PPG, §1A diff (2019 → 2020)

Item 1A. Risk Factors As a global manufacturer of paints, coatings and specialty materials, we operate in a business environment that includes risks. These risks are not unlike the risks we have faced in the recent past nor are they unlike risks faced by our competitors. Each of the risks described in this section could adversely affect our results of operations, financial position and liquidity. While the factors listed here are considered to be the more significant factors, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles which may adversely affect our businesses and our results of operations, financial position and liquidity. The effects of the recent COVID-19 pandemic have negatively impacted and are continuing to adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. The effects of the public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have interfered with the ability of PPG, our suppliers, customers, and others to conduct business and have negatively affected consumer confidence and the global economy. Public health officials have recommended or mandated certain precautions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including prohibitions on congregating in groups, shelter-in-place orders or similar measures. Preventative and protective actions that public health officials, governments or PPG have taken with respect to COVID-19 have and will continue to adversely impact our business, suppliers, distribution channels, and customers, including business shutdowns or 2020 PPG ANNUAL REPORT AND FORM 10-K 9 disruptions for an indefinite period of time, reduced operations, reduced ability to supply products, or reduced demand for our products. Our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations have been and will continue to be adversely impacted by these preventative actions and the disruption to our business and that of our suppliers and customers. As we cannot predict the duration or scope of the COVID-19 pandemic, the negative financial impact to our results cannot be reasonably estimated, but could be material. Increases in prices and declines in the availability of raw materials could negatively impact our financial results. Our financial results are significantly affected by the cost of raw materials. Raw materials include both organic, primarily petroleum-derived, materials and inorganic materials, including titanium dioxide. These raw materials represent PPG’s single largest production cost component. While not our customary practice, we also import raw materials and intermediates, particularly for use at our manufacturing facilities in the emerging regions of the world. In most cases, those imports are priced in the currency of the supplier and, therefore, if that currency strengthens against the currency of our manufacturing facility, our margins may be lower. Most of our raw materials are purchased from outside sources, and the Company has made, and plans to continue to make, supply arrangements to meet the planned operating requirements for the future. Adequate supply of critical raw materials is managed by establishing contracts, procuring from multiple sources, and identifying alternative materials or technology whenever possible. The Company is continuing its aggressive sourcing initiatives to effectively broaden our supply of high quality raw materials. These initiatives include qualifying multiple and local sources of supply, including suppliers from Asia and other lower cost regions of the world, adding on-site resin production at certain manufacturing locations, and a reduction in the amount of titanium dioxide and other raw materials used in our product formulations. Our raw materials include bio-based materials as part of a product renewal strategy. An inability to obtain critical raw materials would adversely impact our ability to produce products. Increases in the cost of raw materials may have an adverse effect on our Income from continuing operations or Cash from operating activities in the event we are unable to offset these higher costs in a timely manner. The pace of economic growth and level of uncertainty could have a negative impact on our results of operations and cash flows. Demand for our products and services depends, in part, on the general economic conditions affecting the countries and markets in which we do business. Weak economic conditions in certain geographies and changing supply and demand balances in the markets we serve have negatively impacted demand for our products and services in the past and may do so in the future. Recently, global economic uncertainty has increased due to a number of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, slowing global growth, consumer sentiment and commodity market volatility, disruption in existing trade agreements, the imposition of tariffs and the threat of additional tariffs, the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union and weaker demand in China. PPG provides products and services to a variety of end-use markets in many geographies. This broad end-use market exposure and expanded geographic presence lessens the significance of any individual decrease in activity levels; nonetheless, lower demand levels may result in lower sales, which would result in reduced Income from continuing operations and Cash from operating activities. We are subject to existing and evolving standards relating to the protection of the environment. Environmental laws and regulations control, among other things, the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the handling, use, treatment, storage and clean-up of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, and the investigation and remediation of soil and groundwater affected by hazardous substances. In addition, various laws regulate health and safety matters. The environmental laws and regulations we are subject to impose liability for the costs of, and damages resulting from, cleaning up current sites, past spills, disposals and other releases of hazardous substances. Violations of these laws and regulations can also result in fines and penalties. Future environmental laws and regulations may require substantial capital expenditures or may require or cause us to modify or curtail our operations, which may have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We are involved in a number of lawsuits and claims, and we may be involved in future lawsuits and claims, in which substantial monetary damages are sought. PPG is involved in a number of lawsuits and claims, both actual and potential, in which substantial monetary damages are sought. Those lawsuits and claims relate to contract, patent, environmental, product liability, asbestos exposure, antitrust, employment, securities and other matters arising out of the conduct of PPG’s current and past business activities. Any such claims, whether with or without merit, could be time consuming, expensive to defend and could divert management’s attention and resources. We maintain insurance against some, but not all, of these potential claims, and the levels of insurance we do maintain may not be adequate to fully cover any and all losses. We believe that, in the aggregate, the outcome of all current lawsuits and claims involving PPG, including those described in Note 15, “Commitments and 2020 PPG ANNUAL REPORT AND 10-K 10 Contingent Liabilities” under Item 8 of this Form 10-K, will not have a material effect on PPG’s consolidated financial position or liquidity; however, such outcome may be material to the results of operations of any particular period in which costs, if any, are recognized. Nonetheless, the results of any future litigation or claims are inherently unpredictable, and such outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, Cash from operating activities or financial condition. