance our indebtedness on terms acceptable to us, or at all, or obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, strategic opportunities, including acquisitions or other investments, to fund growth or for general corporate purposes, even when necessary to maintain adequate liquidity;
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•limit our flexibility to plan for and adjust to changing business and market conditions, including successfully execute our Acceleration Plan, and increase our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
•require us to make unfavorable changes to our financing structure or require us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow to make interest and principal payments on our debt, thereby limiting the availability of our cash flow to fund strategic opportunities, including acquisitions or other investments, working capital, business activities, share repurchases and other general corporate requirements; and
•adversely impact our competitive position in the industry.
In addition, certain of our current and future debt and derivative financial instruments have or, in the future, could have interest rates that are tied to reference interest rates. The volatility and availability of such reference rates are out of our control and the risks related thereto could have a material adverse effect on us.
A deterioration in our credit rating could increase our borrowing rates or have an adverse effect on our ability to obtain future financing or refinance current debt. Ratings agencies may downgrade our credit ratings below their current investment grade levels if we are, or are at risk of being, unable to meet our deleveraging commitments. Although we have publicly expressed our intention to maintain an investment grade debt rating, ratings are determined by third-party rating agencies and in some cases the events that may cause us to suffer a ratings downgrade are unpredictable and outside of our control, such as the macroeconomic climate or political instability. A credit rating downgrade, particularly a downgrade below investment grade, could increase our costs of future borrowing, negatively impact our hedging instruments or sources of short-term liquidity and harm our ability to refinance our debt in the future on acceptable terms or access the capital markets. Deterioration of our credit rating may also raise governance issues within the Company and with external regulators.
Default by, or failure of, one or more of our counterparty financial institutions could cause us to incur significant losses. As part of our risk management activities, we enter into transactions involving derivative financial instruments, including, among others, forward contracts, commodity swap contracts and option contracts, with various financial institutions. In addition, we have significant amounts of cash and cash equivalents on deposit or in accounts with banks or other financial institutions in the U.S. and abroad. As a result, we are exposed to the risk of default by, or failure of, counterparty financial institutions. The risk of counterparty default or failure may be heightened during economic downturns and periods of uncertainty in the financial markets. If one of our counterparties were to become insolvent or file for bankruptcy, our ability to recover losses incurred as a result of default or to retrieve our assets that are deposited or held in accounts with such counterparty may be limited by the counterparty's liquidity or the applicable laws governing the insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings.
We may incur impairments of the carrying value of our goodwill and other intangible assets which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results. In connection with various business combinations, we have historically allocated material amounts of the related purchase prices to goodwill and other intangible assets, including those considered to have indefinite useful lives. These assets are tested for impairment when required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, using estimates and assumptions affected by factors such as economic and industry conditions and changes in operating performance. Additionally, in conjunction with the indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment tests, we also reassess each asset's indefinite-life classification. Potential resulting charges from an impairment of goodwill or brand intangible, as well as reclassification of an indefinite-lived to a definite-lived brand intangible, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. For example, the results of our 2022 annual goodwill impairment testing indicated that the fair value of our Americas reporting unit was below its carrying value. As a result, we recorded a partial impairment charge of $845.0 million in our consolidated statements of operations during the fourth quarter of 2022. Additionally, the results of our 2023 annual impairment testing indicated that the carrying value of the Staropramen family of brands indefinite-lived intangible asset was determined to be in excess of its fair value such that a partial impairment charge of $160.7 million was recorded in our consolidated statements of operations during the fourth quarter of 2023. As of the year ended December 31, 2024, the EMEA&APAC reporting unit was fully impaired while the Americas reporting unit had $5.6 billion of goodwill remaining.
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Our impairment analysis, conducted as of October 1, 2024, the first day of our fiscal fourth quarter, indicated that the Americas reporting unit was at a heightened risk of future impairment in the event of significant unfavorable changes in the forecasted cash flows (including Company-specific risks like the performance of our premiumization efforts, expansion in products beyond beer and overall market performance, along with macroeconomic risks, or significant unfavorable changes in income tax rates, environmental or other regulations, including interpretations thereof), terminal growth rates, market multiples and/or weighted-average cost of capital utilized in the discounted cash flow analyses. The fair values of our Americas reporting unit and indefinite-lived intangible assets are sensitive to the aforementioned potential unfavorable changes that could have an adverse impact on future analyses. Any future impairment of the Americas reporting unit or our intangible assets, or reclassification of indefinite-lived intangible assets to definite-lived, may result in charges that could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, as evidenced by the charges incurred during the fourth quarters of 2023 and 2022, as previously noted above. The testing of our goodwill for impairment is also predicated upon our determination of our reporting units. Any change to the conclusion of our reporting units or the aggregation of components within our reporting units could result in a different outcome to our annual impairment test. See Part II—Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, "Critical Accounting Estimates" and Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 6, "Goodwill and Intangible Assets" for additional information related to the results of our annual impairment testing.
The estimates and assumptions on which our financial projections are based may prove to be inaccurate, which may cause our actual results to materially differ from such projections, which may adversely affect our future profitability, cash flows and stock price. Our financial projections, including any sales or earnings guidance or outlook we may provide from time to time, are dependent on certain estimates and assumptions related to, among other things, our Acceleration Plan, industry performance, category growth, development and launch of innovative new products, market share projections, product pricing, sales, volume and product mix, foreign exchange rates and volatility, effective tax rates, interest rates, depreciation and amortization costs, commodity prices, tariffs, distribution costs, cost savings initiatives, accruals for estimated liabilities, including litigation reserves, measurement of benefit obligations for pension and other postretirement benefit plans, and our ability to generate sufficient cash flow to reinvest in our existing business, fund internal growth, repurchase our stock, make acquisitions, invest in joint ventures, pay dividends and meet debt obligations. In addition, our ability to achieve our Acceleration Plan goals, and the anticipated benefits, are subject to various assumptions and uncertainties. There is no assurance that we will fully realize the anticipated financial benefits or execute successfully on our Acceleration Plan in the time frames we desire or at all. Our financial projections are based on historical experience and on various other estimates and assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances and at the time they are made, and our actual results may differ materially from our financial projections. Any material variation between our financial projections and our actual results may adversely affect our future profitability, cash flows and stock price.
Risks Related to Our Dependence on Third Parties
We rely on a small number of suppliers to obtain the input materials, in particular the packaging materials, we need to operate our business. The inability to obtain materials or disruptions at the facilities of our suppliers could unfavorably affect our ability to produce our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. We purchase certain types of input and other packaging materials, including aluminum cans and bottles, glass bottles, paperboard and carbon dioxide from a small number of suppliers. The demand for such input materials in the beverage industry has increased in recent years, and resulted in a shortage of capacity and increases in costs. In addition, consolidation of packaging materials suppliers has reduced local supply alternatives and increased risks of supply disruptions. The inability of any of these suppliers to meet our production requirements without sufficient time to develop an alternative source could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. Additionally, if the financial condition of these suppliers deteriorates, our business and financial results could be adversely impacted. Our suppliers’ financial condition is affected in large part by conditions and events that are beyond our and their control, including:
•competitive and general market conditions in the locations in which they operate;
•the availability of capital and other financing resources on reasonable terms;
•loss of major customers;
•disruptions of operations that may be caused by strikes, work stoppages, labor unrest or natural disasters;
•the increase in price of certain ingredients and raw materials used in our products; or
•any of the foregoing, among other things, as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict or otherwise.
