NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

12 Months Ended

May 29, 2022

NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

These Consolidated Financial Statements present the financial results of Lamb Weston for the fiscal years ended May 29, 2022, May 30, 2021, and May 31, 2020 (“fiscal 2022, 2021, and 2020”), and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States of America (“U.S.”). The fiscal year of Lamb Weston ends the last Sunday in May. The fiscal years for the Consolidated Financial Statements presented consist of 52-week periods for fiscal 2022 and 2021, and a 53-week period for fiscal 2020.

The financial statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) that we consider necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements. Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Lamb Weston and all of our majority-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany investments, accounts, and transactions have been eliminated.

Certain amounts in the prior period consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation.

The equity method of accounting is applied for investments when the Company has significant influence over the investee’s operations, or when the investee is structured with separate capital accounts and our investment is considered more than minor. Our equity method investments are described in Note 4, Equity Method Investments.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including but not limited to those related to provisions for income taxes, estimates of sales incentives and trade promotion allowances, long-lived assets, and equity method investments. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. We adjust such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. Changes in these estimates will be reflected in the consolidated financial statements in future periods.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

Generally, we recognize revenue on a point-in-time basis when the customer takes title to the product and assumes the risks and rewards for the product. However, for customized products, which are products manufactured to customers’ unique specifications, we recognize revenue over time, utilizing an output method, which is generally as the products are produced. This is because once a customized product is manufactured pursuant to a purchase order, we have an enforceable right to payment for that product. Our Global segment sells the majority of our customized products, for which revenue is recognized when a purchase order is received to the extent the product has been manufactured, as opposed to sales of non-

customized products, for which revenue is generally recognized upon shipment. As a result, the timing of the receipt of a purchase order may create quarterly fluctuations in this segment.

The nature of our contracts varies based on the business, customer type, and region; however, in all instances it is our customary business practice to receive a valid order from the customer, in which each party’s rights and related payment terms are clearly identifiable. Our payment terms are consistent with industry standards and generally include early pay discounts. Amounts billed and due from customers are short-term in nature and are classified as receivables, since payments are unconditional and only the passage of time is required before payments are due. As of May 29, 2022, and May 30, 2021, we had $122.7 million and $111.0 million, respectively, of unbilled receivables for customized products for which we have accelerated the recognition of revenue and recorded the amounts in “Receivables” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We generally do not offer financing to our customers. We also do not provide a general right of return. However, customers may seek to return defective or non-conforming products. Following a customer return, we may offer remedies, including cash refunds, credit towards future purchases, or product replacement. As a result, customers’ right of return and related refund or product liabilities are estimated and recorded as reductions in revenue.

We have contract terms that give rise to variable consideration including, but not limited to, discounts, coupons, rebates, and volume-based incentives. We estimate volume rebates based on the most likely amount method outlined in the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. We estimate early payment discounts and other customer trade incentives based principally on historical sales and coupon utilization and redemption rates, influenced by judgments about current market conditions such as competitive activity in specific product categories, which is consistent with the expected value method outlined in ASC 606. We have concluded that these methods result in the best estimate of the consideration we are entitled to from our customers. Because of the complexity of some of these trade promotions, however, the ultimate resolution may result in payments that are materially different from our estimates. As additional information becomes known, we may change our estimates. At May 29, 2022 and May 30, 2021, we had $41.2 million and $39.9 million, respectively, of sales incentives and trade promotions payable recorded in “Accrued liabilities” on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

We have elected to present all sales taxes on a net basis, account for shipping and handling activities as fulfillment activities, recognize the incremental costs of obtaining a contract as expense when incurred if the amortization period of the asset we would recognize is one year or less, and not record interest income or interest expense when the difference in timing of control or transfer and customer payment is one year or less.

Advertising and Promotion

Advertising and Promotion

Advertising and promotion expenses totaled $18.9 million, $17.8 million, and $23.0 million in fiscal 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively, and are included in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings as the expenses are incurred.

