Company: CF
Filing Date: 2025-05-08
Form Type: 10-Q
Source: 0001324404-25-000015
Chunk: 118

Company: CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-05-08
Form: 10-Q
Item: Part I, Item 8
Chunk 118
---
 any remaining unpaid amount generally being collected by the time control transfers to the customer, thereby reducing or eliminating the accounts receivable related to such sales. Any cash payments received in advance from customers in connection with forward sales contracts are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets as a current liability until control transfers and revenue is recognized. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had $241 million and $118 million, respectively, in customer advances on our consolidated balance sheets.

While customer advances are generally a significant source of liquidity, the level of forward sales contracts is affected by many factors, including current market conditions, our customers’ outlook of future market fundamentals and seasonality. During periods of declining prices, customers tend to delay purchasing fertilizer in anticipation that prices in the future will be lower than the current prices. If the level of sales under our forward sales programs were to decrease in the future, our cash received from customer advances would likely decrease and our accounts receivable balances would likely increase. Additionally, borrowing under the Revolving Credit Agreement could become necessary. Due to the volatility inherent in our business and changing customer expectations, we cannot estimate the amount of future forward sales activity.

Under our forward sales programs, a customer may delay delivery of an order due to weather conditions or other factors. These delays generally subject the customer to potential charges for storage or may be grounds for termination of the contract by us. Such a delay in scheduled shipment or termination of a forward sales contract due to a customer’s inability or unwillingness to perform may negatively impact our reported sales.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in prices for natural gas that will be purchased in the future. Natural gas is the largest and most volatile component of our manufacturing cost for nitrogen-based products. From time to time, we may also use derivative financial instruments to reduce our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Volatility in reported quarterly earnings can result from the unrealized mark-to-market adjustments in the value of the derivatives. As of March 31, 2025, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas basis swaps for 5.8 million MMBtus of natural gas. As of December 31, 2024, our open natural gas derivative contracts consisted of natural gas fixed price swaps and basis swaps for 16.0 million MMBtus of natural gas. 

Defined Benefit Pension Plans

We did not contribute any amounts to our pension plans in the three months ended March