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Termination or changes of one or more manufacturer, distribution or production agreements, or issues caused by our dependence on the parties to these agreements, could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. We manufacture and distribute products of other beverage companies through various joint venture, licensing, distribution, contract brewing or other similar arrangements, such as our agreement to produce, import, market, distribute and sell certain Heineken brands in Canada, and our arrangements with ABI to brew and distribute Beck's, Stella Artois, and Lowenbrau and to distribute Hoegaarden, Leffe, and Corona in Central Europe. In addition, we also have authorizations from The Coca-Cola Company that grant us the right to produce, market, sell and distribute Simply Spiked branded products in the U.S. and Canada, as well as Topo Chico Hard Seltzer in the U.S. These agreements have varying expiration dates and performance criteria. The non-renewal or loss of one or more of these arrangements, because of failure to perform or failure to agree to terms of an extension, or as a result of industry consolidation or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
As part of our efforts to streamline operations and to manage capital investments, we outsource aspects of our manufacturing processes and other functions and continue to evaluate additional outsourcing. If our contract manufacturers or other outsourcers fail to perform their obligations in a timely manner or at satisfactory quality levels, our ability to bring products to market and our reputation could suffer. For example, during a market upturn, our contract manufacturers may be unable to meet our demand requirements, which may preclude us from fulfilling our customers’ orders on a timely basis. The ability of these third parties to perform is largely outside of our control. If one or more of these parties experiences a significant disruption in services or institutes a significant price increase, we may have to seek alternative providers, which could increase our costs or prevent or delay the delivery of our products. Further, our business includes various joint venture and industry agreements which standardize parts of the supply chain. An example includes our warehousing and customer delivery systems in Canada organized under joint venture agreements with other brewers. Any negative change in these agreements or material terms within these agreements could have a significant adverse effect on our business and financial results. Another example is the secondary distribution in the U.K. which has limited options. If we are unable to continue to outsource our secondary distribution services, we may have to in-source distribution which could have adverse impacts to our business and financial results.
Risks Related to Legal Matters, Governmental Regulations and our International Operations
Changes in tax, environmental, trade or other regulations or failure to comply with existing licensing, trade and other regulations could cause volatility or have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. Our business is highly regulated by national, state, provincial and local laws and regulations in various jurisdictions regarding such matters as tariffs, licensing requirements, trade and pricing practices, taxation, labeling, advertising, promotion and marketing practices, relationships with distributors, environmental matters, packaging material regulations, ingredient regulations, unclaimed property and other matters. These laws and regulations are subject to frequent changes and re-evaluation, varying interpretations and political debate and inquiries from government regulators charged with their enforcement, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Changes to U.S. or foreign trade policies, impositions of new or increased tariffs, other trade restrictions or other government actions, including any government shutdown, foreign currency fluctuations, including devaluations and fear of exposure to or actual impacts of a widespread disease outbreak, may lead to the continuation or escalation of such risks and uncertainty.
Furthermore, changes to existing tax laws or the adoption of new tax policies, regulations, guidance or laws, particularly in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, could have a material adverse impact to our effective tax rate, future cash tax payments and our financial results in general. In addition, the current economic and political environment, including the focus on corporate tax reform, anti-base erosion rules and tax transparency, may result in significant tax law changes in the numerous jurisdictions in which we operate and could have a material adverse impact to our effective tax rate, future cash tax payments and our financial results in general. In August 2022, the U.S. government enacted the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 ("IRA"), which included among other provisions, a 15% minimum tax on "adjusted financial statement income" and became effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2023. Recently, intergovernmental organizations such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") and European Union ("EU") have proposed or enacted changes to the existing tax laws of member countries. For instance, in 2021 the OECD introduced model rules for a new 15% global minimum tax framework, which is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after December 31, 2023 in jurisdictions with enacted legislation. Additionally, several non-EU countries, including Canada and the U.K., have recently proposed and/or enacted legislation consistent with the OECD global minimum tax framework. The OECD and implementing countries are expected to continue to make further revisions to their minimum tax legislation and release additional guidance. The OECD has also proposed rules on the allocation of profit among tax jurisdictions in which companies operate. These enacted tax laws and regulations and proposed rules, including the release of additional related guidance, could adversely impact our financial results in fiscal year 2025 and possibly beyond.
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Continued economic and political pressures to increase tax revenues in jurisdictions in which we operate, or the adoption of new or reformed tax legislation or regulation, may make resolving tax disputes more difficult, and prior decisions by tax authorities regarding treatments and positions of corporate income taxes could be subject to enforcement activities, as well as legislative investigation and inquiry, which could also result in changes in tax policies or prior tax rulings. The final resolution of tax audits and any related litigation can differ from our historical provisions and accruals, resulting in an adverse effect on our financial performance.
The government(s) of each country in which we sell our products, including state and local jurisdictions in the U.S., levy excise taxes at varying rates. Additionally, U.S. governmental entities also levy taxes and may require bonds to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Increases in excise taxes, and such compliance taxes and bonds, could have a material adverse effect on our profitability.
Additionally, modifications of laws and policies governing foreign trade and investment, including trade agreements and tariffs such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the European Union-United Kingdom Trade and Cooperating Agreement, or aluminum tariffs, could adversely affect our supply chain, business and results of operations. For example, in June 2018, U.S. tariffs on aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and EU went into effect (though the U.S. lifted the aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico in May 2019), which created volatility in the price of aluminum in the U.S. and increased the price of aluminum used in some of our product packaging. Continued imposition of U.S. aluminum tariffs, the implementation of additional tariffs and retaliatory tariffs from trade partners or related uncertainties could further increase the cost of certain of our imported materials, thereby adversely affecting our profitability. In addition, the European Union-United Kingdom Trade and Cooperating Agreement became effective in May 2021 and resulted in certain disruptions in trade and the movement of goods, including prolonged transportation delays, which affected our ability to source raw materials and packaging for our products as well as our ability to import and export products.
In addition, in February 2025, the current U.S. presidential administration imposed tariffs on foreign imports into the United States, including, most relevant to us, an additional 25% tariff on all imports from Canada, which tariffs were subsequently suspended for 30 days in order to facilitate negotiations. As of the date of this report, the proposed tariffs on all imports from Canada remain suspended. Certain of the products we sell are originally manufactured in countries other than the U.S., such as Canada. These tariffs will increase the cost of certain of our products and may negatively impact our results of operations. At this time, it remains unclear what additional actions, if any, will be taken by the U.S. or other governments with respect to international trade agreements, the imposition of additional tariffs on goods imported into the U.S., tax policy related to international commerce, increased export control, sanctions and investment restrictions, or other trade matters.Other effects of these changes, including impacts on the price of raw materials, responsive or retaliatory actions from governments, such as retaliatory tariffs on imports into Canada from the U.S., and the opportunity for competitors not subject to such changes to establish a presence in markets where we participate, could also have significant impacts on our results of operations, though whether any of the foregoing actions will be taken remains unclear. Furthermore, we may not be able to increase prices for our products enough to offset the impact of tariffs, which could negatively impact our margins. If we raise prices in response to tariffs, the demand for our products may decrease, which could also have a negative impact on our sales. We cannot predict what further action may be taken with respect to export restrictions, tariffs or trade relations between the U.S. and other governments, and any further changes in U.S. or international trade policy could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Furthermore, various jurisdictions have adopted, or may seek to adopt, additional product labeling or warning requirements or limitations on the availability of our beverages relating to perceived adverse health consequences of some of our beverages. If additional or more severe requirements of this type are imposed on one or more of our beverages under current or future laws or regulations, they could inhibit sales of such beverages in such jurisdictions. In addition, we cannot predict whether our beverages will become subject to increased rules and regulations regarding labeling or warnings which, if enacted, could increase our costs and/or adversely impact sales.
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In addition, a number of governmental authorities, both in the U.S. and abroad (including the EU), have considered, and/or are planning to introduce legislation aimed at packaging, reducing the amount of plastic and other types of material. Programs have included recommendations for Extended Producer Responsibility ("EPR"), banning certain types of products, mandating certain rates of recycling, re-use and use of recycled materials, imposing deposit return schemes ("DRS") for drinks containers or taxes on packaging material, and requiring retailers or manufacturers to take back certain packaging used for their products. Such legislation, as well as voluntary initiatives, aimed at reducing the level of wastes, could reduce the demand for our products that includes in-scope packaging, result in greater costs for producers or otherwise impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, changes in applicable environmental regulations, including increased or additional regulations to discourage the use of particular materials (or encourage or mandate the use of other materials) may result in increased compliance costs, increased materials costs, capital expenditures, incremental investments and other financial obligations for us and our business partners, which could affect our profitability. We may not be able to implement price increases for our products to cover any increased costs, and any price increases we do implement may result in lower sales volumes.