Research and Development

Research and Development

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred and totaled $16.2 million, $12.9 million, and $15.4 million in fiscal 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively, and are included in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

Compensation expense resulting from all stock-based compensation transactions is measured and recorded in the consolidated financial statements based on the grant date fair value of the equity instruments issued. Compensation expense is recognized over the period the employee or non-employee director provides service in exchange for the award. See Note 10, Stock-Based Compensation, for additional information.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of acquisition are classified as cash and cash equivalents and stated at cost, which approximates market value. We maintain various banking relationships with high quality financial institutions and believe we are not exposed to any significant credit risk for our cash and cash equivalents. We invest available cash in money market funds that are backed by U.S. Treasury securities and can be redeemed without notice.

Trade Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade accounts receivable are stated at the amount we expect to collect based on our past experience, as well as reliance on the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, which was enacted to help promote fair trade in the fruit and vegetable industry by establishing a code of fair business practices. The collectability of our accounts receivable is based upon a combination of factors. In circumstances where a specific customer is unable to meet its financial obligations (e.g., bankruptcy filings, substantial downgrading of credit sources), a specific reserve for bad debts is recorded against amounts due to the Company to reduce the net recorded receivable to the amount that we reasonably believe will be collected. For all other customers, reserves for bad debts are recognized based on forward-looking information to assess expected credit losses. If collection experience deteriorates, the estimate of the recoverability of amounts due could be reduced. We periodically review our allowance for doubtful accounts and adjustments to the valuation allowance are recorded as income or expense in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in our Consolidated Statements of Earnings. Trade accounts receivable balances that remain outstanding after we have used reasonable collection efforts are written off through a charge to the valuation allowance and a credit to accounts receivable.

Inventories

Inventories

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost (determined using the first-in, first-out method) or net realizable value and include all costs directly associated with manufacturing products: materials, labor, and manufacturing overhead. The components of inventories were as follows:

	May 29,		May 30,
(in millions)	2022		2021
Raw materials and packaging	$	96.1	$	89.8
Finished goods		426.5		377.8
Supplies and other		51.8		45.9
Inventories	$	574.4	$	513.5

Leased Assets

Leased Assets

Lease assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from these leases. Operating lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date of the lease based on the present value of the lease payments over the lease term. Our leases may include options to extend or terminate these leases. These options to extend are included in the lease term when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Some leases have variable payments, however, because they are not based on an index or rate, they are not included in lease assets and liabilities. Variable payments for leases of land and buildings primarily relate to common area maintenance, insurance, taxes, and utilities. Variable payments for equipment, vehicles, and leases within supply agreements primarily relate to usage, repairs, and maintenance. As the implicit rate is not readily determinable for most of our leases, we use an incremental borrowing rate to determine the initial present value of lease payments over the lease terms on a collateralized basis over a similar term, which is based on market and company specific information. This rate is updated quarterly for measurement of new lease liabilities. Leases having a lease term of twelve months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet and the related lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. In addition, we account for lease and non-lease components as a single lease component for all of our leases. See Note 8, Leases, for more information.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost. Cost includes expenditures for major improvements and replacements and the amount of interest cost associated with significant capital additions. The amount of interest capitalized from construction in progress was $6.0 million, $1.9 million, and $2.6 million in fiscal 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. The components of property, plant and equipment were as follows:

	May 29,		May 30,
(in millions)	2022		2021
Land and land improvements	$	114.1	$	108.2
Buildings, machinery, and equipment		2,919.0		2,763.3
Furniture, fixtures, office equipment, and other		92.1		97.1
Construction in progress		156.1		122.5
Property, plant and equipment, at cost		3,281.3		3,091.1
Less accumulated depreciation		(1,702.1)		(1,567.1)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	1,579.2	$	1,524.0

Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the respective classes of assets as follows:

Land improvements	2-30 years
Buildings	10-40 years
Machinery and equipment	5-20 years
Furniture, fixtures, office equipment, and other	3-15 years

We recorded $181.5 million, $177.7 million, and $175.3 million of depreciation expense in fiscal 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. At May 29, 2022 and May 30, 2021, purchases of property, plant and equipment included in accounts payable were $38.3 million and $23.1 million, respectively.

