Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item
7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
We
are exposed to various market risks, including changes in commodity prices, as discussed below. Market risk is the potential loss arising
from adverse changes in market rates and prices. In the ordinary course of business, we may enter into various types of transactions
involving financial instruments to manage and reduce the impact of changes in commodity prices. We do not have material exposure to interest
rate risk. We do not expect to have any exposure to foreign currency risk as we conduct all of our transactions in U.S. dollars.
We
produce and distribute specialty alcohol, fuel-grade ethanol and essential ingredients. Our business is sensitive to changes in the prices
of ethanol and corn. In the ordinary course of business, we may enter into various types of transactions involving financial instruments
to manage and reduce the impact of changes in ethanol and corn prices. We do not enter into derivatives or other financial instruments
for trading or speculative purposes.
We
are subject to market risk with respect to ethanol and corn pricing. Ethanol prices are sensitive to global and domestic ethanol supply;
crude-oil supply and demand; crude-oil refining capacity; carbon intensity; government regulation; and consumer demand for alternative
fuels. Our ethanol sales are priced using contracts that are either based on a fixed price or an indexed price tied to a specific market,
such as Chicago Ethanol (Platts) or the Oil Price Information Service. Under these fixed-priced arrangements, we are exposed to risk
of a decrease in the market price of ethanol between the time the price is fixed and the time the alcohol is sold.
We
satisfy our physical corn needs, the principal raw material used to produce alcohol and essential ingredients, based on purchases from
our corn vendors. Generally, we determine the purchase price of our corn at or near the time we begin to grind. Additionally, we also
enter into volume contracts with our vendors to fix the purchase price. As such, we are also subject to market risk with respect to the
price of corn. The price of corn is subject to wide fluctuations due to unpredictable factors such as weather conditions, farmer planting
decisions, governmental policies with respect to agriculture and international trade and global supply and demand. Under the fixed price
arrangements, we assume the risk of a decrease in the market price of corn between the time the price is fixed and the time the corn
is utilized.
Essential
ingredients are sensitive to various demand factors such as numbers of livestock on feed, prices for feed alternatives and supply factors,
primarily production of ethanol co-products by ethanol plants and other sources.
As
noted above, we may attempt to reduce the market risk associated with fluctuations in the price of ethanol or corn by employing a variety
of risk management and hedging strategies. Strategies include the use of derivative financial instruments such as futures and options
executed on the CME and/or the New York Mercantile Exchange, as well as the daily management of physical corn.
These
derivatives are not designated for special hedge accounting treatment, and as such, the changes in the fair values of these contracts
are recorded on the balance sheet and recognized immediately in cost of goods sold. We recognized net losses of $8.0 million, net gains
of $19.3 million and net gains of $21.6 million related to the change in the fair values of these contracts for the years ended December
31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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We
prepared a sensitivity analysis as of December 31, 2023 to estimate our exposure to ethanol and corn. Market risk related to these factors
was estimated as the potential change in pre-tax income resulting from a hypothetical 10% adverse change in the prices of our expected
ethanol and corn volumes. The analysis uses average CME prices for the year and does not factor in future contracted volumes. The results
of this analysis for the year ended December 31, 2023, which may differ materially from actual results, are as follows (in millions):
Commodity
Volume
Unit of Measure
Approximate
Adverse Change to
Pre-Tax Income
Ethanol
305.9
Gallons
$ 45.5
Corn
72.6
Bushels
$ 41.0
Item
8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Reference
is made to the financial statements, which begin at page F-1 of this report.
Item
9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.