Failure to comply with existing or future laws and regulations, including those related to tax, environment and health, or changes in these laws, regulations, or interpretations thereof, could result in the loss, revocation or suspension of our licenses, permits or approvals and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation of, and potential future developments in, complex domestic and international tax laws and regulations, the amount and timing of future taxable income and the interaction of such laws and regulations among jurisdictions. Given the wide range of international business relationships and the long-term nature and complexity of existing contractual agreements, differences arising between the actual results and assumptions made, or future changes to such assumptions, could necessitate future adjustments to taxable income and expense already recorded.
Unfavorable outcomes of legal or regulatory matters may adversely affect our business and financial condition and damage our reputation. There is a risk of, and we are from time to time involved in or subject to a variety of litigation, claims, legal or regulatory proceedings or matters related to our business, the alcohol industry in general, our advertising and marketing practices, product claims, product labeling and ingredients, our intellectual property rights, alleged infringement or misappropriation by us of intellectual property rights of others, tax, environmental, privacy, insurance, ERISA and employment matters. Such matters, even those that are ultimately non-meritorious, can be complex, costly, and highly disruptive to business operations by diverting the attention and energies of management and other key personnel, and may generate adverse publicity that damages our reputation or brand image. The assessment of the outcome of such matters, including our potential liability, if any, is a highly subjective process that requires judgments about future events that are not within our control and are based on the information available to management at that time. The outcome of such matters, including amounts ultimately received or paid upon judgment or settlement, may differ materially from management’s outlook or estimates, including any amounts accrued in the financial statements. Actual outcomes, including judgments, awards, settlements or orders, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results, or cash flows and damage our corporate reputation and our brands. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 13, "Commitments and Contingencies" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding the status of pending legal outcomes.
Our operations in developing and emerging markets expose us to additional risks, which could harm our business and financial results. We continue to operate in developing and emerging markets. In certain of these markets, we have limited operating experience and may not succeed. In addition to risks described elsewhere in this report, our operations in these markets expose us to additional heightened risks, including:
•changes in local political, economic, social and labor conditions;
•restrictions on foreign ownership and investments;
•repatriation of cash earned in countries outside the U.S.;
•import and export requirements, including tariffs;
•poor product quality due to distance travelled for export product and the relatively short shelf life of beer;
•increased costs to ensure compliance with complex foreign laws and regulations;
•currency exchange rate fluctuations;
•a less developed and less certain legal and regulatory environment, which among other things can create uncertainty with regard to liability issues;
•longer payment cycles, increased credit risk and higher levels of payment fraud;
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•increased exposure to global disease outbreaks or pandemics; and
•other challenges caused by distance, language, and cultural differences.
In addition, as a global company, we are subject to foreign and U.S. laws and regulations designed to combat governmental corruption, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act and the U.K. Proceeds of Crime Act. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines and penalties, criminal sanctions against us, our officers, or our employees, prohibitions on the conduct of our business and prohibitions on our ability to offer our products and services in one or more countries, each of which could have a materially negative effect on our reputation, brands and our operating results. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these foreign and U.S. laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that our employees, business partners or agents will not violate our policies and procedures.
Changes to the regulation of the distribution systems for our products could adversely affect our business and financial results. Many countries in which we operate regulate the distribution of alcohol products and if those regulations were changed, it could alter our business practices and have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. For example, in the U.S. market, there is a three-tier distribution system that governs the sale of malt beverage products. That system, requiring separation of manufacturers, distributors and retailers, dates back to the repeal of prohibition and is periodically subject to legal challenges. To the extent that such challenges are successful and change the three-tier system, including through the expansion of e-commerce and direct-to-consumer offerings, such changes could have a material adverse effect on our Americas segment results of operations. Further, in Canada, our products are required to be distributed through each province's respective provincial liquor board. Additionally, in certain Canadian provinces, we rely on our joint venture arrangements with BRI and BDL to distribute our products via retail outlets that are regulated by provincial government regulators. BRI owns and operates commercial retail outlets, known as The Beer Store, in Ontario and performs delivery services of beer throughout Ontario. BDL facilitates the distribution of our products in the western Canadian provinces. If provincial regulation should change, the costs to adjust our distribution methods could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Our consolidated financial statements are subject to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, most significantly the Canadian dollar and the European operating currencies such as, British Pound, Czech Koruna, Euro and Romanian Leu. We hold assets and incur liabilities, earn revenues and pay expenses in different currencies, most significantly in Canada and throughout Europe. Because our financial statements are presented in USD, we must translate our assets, liabilities, income and expenses into USD. Increases and decreases in the value of the USD will affect, at times adversely, the value of these items in our financial statements, even if their local currency value has not changed. Additionally, we are exposed to currency transaction risks related to transactions denominated in currencies other than one of the functional currencies of our operating entities, such as the purchase of certain raw material inputs or capital expenditures, as well as sales transactions and debt issuances or other incurred obligations. Further, certain actions by the government of any of the jurisdictions in which we operate could adversely affect our results and financial position. To the extent that we fail to adequately manage these risks through our risk management policies intended to protect our exposure to currency movements, including if our hedging arrangements do not effectively or completely hedge changes in foreign currency rates, our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. For instance, the strengthening of the USD against the Canadian dollar, European currencies and various other global currencies would adversely impact our USD reported results due to the impact on foreign currency translation.
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Risks Related to Acquisitions and Joint Ventures
Risks associated with operating our joint ventures or other strategic partnerships may materially adversely affect our business and financial results. We have entered into several joint ventures, including our joint ventures with Ball Corporation (i.e., Rocky Mountain Metal Container), and with Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc. (i.e., Rocky Mountain Bottle Company), for a portion of our aluminum and glass packaging supply in the U.S., respectively. We have also entered into a joint venture with The Yuengling Company LLC to expand the distribution of Yuengling beer in the western U.S. Additionally, in certain Canadian provinces, we rely on joint venture agreements with BRI and BDL to distribute our products via retail outlets that are mandated and regulated by provincial government regulators. As previously referenced, BRI owns and operates commercial retail outlets, known as TBS or "The Beer Store", in Ontario, and BDL facilitates the distribution of our products in the western Canadian provinces. In the U.S. in October 2024, we took a majority ownership stake in ZOA Energy LLC ("ZOA"). We may enter into additional joint ventures or other strategic partnerships in the future. Our partners may at any time have economic, business or legal interests or goals that are inconsistent with our goals or with the goals of the joint venture or partnership. In addition, we compete against our partners in certain of our other markets. Disagreements with our business partners may impede our ability to maximize the benefits of our partnerships. Our joint venture arrangements or other partnerships may require us, among other matters, to pay certain costs or to make certain capital investments or to seek our partner's consent to take certain actions. In addition, our partners may be unable or unwilling to meet their economic or other obligations under the operative documents, or may become insolvent or file for bankruptcy protection and we may be required to either fulfill those obligations alone to ensure the ongoing success of the partnership or to dissolve and liquidate. Post-pandemic trends of consumers transitioning between channels and categories could impact the revenue growth expectations of partnership brands or newly owned brands. Moreover, as we further develop our own portfolio, we may face challenges meeting all contractual obligations within our current partnerships or having to invest in more marketing assets to sustain partnership brands.
Failure to successfully identify, complete or integrate attractive acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic partnerships into our existing operations could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results. We have made a number of acquisitions and entered into several strategic joint ventures and partnerships. In order to compete in the consolidating global brewing and beverage industry, we anticipate that we may, from time to time, in the future acquire additional businesses like the Blue Run Spirits, Inc ("Blue Run") acquisition in the third quarter of 2023, the increase in our investment in ZOA in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the entry into the partnership with Fever-Tree in the first quarter of 2025, or enter into additional joint ventures or other partnerships that we believe would provide a strategic fit with our business. Potential risks associated with acquisitions and joint ventures could include, among other things:
•our ability to identify attractive acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic partnerships;
•our ability to offer potential acquisition targets and joint venture partners' competitive transaction terms;
•our ability to raise capital on reasonable terms to finance attractive acquisitions, joint ventures and other strategic partnerships;
•our ability to realize the benefits or cost savings that we expect to realize as a result of the acquisition, joint venture or other strategic partnerships;
•diversion of management's attention;
•our ability to successfully integrate the business of the acquired company with our business;
•motivating, recruiting and retaining key employees;
•conforming standards, controls, procedures and policies, systems, business cultures and compensation structures among our company and the acquired company;
•consolidating and streamlining sales, marketing and corporate operations;
•potential exposure to unknown liabilities of acquired companies;
•potential exposure to unknown or future liabilities or costs that affect the markets in which acquired companies, joint ventures or strategic partnerships operate;
•reputational or other damage due to the conduct of a joint venture or other partner or the prior conduct of an acquired company;
•loss of key employees and customers of an acquired company;
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•managing tax costs or inefficiencies associated with integrating our operations following completion of an acquisition or entry into a joint venture or other partnerships;
•exposure to unfamiliar legal and regulatory requirements entering a new market or jurisdiction;
•incompatibility of technology systems delaying realization of assumed synergies; and
•exchange rate fluctuations triggering material variances between expected financial returns and actual financial returns.