Long-Lived Asset Impairment

Long-Lived Asset Impairment

We review long-lived assets for impairment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances which indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable, measured by comparing their net book value to the undiscounted projected future cash flows generated by their use. Impaired assets are recorded at their estimated fair value.

Goodwill and Other Identifiable Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Other Identifiable Intangible Assets

We perform an annual impairment assessment of goodwill at the reporting unit level in the fourth quarter of each year, or more frequently if indicators of potential impairment exist. We have an option to evaluate goodwill for impairment by first performing a qualitative assessment of events and circumstances to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting until is less than its carrying amount. If we determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amounts, then a quantitative goodwill impairment test is not required to be performed. The quantitative assessment requires us to estimate the fair value of our reporting units using a weighted approach based on discounted future cash flows, market multiples and transaction multiples. If the carrying amount of the reporting units is in excess of their estimated fair value, the reporting unit will record an impairment charge by the amount that the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.

We amortize acquisition-related intangible assets with finite lives over their estimated useful life. We perform a review of significant finite-lived identified intangible assets to determine whether facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. These reviews can be affected by various factors, including external factors such as industry and economic trends, and internal factors such as changes in our business strategy and our forecasts for our products lines.

See Note 5, Goodwill and Other Identifiable Intangible Assets, for additional information.

Fair Values of Financial Instruments

Fair Values of Financial Instruments

When determining fair value, we consider the principal or most advantageous market in which we would transact, as well as assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability. Unless otherwise specified, we believe the carrying value of financial instruments approximates their fair value.

The three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value are:

Level 1—Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. We evaluate security-specific market data when determining whether a market is active.

Level 2—Observable market-based inputs other than those included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in inactive markets.

Level 3—Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability reflecting our own assumptions and best estimate of what inputs market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

See Note 11, Fair Value Measurements, for additional information.

Foreign Currency

Foreign Currency

Most of our foreign subsidiaries use the local currency of their respective countries as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet dates. Revenues and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars using daily and monthly average exchange rates. Gains and losses resulting from the translation of Consolidated Balance Sheets are recorded as a component of “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).”

Foreign currency transactions resulted in a loss of $3.3 million, a gain of $1.3 million, and a loss of $0.1 million in fiscal 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. These amounts were recorded in “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings.

Derivative Financial Instruments

Derivative Financial Instruments

We use derivatives and other financial instruments to hedge a portion of our commodity risks. We do not hold or issue derivatives and other financial instruments for trading purposes. Derivative instruments are reported in our Consolidated Balance Sheets at their fair values, unless the derivative instruments qualify for the normal purchase normal sale exception (“NPNS”) under GAAP and such exception has been elected. If the NPNS exception is elected, the fair values of such contracts are not recognized. Changes in derivative instrument values are recognized in “Cost of sales” in our Consolidated Statements of Earnings. We do not designate commodity derivatives to achieve hedge accounting treatment.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

We recognize current tax liabilities and assets based on an estimate of taxes payable or refundable in the current year for each of the jurisdictions in which we transact business. As part of the determination of our current tax liability, management exercises considerable judgment in evaluating positions taken in the tax returns. We recognize the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions

are measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely of being realized. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected in the period in which the change in judgment occurs.

We also recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the estimated future tax effects attributable to temporary differences (e.g., the difference in book basis versus tax basis of fixed assets resulting from differing depreciation methods). If appropriate, we recognize valuation allowances to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts that are more likely than not to be ultimately realized, based on our assessment of estimated future taxable income.

See Note 3, Income Taxes, for more information.

New and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

New and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848) Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This update provides optional guidance for a limited period of time to ease potential accounting impacts associated with transitioning away from reference rates that are expected to be discontinued, such as interbank offered rates and the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). This guidance includes practical expedients for contract modifications due to reference rate reform. Generally, contract modifications related to reference rate reform may be considered an event that does not require remeasurement or reassessment of a previous accounting determination at the modification date. Our current contracts that reference LIBOR include certain debt instruments. The amendments in this guidance are effective for eligible contract modifications through December 31, 2022. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

There were no other accounting pronouncements recently issued that had or are expected to have a material impact on our financial statements.