We currently use financial instruments to mitigate commodity price risk and interest rate risk. The objectives and strategies for using financial instruments and the related accounting for these financial instruments are fully described in Notes 2 and 15 to the consolidated financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022. During the six months ended March 31, 2023, there were no material changes in our objectives, strategies and accounting for using financial instruments. Our financial instruments do not contain any credit-risk-related or other contingent features that could cause payments to be accelerated when our financial instruments are in net liability positions. The following summarizes those objectives and strategies.

Our purchased gas cost adjustment mechanisms essentially insulate our distribution segment from commodity price risk; however, our customers are exposed to the effects of volatile natural gas prices. We manage this exposure through a combination of physical storage, fixed-price forward contracts and financial instruments, primarily over-the-counter swap and option contracts, in an effort to minimize the impact of natural gas price volatility on our customers during the winter heating season.

We typically seek to hedge between 25 and 50 percent of anticipated heating season gas purchases using financial instruments. For the 2022-2023 heating season (generally October through March), in the jurisdictions where we are permitted to utilize financial instruments, we hedged approximately 32 percent, or 17.7 Bcf, of the winter flowing gas requirements. We have not designated these financial instruments as hedges for accounting purposes.

We manage interest rate risk by periodically entering into financial instruments to effectively fix the Treasury yield component of the interest cost associated with anticipated financings.

In March 2023, we entered into forward starting interest rate swaps to effectively fix the Treasury yield component associated with $150 million of planned issuances of unsecured senior notes in fiscal 2024. These swaps were designated as cash flow hedges at the time the agreements were executed.

Additionally, in April 2023, we entered into a forward starting interest rate swap to effectively fix the Treasury yield component associated with $100 million of planned issuances of unsecured senior notes in fiscal 2024. This swap was designated as a cash flow hedge at the time the agreement was executed.

The following tables present detailed information concerning the impact of financial instruments on our condensed consolidated balance sheet and statements of comprehensive income.

As of March 31, 2023, our financial instruments were comprised of both long and short commodity positions. A long position is a contract to purchase the commodity, while a short position is a contract to sell the commodity. As of March 31, 2023, we had 4,123 MMcf of net long commodity contracts outstanding. These contracts have not been designated as hedges.

The following tables present the fair value and balance sheet classification of our financial instruments as of March 31, 2023 and September 30, 2022. The gross amounts of recognized assets and liabilities are netted within our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets to the extent that we have netting arrangements with our counterparties. However, as of March 31, 2023 and September 30, 2022, no gross amounts and no cash collateral were netted within our consolidated balance sheet.


		March 31, 2023
	Balance Sheet Location	Assets		Liabilities
		(In thousands)

Designated As Hedges:

Interest rate contracts	Other current assets / Other current liabilities	$	95,735	$	(272)

Interest rate contracts	Deferred charges and other assets / Deferred credits and other liabilities	250,232		—
Total		345,967		(272)
Not Designated As Hedges:
Commodity contracts	Other current assets / Other current liabilities	1,974		(11,679)

Total		1,974		(11,679)
Gross / Net Financial Instruments		$	347,941	$	(11,951)


		September 30, 2022
	Balance Sheet Location	Assets		Liabilities
		(In thousands)

Designated As Hedges:



Interest rate contracts	Deferred charges and other assets / Deferred credits and other liabilities	$	355,075	$	—
Total		355,075		—
Not Designated As Hedges:
Commodity contracts	Other current assets / Other current liabilities	26,207		(3,000)
Commodity contracts	Deferred charges and other assets / Deferred credits and other liabilities	709		(1,129)
Total		26,916		(4,129)
Gross / Net Financial Instruments		$	381,991	$	(4,129)

As discussed above, our distribution segment has interest rate agreements, which we designated as cash flow hedges at the time the agreements were executed. The net (gain) loss on settled interest rate agreements reclassified from AOCI into interest charges on our condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 was $(0.7) million and $1.0 million and for the six months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 was $(1.4) million and $1.9 million.

The following table summarizes the gains and losses arising from hedging transactions that were recognized as a component of other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes, for the three and six months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.


	Three Months Ended March 31				Six Months Ended March 31
	2023		2022		2023		2022
	(In thousands)
Increase (decrease) in fair value:
Interest rate agreements	$	(29,937)	$	121,140	$	(7,276)	$	74,518

Recognition of (gains) losses in earnings due to settlements:
Interest rate agreements	(530)		744		(1,060)		1,488

Total other comprehensive income (loss) from hedging, net of tax	$	(30,467)	$	121,884	$	(8,336)	$	76,006

Deferred gains (losses) recorded in AOCI associated with our interest rate agreements are recognized in earnings as they are amortized over the terms of the underlying debt instruments. As of March 31, 2023, we had $93.1 million of net realized gains in AOCI associated with our interest rate agreements. The following amounts, net of deferred taxes, represent the expected recognition in earnings of the deferred net gains recorded in AOCI associated with our interest rate agreements, based upon the fair values of these agreements at the date of settlement. The remaining amortization periods for these settled amounts extend through fiscal 2053. However, the table below does not include the expected recognition in earnings of our outstanding interest rate swaps as those instruments have not yet settled.

As discussed above, commodity contracts which are used in our distribution segment are not designated as hedges. However, there is no earnings impact on our distribution segment as a result of the use of these financial instruments because the gains and losses arising from the use of these financial instruments are recognized in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income as a component of purchased gas cost when the related costs are recovered through our rates and recognized in revenue. Accordingly, the impact of these financial instruments is excluded from this presentation.