Additional Risks Related to our Americas Segment
Our U.S. business is highly dependent on independent distributors to sell our products, with no assurance that these distributors will effectively sell our products, and distributor consolidation in the U.S. could harm our business and financial results. We sell nearly all of our products, including our imported products, in the U.S. to independent distributors for resale to retail outlets. These independent distributors are entitled to exclusive territories and are protected from termination by state statutes and regulations. Consequently, if we are not allowed, or are unable under acceptable terms or at all, to replace unproductive or inefficient distributors, our business, financial position and results of operation may be adversely affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results.
Further, in recent years, there has been a consolidation of independent distributors, resulting in distributors with increased leverage over suppliers due to the distributor's share of the supplier business, exclusive territorial appointments and regulatory protection of distribution agreements. We have limited ability to influence decisions regarding distributor consolidation, which, regardless of size, carries a risk of decreased investment in service and local marketing in the interest of paying down the leverage required to fund a transaction. Consolidation among distributors could create a more challenging competitive landscape for our products and could hinder the distribution and sale of our products as distributors could put focus on other brands within their portfolio instead of ours. There is a risk that consolidation of distributors could further increase due to potential changes in tax laws in the markets in which we operate. This could negatively impact sales of our products and increase prices. Our unique portfolio may require more brand building than our competitors, which could be adversely affected in the event of distributor consolidation. Changes in distributors' strategies, including a reduction in the number of brands they carry, may adversely affect our growth, business, financial results and market share.
Government mandated changes to the retail distribution model resulting from new regulations may have a material adverse effect on our Canada business. In Canada, the retail distribution of beer and certain other alcohol is primarily a provincial responsibility. An Early Implementation Agreement ("EIA") was entered into in May 2024 between the Province of Ontario, Molson Canada 2005, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of our Company, Labatt Brewing Company Limited, Sleeman Breweries Ltd. (collectively, the "Representative Owners") and Brewers Retail Inc., operating under the name "The Beer Store" ("TBS"). The EIA was effective July 18, 2024 and continues until December 31, 2030. The EIA removed grocery store pack size restrictions on beer, wine, cider and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages as of July 18, 2024, and allowed for the expansion of licensed sale of beer, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages to all convenience stores which began on September 5, 2024 and all eligible grocery and big-box grocery stores as of October 31, 2024. The EIA requires TBS to maintain at least 386 retail locations in Ontario to support recycling, cash and carry and to preserve employment through June 30, 2025. From July 1, 2025 until December 31, 2025, TBS has the right to close additional retail locations to maintain a minimum of 300 stores. The requirements to keep a certain number of TBS stores open may result in the inefficient operations of TBS stores during that period of time. As a result, under the EIA, the Province of Ontario will provide financial support to TBS and the representative owners of up to CAD 225 million through reimbursement of costs incurred in connection with the early implementation and to TBS in connection with the operation of the agreed upon retail footprint during the interim period between the commencement date of the EIA and December 31, 2025. From January 1, 2026 onward, TBS will have the sole and absolute discretion to maintain or close any retail location. If TBS cannot transition quickly from a retail-led organization to a distribution-led organization, it may adversely impact our business, our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, the taxes and fee structure, as well as other regulatory elements are under review and are subject to change in the year ended December 31, 2025 which could have a significant adverse impact on our business.
The EIA requires licensed grocery and big-box retailers more than five kilometers from a TBS store to accept and sort empty beverage alcohol containers for recycling as of the commencement date of the EIA, and beginning in 2026, all licensed grocery and big-box stores must accept and sort empty beverage alcohol containers for recycling. The expansion of the recycling program to all grocery stores could interrupt the flow of returnable bottles and may impact the quality of the returnable bottle. This could cause inefficiencies in our operations, increase the costs of packaging materials and hinder the quality of our packaging materials.
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Such impacts of the EIA could have a negative impact on the results of operations, cash flows and financial position of our Americas segment. Similar changes to the beer distribution and retail systems in other Canadian provinces could adversely impact our business, our results of operations and financial condition.
Indemnities provided to the purchaser of our previous interest in the Cervejarias Kaiser Brasil S.A. ("Kaiser") business in Brazil could result in future cash outflows and statement of operations charges. In 2006, we sold our previous ownership interest in Kaiser, which was held by our Canadian business, to FEMSA Cerveza S.A. de C.V. ("FEMSA"). The terms of the sale agreement require us to indemnify FEMSA for exposures related to certain tax, civil and labor contingencies and certain purchased tax credits. The ultimate resolution of these claims is not under our control. Any probable indemnity obligations are recorded as liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets as appropriate; however, we could incur future statement of operations charges due to changes to our estimates or changes in our assessment of probability of loss on these items as well as due to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Due to the uncertainty involved in the ultimate outcome and timing of these contingencies, significant adjustments to the carrying value of our indemnity liabilities and corresponding statement of operations impacts could result in the future.
Additional Risks Related to our EMEA&APAC Segment
Economic trends and intense competition in European markets could unfavorably affect our profitability. Our European businesses have been, and, in the future may be, adversely affected by conditions in the global financial markets and general economic and political conditions, as well as a weakening of their respective currencies versus the U.S. dollar, in each case, in addition to the other impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Additionally, we face intense competition in certain of our European markets, particularly with respect to pricing, which could lead to reduced sales or profitability. In particular, the on-going focus by large competitors in Europe to drive increased market share through aggressive pricing strategies could adversely affect our sales and results of operations. We may also face pressures resulting from a reduction in disposable incomes of consumers to spend on our products due to inflation, recessionary conditions and an increase in the cost of energy, which could unfavorably affect our profitability. In addition, over time, beer volume sales in the U.K. have been shifting from on-premise, such as pubs and restaurants, to off-premise, such as retail stores, for the industry as a whole. Margins in sales to off-premise customers tend to be lower than margins from sales to on-premise customers, and, as a result, continuation or acceleration of this trend could further adversely affect our profitability.
Risks Related to Ownership of our Class B Common Stock
If Pentland and the Coors Trust do not agree on a matter submitted to our stockholders or if a super-majority of the Board do not agree on certain actions, generally the matter will not be approved, even if beneficial to us or favored by other stockholders or a majority of the Board. Pentland Securities (1981) Inc. ("Pentland") (a company controlled by the Molson family and related parties) and the Adolph Coors, Jr. Trust (the "Coors Trust") (a trust controlled by the Coors family and related parties), which together control more than 90% of our Class A common stock and Class A exchangeable shares, have a voting trust agreement through which they have combined their voting power over the shares of our Class A common stock and the Class A exchangeable shares that they own. If these two stockholders do not agree to vote in favor of a matter submitted to a stockholder vote (other than the election of directors), the voting trustees are required to vote all of the Class A common stock and Class A exchangeable shares deposited in the voting trust against the matter. There is no other mechanism in the voting trust agreement to resolve a potential deadlock between these stockholders. Therefore, if either Pentland or the Coors Trust is unwilling to vote in favor of a proposal that is subject to a stockholder vote, we would be unable to implement the proposal even if the Board, management or other stockholders believe the proposal is beneficial to us. Similarly, our bylaws require the authorization of a super-majority (two-thirds) of the Board to take certain transformational actions. Thus, it is possible that our Company will not be authorized to take action even if it is supported by a simple majority of the Board.
The interests of the controlling stockholders may differ from those of other stockholders and could prevent our Company from making certain decisions or taking certain actions that would be in the best interest of the other stockholders. Our Class B common stock has fewer voting rights than our Class A common stock and holders of our Class A common stock have the ability to effectively control or have a significant influence over certain of our actions requiring stockholder approval, which could have a material adverse effect on Class B stockholders. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 14, "Stockholders' Equity" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding voting rights of Class A and Class B stockholders.
