GENERAL

6 Months Ended

Apr. 29, 2012

GENERAL

GENERAL

NOTE A                GENERAL

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Hormel Foods Corporation (the Company) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information, and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  Operating results for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year.  The balance sheet at October 30, 2011, has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.  For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 30, 2011.

Certain reclassifications of previously reported amounts have been made to conform to the current year presentation.  The reclassifications had no impact on net earnings as previously reported.

Investments

The Company maintains a rabbi trust to fund certain supplemental executive retirement plans and deferred income plans, which is included in other assets on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.  The securities held by the trust are classified as trading securities.  Therefore, unrealized gains and losses associated with these investments are included in the Company’s earnings.  Gains related to securities held by the trust were $1.4 million and $2.7 million for the second quarter and six months ended April 29, 2012, respectively, compared to gains of $1.4 million and $1.8 million for the second quarter and six months ended May 1, 2011.  The Company has transitioned the majority of this portfolio to more fixed return investments to reduce the exposure to volatility in equity markets.

The Company also holds securities as part of an investment portfolio, which are classified as short-term marketable securities on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.  These investments are also trading securities.  Therefore, unrealized gains and losses are included in the Company’s earnings.  The Company recorded a gain of $0.4 million and $0.7 million related to these investments during the second quarter and six months ended April 29, 2012, respectively, compared to a gain of $0.3 million and $0.4 million for the second quarter and six months ended May 1, 2011.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

Non-cash investment activities presented on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows generally consist of unrealized gains or losses on the Company’s rabbi trust and other investments, amortization of affordable housing investments, and amortization of bond financing costs.  The noted investments are included in other assets or short-term marketable securities on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.  Changes in the value of these investments are included in the Company’s net earnings and are presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as either interest and investment income or interest expense, as appropriate.

Guarantees

The Company enters into various agreements guaranteeing specified obligations of affiliated parties.  The Company’s guarantees either terminate in one year or remain in place until such time as the Company revokes the agreement.  The Company currently provides a renewable standby letter of credit for $4.8 million to guarantee obligations that may arise under worker compensation claims of an affiliated party.  This potential obligation is not reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) updated the guidance within Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 220, Comprehensive Income.  The update eliminates the option for companies to report other comprehensive income and its related components in the Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity.  Instead, companies have the option to present total comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous Statement of Comprehensive Income or in two separate but consecutive statements.  The updated guidance is to be applied retrospectively, and is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted.  The Company will adopt the new provisions of this accounting standard at the beginning of fiscal year 2013, and adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements, as it relates to presentation only.

In May 2011, the FASB updated the guidance within ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures.  The update amends and clarifies current fair value measurement guidance, and requires additional disclosures.  The most significant disclosure requirement relates to quantitative information about the unobservable inputs used in a fair value measurement that is categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.  The updated guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011, and early adoption is not permitted.  Accordingly, the Company adopted the new provisions of this accounting standard in the second quarter of fiscal 2012, and adoption did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.