Company: WKC
Filing Date: 2025-02-25
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001628280-25-007620
Chunk: 139

Company: WORLD KINECT CORP
Filing Date: 2025-02-25
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 139
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 by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ("OPEC") as well as non-OPEC countries; global economic and political conditions that impact or create uncertainty in the global energy markets, such as the ongoing military conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and threatened or actual acts of terrorism, war or civil unrest; the imposition of tariffs in connection with the new administration in the U.S. and retaliatory tariffs in response thereto; laws, regulations or taxes related to environmental matters, including those mandating or incentivizing alternative energy sources or otherwise addressing global climate change; energy conservation efforts and technological 

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advances affecting energy consumption or supply; regulatory changes in commodities markets; and extreme weather and other natural disasters.

As described above, we extend credit to many of our customers in connection with their purchase of fuel and services from us. During periods of high fuel prices, our customers may not be able to purchase the same volumes of fuel from us because of their financial credit limits with us. An inability to purchase fuel from us or other suppliers can have an adverse impact on their business, causing them to be unable to make payments owed to us for fuel they previously purchased on credit. In addition, high fuel prices can impact our own credit limits with our suppliers, preventing us from purchasing enough fuel to meet customer demand unless we provide additional credit support for fuel purchases, such as letters of credit, bank guarantees or prepayments, any of which could adversely impact our liquidity and increase our working capital costs.

Conversely, extended periods of low fuel prices, particularly when coupled with low price volatility, can also have an adverse effect on us. This can occur due to many factors, such as reduced demand for our price risk management products and decreased sales to our customers involved in the oil exploration sector. Low fuel prices also facilitate increased competition by reducing financial barriers to entry and enabling existing, lower-capitalized competitors to conduct more business because of the lower working capital requirements.

We may also experience negative results in volatile market pricing environments experiencing severe disruption. For example, in the first six months of 2022, our aviation segment was significantly and adversely affected by severe backwardation, a market condition in which oil futures forward prices trade at lower levels than the current market price. Our efforts to limit our exposure to this type of market risk may not be fully effective. 

Finally, we maintain fuel inventories for competitive and logistical reasons. Significant variations in the market prices of products held in our inventories may require us to record inventory valuation charges. Our