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Shareholder activism efforts or unsolicited takeover proposals could cause a material disruption to our business and financial results. We may be subject to various legal and business challenges due to actions instituted by activist shareholders or unsolicited takeover proposals or other advocacy efforts. Perceived uncertainties as to our future direction as a result of shareholder activism may lead to the perception of a change in the direction of the business or other instability and may affect our relationships with vendors, customers, prospective and current employees and others, as well as potentially increase the chance of additional shareholder activism or other advocacy efforts. Similarly, proposed or future laws and regulations may also increase the chance we become the target of shareholder activist campaigns, including sustainability, human rights and human capital-related actions. If shareholder activist campaigns are initiated against us, our response to such actions could be costly and time-consuming, which could divert the attention and resources of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and senior management from the pursuit of our business strategies, which could harm our business, negatively impact our stock price, and have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
Our cybersecurity program is managed by a dedicated Global Chief Information Officer ("CIO") whose team, including the head of Information Technology Security, is responsible for leading enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategy, policy, standards, architecture and processes. Our CIO has over 35 years of relevant industry experience, including over 30 years at our Company. Our Vice President of Information Technology Security and Chief Information Security Officer ("CISO") has over 20 years of relevant industry experience. Further, team members who support our cybersecurity program have relevant educational and industry experience through various roles involving information technology, security, auditing, compliance, systems and programming, as well as cybersecurity certifications such as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional or Certified Information Security Manager.Our Board, Audit Committee and its Technology Subcommittee and senior management receive periodic briefings from the CIO and the CISO, concerning cybersecurity, information security and technology risks, and our related risk mitigation programs.In general, the Board is responsible for overseeing our enterprise risk management program ("ERM Program").
The ERM Program is a proactive and ongoing process led by our legal and risk professionals and senior management, to identify, assess and manage risks and to build out and track mitigation and reduction efforts. The Board has tasked the Audit Committee with overseeing, reviewing and discussing with management, the internal audit team and the independent auditors, our ERM Program, policies and procedures with respect to, among other things, the assessment and management of risks related to our cybersecurity and information security and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such risks.
The Audit Committee and its Technology Subcommittee are also responsible for overseeing risks related to our cybersecurity, technology and information security programs and reviewing emerging cybersecurity, technology and information security developments and threats and our strategy to mitigate such risks. The Audit Committee and its Technology Subcommittee provides another level of cybersecurity oversight through engagements at each Technology Subcommittee meeting with senior management, including our CIO and CISO. These reports include updates on our cybersecurity risks, threats, and incidents; our efforts to monitor, prevent, detect, mitigate and remediate the same; regulatory updates; the status of our cybersecurity projects, programs, and assessments; and periodic updates on our cybersecurity staffing and related matters. The Technology Subcommittee regularly reports to the Audit Committee regarding these matters. Further, the Audit Committee regularly reports to the Board regarding these matters, including the matters discussed at the Technology Subcommittee.
We engage in the ERM Program process semi-annually, which addresses, among other matters, emerging cybersecurity threats and models our exposure to the threat landscape against the overall strategic objectives of our Company. We regularly engage cybersecurity industry experts to assess, audit and consult on our cybersecurity practices. Further, we engage Managed Security Service Providers to monitor our information technology ("IT") environment, help identify attacks, forensically investigate and remediate breaches, and assess and test our IT system security. We also operate a cyber controls assessment program to monitor our internal program in between external assessments. We have also implemented a cybersecurity awareness training program to facilitate initial and continuing education for employees on cybersecurity and related matters. Regular reviews are conducted to assess our information security programs and practices, including incident management, service continuity, information security compliance programs and related achievements. Additionally, we operate an Artificial Intelligence ("AI") governance program to ensure proper risk management and regulatory compliance where applicable with this expanding capability; managing ethical, legal, cyber, data privacy and other technology risks associated with the use of AI and Generative AI technologies.
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In addition, we operate a third-party cyber risk management capability which monitors the exposure of significant IT suppliers, significant software as a service suppliers and major vendors with access to our IT systems. We also monitor for significant changes in our cybersecurity risk posture and attempt to remediate the risk through collaboration with that partner. We also monitor for known breaches of the IT supplier landscape.
As previously disclosed, during March 2021, we experienced a systems outage that was caused by a cybersecurity incident. We engaged leading forensic information technology firms and legal counsel to assist our investigation into the incident and we restored our systems. Despite these actions, we experienced delays and disruptions to our business, including brewery operations, production and shipments. This incident caused a shift in production and shipments from the first quarter of 2021 to the balance of fiscal year 2021. In addition, we incurred certain incremental one-time costs of $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, related to consultants, experts and data recovery efforts, net of insurance recoveries. See also Part I—Item 1A Risk Factors for the following risk: Cybersecurity incidents impacting our information systems, and violations of data privacy laws and regulations could disrupt our business operations and adversely impact our reputation and results of operations.
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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
As of February 18, 2025, our major facilities were owned (unless otherwise indicated) and are as follows:
Facility Location Character
Administrative Offices
Bucharest, Romania(1) Global business services center
Burton-on-Trent, U.K.(2) EMEA&APAC segment operational headquarters
Chicago, Illinois(1) Americas segment operational headquarters
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Americas segment administrative office
Prague, Czech Republic EMEA&APAC segment administrative office
Toronto, Ontario Americas segment administrative office
Americas Segment
Brewery/packaging plants Albany, Georgia(3) Brewing and packaging
Chilliwack, British Columbia Brewing and packaging
Elkton, Virginia(3) Brewing and packaging
Fort Worth, Texas(3) Brewing and packaging
Golden, Colorado(3) Brewing and packaging
Longueuil, Québec Brewing and packaging
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Brewing and packaging
Toronto, Ontario Brewing and packaging
Trenton, Ohio(3) Brewing and packaging
Beer distributorship Denver, Colorado Distribution
Container operations Golden, Colorado(4) Can and end manufacturing facilities
Wheat Ridge, Colorado(4) Bottling manufacturing facility
Malting operations Golden, Colorado Malting
EMEA&APAC Segment
Brewery/packaging plants Apatin, Serbia(5) Brewing and packaging
Bőcs, Hungary Brewing and packaging
Burton-on-Trent, U.K.(5) Brewing and packaging
Haskovo, Bulgaria Brewing and packaging
Niksic, Montenegro Brewing and packaging
Ostrava, Czech Republic Brewing and packaging
Ploiesti, Romania(5) Brewing and packaging
Prague, Czech Republic(5) Brewing and packaging
Tadcaster Brewery, Yorkshire, U.K. Brewing and packaging
Zagreb, Croatia(5) Brewing and packaging
(1)We lease office space for our Americas segment operational headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, our global business services center in Bucharest, Romania as well as our corporate principal executive office and Americas segment administrative office in Montréal, Québec.
(2)As of December 31, 2022, we signed a sale and leaseback agreement for the EMEA&APAC segment operational headquarters facility located in Burton-on-Trent. The sale and leaseback agreement is due to terminate in February 2025 ahead of relocation to an owned facility near the Burton-on-Trent brewery that will serve as the EMEA&APAC segment operational headquarters from March 2025.
(3)The Golden, Trenton, Elkton, Albany and Fort Worth breweries collectively accounted for approximately 77% of our Americas segment production for the year ended December 31, 2024.
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(4)The Wheat Ridge and Golden, Colorado facilities are leased from us by RMBC and RMMC, respectively.
(5)The Burton-on-Trent, Prague, Ploiesti, Apatin and Zagreb breweries collectively accounted for approximately 73% of our EMEA&APAC segment production for the year ended December 31, 2024.
In addition to the properties listed above, we have smaller capacity facilities in each of our segments. We own and lease various warehouses, distribution centers and office spaces throughout the Americas segment and EMEA&APAC segment countries in which we operate.
We believe our facilities are well maintained and suitable for their respective operations. During the year ended December 31, 2024, our operating facilities were not capacity constrained.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
For information regarding litigation, other disputes and environmental and regulatory proceedings see Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 13, "Commitments and Contingencies."
