SEC Filings
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| 10-K | |
| HRG GROUP, INC. filed this Form 10-K on 11/23/2016 | |
| Entire Document | |
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changes in currency exchange rates, price controls, general economic conditions and other unforeseen circumstances. In particular, during the years 2012 and 2013, Spectrum Brands experienced extraordinary price increases for raw materials, particularly as a result of strong demand from China. Although Spectrum Brands may increase the prices of certain of its goods to its customers, Spectrum Brands may not be able to pass all of these cost increases on to its customers. As a result, its margins may be adversely impacted by such cost increases. Spectrum Brands cannot provide any assurance that its sources of supply will not be interrupted due to changes in worldwide supply of or demand for raw materials or other events that interrupt material flow, which may have an adverse effect on its profitability and results of operations. Spectrum Brands regularly engages in forward purchase and hedging derivative transactions in an attempt to effectively manage and stabilize some of the raw material costs it expects to incur over the next 12 to 24 months. However, Spectrum Brands’ hedging positions may not be effective, or may not anticipate beneficial trends, in a particular raw material market or may, as a result of changes in its business, no longer be useful for Spectrum Brands. In addition, for certain of the principal raw materials Spectrum Brands uses to produce its products, such as electrolytic manganese dioxide powder, there are no available effective hedging markets. If these efforts are not effective or expose Spectrum Brands to above average costs for an extended period of time, and Spectrum Brands is unable to pass its raw materials costs on to its customers, Spectrum Brands’ future profitability may be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, with respect to transportation costs, certain modes of delivery are subject to fuel surcharges which are determined based upon the current cost of diesel fuel in relation to pre-established agreed upon costs. Spectrum Brands may be unable to pass these fuel surcharges on to its customers, which may have an adverse effect on its profitability and results of operations. In addition, Spectrum Brands has exclusivity arrangements and minimum purchase requirements with certain of its suppliers for the home and garden business, which increase its dependence upon and exposure to those suppliers. Some of those agreements include caps on the price Spectrum Brands pays for its supplies and in certain instances, these caps have allowed Spectrum Brands to purchase materials at below market prices. When Spectrum Brands attempts to renew those contracts, the other parties to the contracts may not be willing to include or may limit the effect of those caps and could even attempt to impose above market prices in an effort to make up for any below market prices paid by Spectrum Brands prior to the renewal of the agreement. Any failure to timely obtain suitable supplies at competitive prices could materially adversely affect Spectrum Brands’ business, financial condition and results of operations. Consolidation of retailers and Spectrum Brands’ dependence on a small number of key customers for a significant percentage of its sales may negatively affect its business, financial condition and results of operations. As a result of consolidation of retailers and consumer trends toward national mass merchandisers, a significant percentage of Spectrum Brands’ sales are attributable to a limited group of customers. Spectrum Brands’ largest customer, Wal-Mart, accounted for approximately 15% of its consolidated net sales for Fiscal 2016. As these mass merchandisers and retailers grow larger and become more sophisticated, they may demand lower pricing, special packaging or impose other requirements on product suppliers. These business demands may relate to inventory practices, logistics or other aspects of the customer-supplier relationship. Because of the importance of these key customers, demands for price reductions or promotions, reductions in their purchases, changes in their financial condition or loss of their accounts could have a material adverse effect on Spectrum Brands’ business, financial condition and results of operations. Although Spectrum Brands has long-established relationships with many of its customers, Spectrum Brands does not have long-term agreements with them and purchases are generally made through the use of individual purchase orders. Any significant reduction in purchases, failure to obtain anticipated orders or delays or cancellations of orders by any of these major customers, or significant pressure to reduce prices from any of these major customers, could have a material adverse effect on Spectrum Brands’ business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, a significant deterioration in the financial condition of the retail industry in general, the bankruptcy of any of Spectrum Brands’ customers or any of Spectrum Brands’ customers ceasing operations could have a material adverse effect on Spectrum Brands’ sales and profitability. As a result of retailers maintaining tighter inventory control, Spectrum Brands faces risks related to meeting demand and storing inventory. As a result of the desire of retailers to more closely manage inventory levels, there is a growing trend among them to purchase products on a “just-in-time” basis. Due to a number of factors, including (i) manufacturing lead-times, (ii) seasonal purchasing patterns and (iii) the potential for material price increases, Spectrum Brands may be required to shorten its lead-time for production and more closely anticipate its retailers’ and customers’ demands, which could in the future require Spectrum Brands to carry additional inventories and increase its working capital and related financing requirements. This may increase the cost of warehousing inventory or result in excess inventory becoming difficult to manage, unusable or obsolete. In addition, if Spectrum Brands retailers significantly change their inventory management strategies, Spectrum Brands may encounter difficulties in filling customer orders or in liquidating excess inventories, or may find that customers are cancelling orders or returning products, which may have a material adverse effect on its business. Furthermore, Spectrum Brands primarily sells branded products and a move by one or more of its large customers to sell significant quantities of private label products, which Spectrum Brands does not produce on their behalf and which directly 46 | |
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