12. Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

In the normal course of business, we are subject to various legal proceedings and claims, including patent infringement claims, product liability matters, employment disputes, disputes on agreements, other commercial disputes, environmental matters, antitrust claims, trade compliance matters, and tax matters, including non-income tax matters such as value added tax, sales and use tax, real estate tax, and transfer tax. Although it is not feasible to predict the outcome of these proceedings, based upon our experience, current information, and applicable law, we do not expect that the outcome of these proceedings, either individually or in the aggregate, will have a material effect on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.

Environmental Matters

We are involved in various stages of investigation and cleanup related to environmental remediation matters at a number of sites. The ultimate cost of site cleanup is difficult to predict given the uncertainties regarding the extent of the required cleanup, the interpretation of applicable laws and regulations, and alternative cleanup methods. As of fiscal year end 2025, we concluded that we would incur investigation and remediation costs at these sites in the reasonably possible range of $18 million to $44 million, and we accrued $23 million as the probable loss, which was the best estimate within this range. We believe that any potential payment of such estimated amounts will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.

Guarantees

In disposing of assets or businesses, we often provide representations, warranties, and/or indemnities to cover various risks including unknown damage to assets, environmental risks involved in the sale of real estate, liability for investigation and remediation of environmental contamination at waste disposal sites and manufacturing facilities, and unidentified tax liabilities and legal fees related to periods prior to disposition. We do not expect that these uncertainties will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.

At fiscal year end 2025, we had outstanding letters of credit, letters of guarantee, and surety bonds of $219 million.

Supply Chain Finance Program

We have an agreement with a financial institution that allows participating suppliers the ability to finance payment obligations. The financial institution has separate arrangements with the suppliers and provides them with the option to request early payment for invoices. We do not determine the terms or conditions of the arrangement between the financial institution and suppliers. Our obligation to suppliers, including amounts due and scheduled payment dates, are not impacted by the suppliers’ decisions to finance amounts under the arrangement and we are not required to post collateral with the financial institution. Outstanding payment obligations under our supply chain finance program are included in accounts payable on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The changes in our payment obligations were as follows:

Fiscal

    

2025

  

(in millions)

Balance at beginning of fiscal year

$

105

Invoices confirmed during the fiscal year

 

514

Invoices paid during the fiscal year

 

(458)

Balance at end of fiscal year

$

161

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Nov 10, 2025Showing above
2024Nov 12, 2024
2023Nov 13, 2023
2022Nov 15, 2022
2021Nov 9, 2021
2020Nov 10, 2020
2019Nov 12, 2019
2018Nov 13, 2018
2017Nov 14, 2017
2016Nov 15, 2016
2015Nov 10, 2015

About Commitments Disclosures

Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.

Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.