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
Overview
Our Class A common stock and Class B common stock trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols "TAP.A" and "TAP," respectively. In addition, the Class A exchangeable shares and Class B exchangeable shares of our indirect subsidiary, Molson Coors Canada Inc., trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols "TPX.A" and "TPX.B," respectively. The Class A and B exchangeable shares are a means for shareholders to potentially defer Canadian income tax and have substantially the same economic and voting rights as the respective common shares. The exchangeable shares can be exchanged for our Class A or B common stock at any time and at the exchange ratios described in the Merger documents and receive the same dividends. At the time of an exchange, a shareholder's Canadian tax liability, if any, would become due. The exchangeable shares have voting rights through special voting shares held by a trustee.
The approximate number of record security holders by class of stock at February 11, 2025, is as follows:
Title of class Number of recordsecurity holders
Class A common stock, $0.01 par value 23
Class B common stock, $0.01 par value 2,838
Class A exchangeable shares, no par value 202
Class B exchangeable shares, no par value 2,143
Performance Graph
The following graph compares our cumulative total stockholder return over the last five fiscal years with the S&P 500 and a customized peer index including MCBC, ABI, Carlsberg, Heineken and Asahi (the "Peer Group"). We have used a weighted-average based on market capitalization to determine the return for the Peer Group. The graph assumes $100 was invested on December 31, 2019, in our Class B common stock, the S&P 500 and the Peer Group, and assumes reinvestment of all dividends.
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The below is provided for informational purposes and is not indicative of future performance.
Dividends
We do not have any restrictions that prevent or limit our ability to declare or pay dividends. A quarterly dividend of $0.44 per share was declared and paid to eligible shareholders of record on the respective record dates throughout 2024 for a total of $1.76 per share or a CAD equivalent of CAD 2.39 per share. A quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share was declared and paid to eligible shareholders of record on the respective record dates throughout 2023 for a total of $1.64 per share or a CAD equivalent of CAD 2.19 per share. A quarterly dividend of $0.38 per share was declared and paid to eligible shareholders of record on the respective record dates throughout 2022 for a total of $1.52 per share or a CAD equivalent of CAD 1.95 per share.
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Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table presents information with respect to Class B common stock purchases made by our Company during the three months ended December 31, 2024:
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
(1)On September 29, 2023, our Board approved a share repurchase program to repurchase up to an aggregate of $2.0 billion of our Company's Class B common stock, excluding brokerage commissions and excise taxes, with an expected program term of five years. The number, price, structure and timing of the repurchases under the program, if any, will be at our sole discretion and future repurchases will be evaluated by us depending on market conditions, liquidity needs, restrictions under our debt arrangements and other factors. Share repurchases may be made in the open market, in structured transactions or in privately negotiated transactions. The repurchase authorization does not oblige us to acquire any particular amount of our Company's Class B common stock. The Board may suspend, modify or terminate the repurchase program at any time without prior notice.
ITEM 6. [Reserved]
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
For more than two centuries, we have brewed beverages that unite people to celebrate all life’s moments. From our core power brands Coors Light, Miller Lite, Coors Banquet, Molson Canadian, Carling and Ožujsko to our above premium brands including Madrí Excepcional, Staropramen, Blue Moon Belgian White and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, to our economy and value brands like Miller High Life and Keystone Light, we produce many beloved and iconic beers. While our Company's history is rooted in beer, we offer a modern portfolio that expands beyond the beer aisle as well, including flavored beverages like Vizzy Hard Seltzer, spirits like Five Trail whiskey and non-alcoholic beverages. We also have partner brands, such as Simply Spiked, ZOA Energy, among others, through license, distribution, partnership and joint venture agreements. As a business, our ambition is to be the first choice for our people, our consumers and our customers, and our success depends on our ability to make our products available to meet a wide range of consumer segments and occasions.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is provided to assist in understanding our Company, operations and current business environment and should be considered a supplement to, and read in conjunction with, the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements and notes included within Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, as well as the discussion of our business and related risk factors in Part I—Item 1 Business and Part I—Item 1A Risk Factors, respectively. See also "Cautionary Statement Pursuant to Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995."
A discussion related to the results of operations and changes in financial condition for 2023 compared to 2022 has been omitted from this report, but may be found in Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our fiscal 2023 Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 20, 2024, which is available free of charge on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and our corporate website at www.molsoncoors.com.
Our Fiscal Year
Unless otherwise indicated, (a) all $ amounts are in USD, (b) comparisons are to comparable prior periods and (c) 2024, 2023 and 2022 refers to the 12 months ended December 31, 2024, December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
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Items Affecting Reported Results
Items Affecting the Consolidated Results of Operations
Purchases of Annuity Contracts
On September 26, 2024, we purchased annuity contracts for two of our Canadian pension plans. As a result, on September 30, 2024, we remeasured both pension plans and recorded a total settlement loss of $34.0 million to other pension and postretirement benefit (cost), net in the consolidated statements of operations. SeePart II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 11, "Employee Retirement Plans and Postretirement Benefits" and Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 15, "Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)" for further information.
Cobra Beer Partnership, Ltd. Buyout
In March 2024, our partner of CBPL exercised a put option under our partnership agreement which required us to acquire the remaining 49.9% ownership interest. We adjusted our NCI by $34.5 million to our best estimate of the redemption value that existed at the time of the put option exercise by increasing our net income attributable to noncontrolling interests and decreasing our net income attributable to MCBC. In addition, we received the final determination of the redemption value in the third quarter of 2024 and as the transaction was considered mandatorily redeemable, we recorded an adjustment of $45.8 million to interest expense in the EMEA&APAC segment. The transaction was finalized on October 21, 2024, resulting in a cash payment of $89 million which was recorded as a cash outflow from financing activities. See further discussion of this transaction in Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 1, "Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies".
Items Affecting the Americas Segment Results of Operations
ZOA Energy
On October 31, 2024, we further increased our investment in ZOA bringing our ownership interest to 51%. Upon conversion from equity method accounting to consolidation accounting, we recognized a gain of $77.9 million in other operating income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of operations. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 3, "Investments" for further information.
Wind Down or Sale of Certain U.S. Craft Businesses
During the third quarter of 2024, we decided to wind down or sell certain of our U.S. craft businesses and related facilities and recorded employee-related and asset abandonment charges, including accelerated depreciation in excess of normal depreciation of $93.6 million. In addition, we recognized a loss of $41.2 million on the sold businesses. We expect to continue to incur incremental restructuring charges during the first quarter of 2025 through completion of wind down and closure of certain remaining U.S. craft facilities. SeePart II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 17, "Other Operating Income (Expense), net" for further information.
Truss Impairment and Sale
During the first quarter of 2022, we recognized an impairment loss of $28.6 million related to the Truss LP ("Truss") joint venture asset group of which $12.1 million was attributable to the noncontrolling interest. Additionally, during the third quarter of 2023, we sold our controlling interest in Truss and recognized a loss of $11.1 million. These losses were recorded within other operating income (expense), net. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 17, "Other Operating Income (Expense), net" and Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 3, "Investments" for further information.
Keystone Litigation
During the first quarter of 2022, we accrued a liability of $56.0 million within MG&A related to probable losses as a result of the ongoing Keystone litigation case. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 we accrued $2.1 million and $1.9 million, respectively, in associated interest related to this accrued liability. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 13, "Commitments and Contingencies" for further information.
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Items Affecting the EMEA&APAC Segment Results of Operations
Staropramen Brands Impairment
During the fourth quarter of 2023, we recorded a partial impairment charge of $160.7 million to our indefinite-lived intangible asset related to the Staropramen family of brands within the EMEA&APAC segment as a result of our annual impairment analysis. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 6, "Goodwill and Intangible Assets" for further information.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and the conflict remains ongoing. As a result, we suspended exports of all our brands to Russia and subsequently terminated the license to produce any of our brands in Russia. While not material to our consolidated net sales, the Russia-Ukraine conflict negatively impacted our EMEA&APAC segment net sales for the years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022. In addition, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has caused a negative impact to the global economy which has impacted our Company, driving further increases to materials and manufacturing expenses. See risk factors related to this conflict at Part I.—Item 1A. "Risk Factors".
Consolidated Results of Operations
The following table highlights summarized components of our consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024, December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, “Consolidated Statements of Operations” for additional details of our U.S. GAAP results comparing December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.
