The Company uses hedging programs to manage risk associated with commodity purchases and interest rates. These programs utilize futures, swaps, and options contracts to manage the Company’s exposure to market fluctuations. The Company has determined its designated hedging programs to be highly effective in offsetting the changes in fair value or cash flows generated by the items hedged. Effectiveness testing is performed on a quarterly basis to ascertain a high level of effectiveness for cash flow and fair value hedging programs. If the requirements of hedge accounting are no longer met, hedge accounting is discontinued immediately and any future changes to fair value are recorded directly through earnings.

Cash Flow Commodity Hedges: The Company designates grain, lean hog, and natural gas futures, swaps, and options contracts used to offset price fluctuations in the Company’s future purchases of these commodities as cash flow hedges. Effective gains or losses related to these cash flow hedges are reported in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (AOCL) and reclassified into earnings, through Cost of Products Sold, in the periods in which the hedged transactions affect earnings. The Company typically does not hedge its grain or natural gas exposure beyond the next two upcoming fiscal years and its lean hog exposure beyond the next fiscal year.

Fair Value Commodity Hedges: The Company designates the futures it uses to minimize the price risk assumed when fixed forward priced contracts are offered to the Company’s commodity suppliers as fair value hedges. The programs are intended to make the forward priced commodities cost nearly the same as cash market purchases at the date of delivery. Changes in the fair value of the futures contracts and the gain or loss on the hedged purchase commitment are marked-to-market through earnings and recorded on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as a Current Asset and Current Liability, respectively. Gains or losses related to these fair value hedges are recognized through Cost of Products Sold in the periods in which the hedged transactions affect earnings.

Cash Flow Interest Rate Hedges: In the second quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company designated two separate interest rate locks as cash flow hedges to manage interest rate risk associated with the anticipated debt transactions required to fund the acquisition of the Planters® snack nuts business. The total notional amount of the Company's locks was $1.25 billion. In the third quarter of fiscal 2021, the associated unsecured senior notes were issued with a tenor of seven and thirty years and both locks were lifted (See Note L - Long-Term Debt and Other Borrowing Arrangements). Mark-to-market gains and losses on these instruments were deferred as a component of AOCL. The resulting gain in AOCL is reclassified to Interest Expense in the period in which the hedged transactions affect earnings.

Fair Value Interest Rate Hedge: In the first quarter of fiscal 2022, the Company entered into an interest rate swap to protect against changes in the fair value of a portion of previously issued senior unsecured notes attributable to the change in the benchmark interest rate. The hedge specifically designated the last $450 million of the notes due June 2024 (the 2024 Notes). The Company terminated the swap in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. The loss related to the swap was recorded as a fair value hedging adjustment to the hedged debt and will be amortized through earnings over the remaining life of the debt.

Other Derivatives: The Company holds certain futures and swap contracts to manage the Company’s exposure to fluctuations in grain and pork commodity markets. The Company has not applied hedge accounting to these positions. Activity related to derivatives not designated as hedges is immaterial to the consolidated financial statements.

Fair Value of Derivatives: The gross fair values of the Company’s derivative instruments designated as hedges are:


In thousands	Location on Consolidated Statements of Financial Position	October 29, 2023		October 30, 2022
Commodity Contracts(1)	Other Current Assets	$	(13,233)	$	13,504

(1) Amounts represent the gross fair value of commodity derivative assets and liabilities. The Company nets the derivative assets and liabilities for each of its commodity hedging programs, including cash collateral, when a master netting arrangement exists between the Company and the counterparty to the derivative contract. The amount or timing of cash collateral balances may impact the classification of the commodity derivative on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. The gross liability position as of October 29, 2023, is offset by the right to reclaim net cash collateral of $32.2 million contained within the master netting arrangement. The gross asset position as of October 30, 2022, is offset by the obligation to return net cash collateral of $1.3 million. See Note I - Fair Value Measurements for a discussion of these net amounts as reported on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.


In thousands	Location on Consolidated Statements of Financial Position	October 29, 2023		October 30, 2022
Commodity Contracts	Accounts Payable(1)	$	(4,914)	$	5,725
Interest Rate Contracts	Current Maturities of Long-term Debt(2)	(442,549)		—
Interest Rate Contracts	Long-term Debt Less Current Maturities(2)	—		(430,050)

(2) Represents the carrying amount of the hedged portion of the 2024 Notes. As of October 29, 2023, the carrying amount of the 2024 Notes included a cumulative fair value hedging adjustment of $7.5 million from discontinued hedges. In the third quarter of fiscal 2023, the 2024 Notes and the fair value hedging adjustment were reclassified from Long-term Debt less Current Maturities to Current Maturities of Long-term Debt on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss Impact: As of October 29, 2023, the Company included in AOCL hedging losses (before tax) of $24.5 million on commodity contracts and gains (before tax) of $12.5 million related to interest rate settled positions. The Company expects to recognize the majority of the losses on commodity contracts over the next twelve months. Gains on interest rate contracts offset the hedged interest payments over the tenor of the associated debt instruments.


	Gain/(Loss) Recognized in AOCL(1)				Location on Consolidated Statements of Operations	Gain/(Loss) Reclassified from AOCL into Earnings(1)
In thousands	Fiscal Year Ended					Fiscal Year Ended
Cash Flow Hedges:	October 29, 2023		October 30, 2022			October 29, 2023		October 30, 2022
Commodity Contracts	$	(50,353)	$	56,371	Cost of Products Sold	$	1,225	$	57,592
Excluded Component(2)	1,127		(4,748)			—		—
Interest Rate Contracts	—		—		Interest Expense	988		988


	Fiscal Year Ended
In thousands	October 29, 2023		October 30, 2022		October 31, 2021
Net Earnings Attributable to Hormel Foods Corporation	$	793,572	$	999,987	$	908,839

Cash Flow Hedges - Commodity Contracts
Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCL	1,225		55,350		31,787
Amortization of Excluded Component from Options	(5,835)		(4,369)		(3,033)
Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCL Due to Discontinuance of Cash Flow Hedges(1)	—		2,242		(743)
Fair Value Hedges - Commodity Contracts
Gain (Loss) on Commodity Futures(2)	656		(18,122)		(28,078)
Total Gain (Loss) on Commodity Contracts(3)	$	(3,955)	$	35,101	$	(67)

Cash Flow Hedges - Interest Rate Locks
Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCL	988		988		399
Fair Value Hedge - Interest Rate Swap
Gain (Loss) on Interest Rate Swap	—		928		—
Amortization of Loss Due to Discontinuance of Fair Value Hedge(4)	(12,499)		(1,923)		—
Total Gain (Loss) on Interest Rate Contracts(5)	$	(11,511)	$	(7)	$	399

Total Gain (Loss) Recognized in Earnings	$	(15,466)	$	35,094	$	332

(1) In fiscal years 2022 and 2021, the Company discontinued hedge accounting related to corn usage that was deemed no longer probable to occur resulting in the immediate recognition of gains of $2.2 million (1.0 million bushels) and losses of $0.7 million (2.8 million bushels), respectively.

(2) Represents gains or losses on commodity contracts designated as fair value hedges that were closed during the year, which were offset by a corresponding gain or loss on the underlying hedged purchase commitment. Additional gains or losses related to changes in the fair value of open commodity contracts, along with the offsetting gain or loss on the hedged purchase commitment, are also marked-to-market through earnings with no impact on a net basis.