For the years ended
(In millions, except percentages and per share data)
Goodwill impairment — — % — N/M (845.0)
N/M = Not meaningful
Foreign currency impacts on results
For the year ended December 31, 2024, foreign currency movements had the following impacts on our USD consolidated results:
•Net sales - Unfavorable impact of $1.6 million (unfavorable impact for Americas of $21.9 million, partially offset by the favorable impact for EMEA&APAC of $20.3 million).
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•Cost of goods sold - Favorable impact of $0.6 million (favorable impact for Americas and Unallocated of $14.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively, partially offset by the unfavorable impact for EMEA&APAC of $14.1 million).
•MG&A - Favorable impact of $2.8 million (favorable impact for Americas of $6.5 million, partially offset by the unfavorable impact for EMEA&APAC of $3.7 million).
•Income (loss) before income taxes - Unfavorable impact of $7.0 million (unfavorable impact for Americas and EMEA&APAC of $7.0 million and $2.3 million, respectively, partially offset by the favorable impact for Unallocated of $2.3 million).
The impacts of foreign currency movements on our consolidated USD results described above for the year ended December 31, 2024, were primarily due to the strengthening of the USD compared to the CAD and CZK, partially offset by the weakening of the USD compared to the GBP.
Included in these amounts are both translational and transactional impacts of changes in foreign exchange rates. We calculate the impact of foreign exchange by translating our current period local currency results at the average exchange rates used to translate the financial statements in the comparable prior year period during the respective period throughout the year and comparing that amount with the reported amount for the period. The impact of transactional foreign currency gains and losses, including the impact of undesignated foreign currency forwards, is recorded within other non-operating income (expense), net in our consolidated statements of operations.
Volume
Financial volume represents owned or actively managed brands sold to unrelated external customers within our geographic markets (net of returns and allowances), as well as contract brewing, factored non-owned volume and company-owned distribution volume. This metric is presented on a sales-to-wholesalers ("STW") basis to reflect the sales from our operations to our direct customers, generally distributors. We believe this metric is important and useful for investors and management because it gives an indication of the amount of beer and adjacent products that we have produced and shipped to customers. This metric excludes royalty volume, which consists of our brands produced and sold under various license and contract brewing agreements. Factored volume in our EMEA&APAC segment is the distribution of beer, wine, spirits and other products owned and produced by other companies to the on-premise channel such as bars and restaurants, which is a common arrangement in the U.K.
Net sales
The following table highlights the drivers of the change in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to December 31, 2023, (in percentages):
Financial Volume Price and Sales Mix Currency Total
Consolidated net sales (5.0) % 4.4 % — % (0.6) %
Net sales decreased 0.6% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year driven by lower financial volumes, partially offset by favorable price and sales mix.
Financial volumes decreased 5.0% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year, due to lower shipments in the Americas, including lower contract brewing volumes representing almost half of the decline as well as the impact of the macroeconomic environment resulting in industry softness. EMEA&APAC financial volumes also decreased 2.6%.
Price and sales mix favorably impacted net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024, by 4.4%, primarily due to increased net pricing as well as favorable sales mix for both segments, including as a result of lower contract brewing volumes in the Americas as well as premiumization and favorable channel mix in EMEA&APAC.
A discussion of currency impacts on net sales is included in the "Foreign currency impacts on results" section above.
Cost of goods sold
We utilize cost of goods sold per hectoliter, as well as the year over year changes in this metric, as a key metric for analyzing our results. This metric is calculated as cost of goods sold per our consolidated statements of operations divided by financial volume for the respective period. We believe this metric is important and useful for investors and management because it provides an indication of the trends of sales mix and other cost impacts on our cost of goods sold.
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Cost of goods sold decreased 3.3% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year, primarily due to lower financial volumes, partially offset by higher cost of goods sold per hectoliter. Cost of goods sold per hectoliter increased 1.8% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year, primarily due to cost inflation related to materials and manufacturing expenses, unfavorable mix driven by lower contract brewing volumes and volume deleverage in the Americas segment, partially offset by favorable changes in our unrealized mark-to-market commodity derivative positions of $133.0 million and cost savings initiatives.
A discussion of currency impacts on cost of goods sold is included in the "Foreign currency impacts on results" section above.
Marketing, general and administrative expenses
MG&A expenses decreased 2.2% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year, primarily due to lower incentive compensation expense and lower marketing resulting from cycling higher investment levels in the prior year.
A discussion of currency impacts on marketing, general and administrative expenses is included in the "Foreign currency impacts on results" section above.
Other operating income (expense), net
Other operating expense, net improved 59.8% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year, primarily due to the cycling of a $160.7 million partial impairment charge to our indefinite-lived intangible asset related to the Staropramen family of brands recorded in the prior year as well as a $77.9 million gain recognized upon the consolidation of ZOA in the fourth quarter of 2024, partially offset by the costs incurred related to the wind down and sale of certain U.S. craft businesses and related restructuring costs including accelerated depreciation charges in excess of normal depreciation of $93.6 million as well as a $41.2 million loss on the disposal of the sold businesses. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 17, "Other Operating Income (Expense), net" for further detail of our other operating income (expense), net.
Total non-operating income (expense), net
Total non-operating expense, net increased 34.7% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year primarily due to higher interest expense driven by a $45.8 million adjustment to increase our mandatorily redeemable NCI liability to the final redemption value related to the CBPL buyout recorded in the third quarter of 2024, a settlement loss of $34.0 million recorded as a result of Canadian pension plan annuity purchases and unfavorable transactional foreign currency impacts, partially offset by higher pension and OPEB non-service benefit.
Income tax benefit (expense)
For the years ended
Effective tax rate 23 % 24 % (198) %
Our effective tax rate decreased for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the prior year, in part due to the impact of the $77.9 million gain recognized upon the consolidation of ZOA in the fourth quarter of 2024, which is non-taxable. The decrease was partially offset by (i) the $20.0 million increase in valuation allowance that was recorded on deferred tax assets related to the sale of certain U.S. craft businesses in the third quarter of 2024, and (ii) the impact of the $45.8 million increase in the mandatorily redeemable NCI liability of CBPL in the third quarter of 2024, which is non-deductible for tax purposes. The effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2024, was further decreased by the recognition of additional net tax benefit items totaling $12.8 million, as compared to the recognition of additional net tax expense items totaling $10.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2023.
Our effective tax rate can be volatile and may change with, among other things, the amount and source of pretax income or loss, our ability to utilize foreign tax credits, excess tax benefits or deficiencies from share-based compensation, changes in tax laws and the movement of liabilities established pursuant to accounting guidance for uncertain tax positions as statutes of limitations expire, positions are effectively settled or when additional information becomes available. There are proposed or pending tax law changes in various jurisdictions and other changes to regulatory environments in countries in which we do business that, if enacted, could have an impact on our effective tax rate.
Refer to Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 12, "Income Tax" for further discussion regarding our effective tax rate.
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Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests increased $27.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the prior year, primarily due to the recording of an out of period adjustment in the third quarter 2024 to increase the noncontrolling interest to the best estimate of the redemption value that existed at the time of the put option exercise in March 2024. See further discussion in Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 1, "Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies".
Segment Results of Operations
Americas Segment
For the years ended
(In millions, except percentages)
(1)Includes gross inter-segment sales and volumes which are eliminated in the consolidated totals.
(2)Excludes royalty volume of 2.550 million hectoliters, 2.683 million hectoliters and 2.719 million hectoliters for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Net sales
The following table highlights the drivers of the change in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to December 31, 2023, (in percentages):
Financial Volume Price and Sales Mix Currency Total
Americas net sales (5.7) % 4.0 % (0.3) % (2.0) %
Net sales decreased 2.0% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year, driven by lower financial volumes and unfavorable foreign currency impacts, partially offset by favorable price and sales mix.
Financial volumes decreased 5.7% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year, primarily due to lower contract brewing volumes related to the wind down of a U.S. contract brewing arrangement (1.9 million hectoliters) and lower U.S. volumes due to the macroeconomic environment resulting in industry softness partly offset by an increase in volumes in Canada.
Price and sales mix favorably impacted net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024, by 4.0% primarily due to increased net pricing and favorable sales mix as a result of lower contract brewing volumes.
A discussion of currency impacts on net sales is included in the "Foreign currency impacts on results" section above.
Income (loss) before income taxes
Income before income taxes declined 2.8% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year, primarily due to lower financial volumes, cost inflation related to materials and manufacturing expenses and higher other operating expense, net, partially offset by increased net pricing, favorable sales mix, lower MG&A expense and favorable cost saving initiatives. Higher other operating expense, net was primarily due to the wind down and sale of certain of our U.S. craft businesses and related restructuring costs, including accelerated depreciation charges in excess of normal depreciation of $93.6 million as well as a $41.2 million loss on the disposal of the sold businesses, partially offset by a $77.9 million gain recognized upon the consolidation of ZOA in the fourth quarter of 2024. Lower MG&A spend was primarily due to lower incentive compensation expense and lower marketing resulting from cycling higher investment levels in the prior year.
A discussion of currency impacts on income (loss) before income taxes is included in the "Foreign currency impacts on results" section above.
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EMEA&APAC Segment
For the years ended
(In millions, except percentages)
Income (loss) before income taxes $ 145.3 N/M $ (41.1) N/M $ 61.0
N/M = Not meaningful
(1)Includes gross inter-segment sales and volumes which are eliminated in the consolidated totals.
(2)Excludes royalty volume of 1.185 million hectoliters, 0.935 million hectoliters and 1.012 million hectoliters for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Net sales
The following table highlights the drivers of the change in net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to December 31, 2023 (in percentages):
Financial Volume Price and Sales Mix Currency Total
EMEA&APAC net sales (2.6) % 6.7 % 0.9 % 5.0 %
Net sales increased 5.0% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year, driven by favorable price and sales mix as well as favorable foreign currency impacts, partially offset by lower financial volumes.
Financial volumes decreased 2.6% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year, primarily due to lower volumes in Western Europe due to soft market demand and high promotional activity from the competition, partially offset by Central and Eastern Europe volume growth driven by the favorable performance of our above premium and premium brands.
Price and sales mix favorably impacted net sales for the year ended December 31, 2024, by 6.7% primarily due to increased net pricing and favorable sales mix driven by premiumization and favorable channel mix.
A discussion of currency impacts on net sales is included in the "Foreign currency impacts on results" section above.
Income (loss) before income taxes
Income before income taxes was $145.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a loss before income taxes of $41.1 million in the prior year. The improvement was primarily due to the cycling of a $160.7 million partial impairment charge to our indefinite-lived intangible asset related to the Staropramen family of brands recorded in the prior year, increased net pricing, favorable sales mix and cost savings initiatives, partially offset by higher net interest expense, lower financial volumes and higher MG&A spend. Higher net interest expense was driven by an adjustment of $45.8 million to increase our mandatorily redeemable NCI liability to the final redemption value related to the CBPL buyout in the third quarter of 2024. Higher MG&A spend was due to increased strategic and transformation project costs as well as increased marketing to support our brands and innovations.
A discussion of currency impacts on income (loss) before income taxes is included in the "Foreign currency impacts on results" section above.
Unallocated Segment
We have certain activity that is not allocated to our segments, which has been reflected as Unallocated below. Specifically, Unallocated primarily includes certain financing-related activities such as interest expense and interest income, foreign exchange gains and losses on intercompany balances as well as realized and unrealized changes in fair value on derivative instruments not designated in hedging relationships related to financing and other treasury-related activities. Unallocated activity also includes the unrealized changes in fair value on our commodity swaps not designated in hedging relationships recorded within cost of goods sold, which are later reclassified when realized to the segment in which the underlying exposure resides. Additionally, only the service cost component of net periodic pension and OPEB cost is reported within each operating segment, and all other components remain unallocated.
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For the years ended
(In millions, except percentages)
N/M = Not meaningful
Cost of goods sold
The unrealized changes in fair value on our commodity derivatives, which are economic hedges, make up substantially all of the activity presented within cost of goods sold in the table above for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. As the exposure we are managing is realized, we reclassify the gain or loss on our commodity derivatives to the segment in which the underlying exposure resides, allowing our segments to realize the economic effects of the derivative without the resulting unrealized mark-to-market volatility. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 10, "Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities" for further information.
Total non-operating income (expense), net
Total non-operating expense, net increased 10.5% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to prior year primarily due to a settlement loss of $34.0 million recorded as a result of Canadian pension plan annuity purchases and lower favorable transactional foreign currency impacts, partially offset by higher pension and OPEB non-service benefits and higher interest income from higher cash balances.
See Part II - Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 11, "Employee Retirement Plans and Postretirement Benefits" for further discussion of pension and OPEB.
Fever-Tree Partnership
Effective February 1, 2025, we obtained exclusive rights via a license agreement to produce, market and sell Fever-Tree products in the U.S. In connection with this agreement, we acquired the shares of the Fever-Tree USA, Inc. entity, with the immaterial acquisition to be accounted for as a business combination and consideration to be allocated primarily to working capital balances. Further, we made an investment of approximately $90 million in Fever-Tree Drinks Plc, a listed entity on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:FEVR). The investment will be accounted for at fair value under ASC 321. We expect to incur certain one-time transition and integration fees related to the transactions over the next several months. The amounts of such fees will be dependent upon the progression of our integration plans.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity
Overview
Our primary sources of liquidity include cash provided by operating activities and access to external capital. We continue to monitor world events which may create credit or economic challenges that could adversely impact our profit or operating cash flows and our ability to obtain additional liquidity. We currently believe that our cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations and cash provided by short-term and long-term borrowings, when necessary, will be adequate to meet our ongoing operating requirements, scheduled principal and interest payments on debt, anticipated dividend payments, capital expenditures and other obligations for the twelve months subsequent to the date of the issuance of this report and our long-term liquidity requirements. We do not have any restrictions that prevent or limit our ability to declare or pay dividends.
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While a significant portion of our cash flows from operating activities are generated within the U.S., our cash balances include cash held outside the U.S. and in currencies other than the USD. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 55% of our cash and cash equivalents were located outside the U.S., largely denominated in foreign currencies. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates have had and may continue to have a material impact on these foreign cash balances. Cash balances in foreign countries are often subject to additional restrictions. We may, therefore, have difficulties timely repatriating cash held outside the U.S., and such repatriation may be subject to tax. These limitations may affect our ability to fully utilize our cash resources for needs in the U.S. and other countries and may adversely affect our liquidity. To the extent necessary, we accrue for tax consequences on the earnings of our foreign subsidiaries as they are earned. We may utilize tax planning and financing strategies in an effort to ensure that our worldwide cash is available in the locations in which it is needed. We periodically review and evaluate these plans and strategies, including externally committed and non-committed credit agreements accessible by our Company and each of our operating subsidiaries. We believe these financing arrangements, along with cash flows from operating activities within the U.S., are sufficient to fund our current cash needs in the U.S.
Guarantor Information
SEC Registered Securities
For purposes of this disclosure, including the tables, "Parent Issuer" shall mean MCBC in its capacity as the issuer of the senior notes under the May 2012 Indenture, the July 2016 Indenture and the May 2024 Indenture. "Subsidiary Guarantors" shall mean certain Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries reflecting the substantial operations of our Americas segment.
Pursuant to the indenture dated May 3, 2012 (as amended, the "May 2012 Indenture"), MCBC issued its outstanding 5.0% senior notes due 2042. Additionally, pursuant to the indenture dated July 7, 2016 ("July 2016 Indenture"), MCBC issued its outstanding 3.0% senior notes due 2026, 4.2% senior notes due 2046 and 1.25% senior notes due 2024 (subsequently repaid upon maturity on July 15, 2024). Further, pursuant to the indenture dated May 29, 2024 ("May 2024 Indenture"), MCBC issued its outstanding 3.8% senior notes due 2032. The issuances of the senior notes issued under the May 2012 Indenture, the July 2016 Indenture and the May 2024 Indenture were registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These senior notes are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by certain subsidiaries of MCBC, which are listed in Exhibit 22 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the Subsidiary Guarantors, and together with the Parent Issuer, the "Obligor Group"). Each of the Subsidiary Guarantors is 100% owned by the Parent Issuer. The guarantees are full and unconditional and joint and several.