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates could affect our financial results. We earn revenues, pay expenses, own assets and incur liabilities in countries using currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Because our consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, we must translate revenues and expenses into U.S. dollars at the average exchange rate during each reporting period, as well as assets and liabilities into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at the end of each reporting period. Therefore, increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies will affect our Net sales, Net income and the value of balance sheet items denominated in foreign currencies. We may use derivative financial instruments to reduce our net exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations related to foreign currency transactions. However, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly the strengthening or weakening of the U.S. dollar against major currencies, could adversely or positively affect our financial condition and results of operations expressed in U.S. dollars. We are subject to a variety of complex U.S. and non-U.S. laws and regulations, which could increase our compliance costs and could adversely affect our results of operations. We are subject to a wide variety of complex U.S. and non-U.S. laws and regulations, and legal compliance risks, including securities laws, tax laws, environmental laws, employment and pension-related laws, competition laws, U.S. and foreign export and trading laws, and laws governing improper business practices, including bribery. We are affected by new laws and regulations and changes to existing laws and regulations, as well as interpretations by courts and regulators. These laws and regulations effectively expand our compliance obligations and costs. For example, regulations concerning the composition, use and transport of chemical products continue to evolve. Developments concerning these regulations could potentially impact the availability or viability of some of the raw materials we use in our product formulations and/or our ability to supply certain products to some customers or markets. Import/export regulations also continue to evolve and could result in increased compliance costs, slower product movements or additional complexity in our supply chains. Further, although we believe that we have appropriate risk management and compliance programs in place, we cannot guarantee that our internal controls and compliance systems will always protect us from improper acts committed by employees, agents, business partners or businesses that we acquire. Any non-compliance or such improper actions or allegations could damage our reputation and subject us to civil or criminal investigations and shareholder lawsuits, could lead to substantial civil and criminal, monetary and non-monetary penalties, and could cause us to incur significant legal and investigatory fees. Our international operations expose us to additional risks and uncertainties that could affect our financial results. PPG has a significant investment in global operations. This broad geographic footprint serves to lessen the significance of economic impacts occurring in any one region. Notwithstanding the benefits of geographic diversification, our ability to achieve and maintain profitable growth in international markets is subject to risks related to the differing legal, political, social and regulatory requirements and economic conditions of many countries. As a result of our operations outside the U.S., we are subject to certain inherent risks, including political and economic uncertainty, inflation rates, exchange rates, trade protection measures, local labor conditions and laws, restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of earnings, and weak intellectual property protection. Our percentage of sales generated in 2020 by products sold outside the U.S. was approximately 65%. Changes in the tax regimes and related government policies and regulations in the countries in which we operate could adversely affect our results and our effective tax rate. As a multinational corporation, we are subject to various taxes in both the U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions. Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in these various jurisdictions may be subject to significant changes. Our future effective income tax rate could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets or changes in tax laws or their interpretation. Further, PPG may continue to refine its estimates to incorporate new or better information as it becomes available. Recent developments, including the European Commission’s investigations on illegal state aid as well as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development project on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting may result in changes to long-standing tax principles, which could adversely affect our effective tax rate or result in higher cash tax liabilities. If our effective income tax rate was to increase, our Cash from operating activities, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected. 2020 PPG ANNUAL REPORT AND FORM 10-K 11 Although we believe that our tax filing positions are appropriate, the final determination of tax audits or tax disputes may be different from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions and accruals. If future audits find that additional taxes are due, we may be subject to incremental tax liabilities, possibly including interest and penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our Cash from operating activities, financial condition and results of operations. Business disruptions could have a negative impact on our results of operations and financial condition. Unexpected events, including supply disruptions, temporary plant and/or power outages, work stoppages, natural disasters and severe weather events, significant public health issues, computer system disruptions, fires, war or terrorist activities, could increase the cost of doing business or otherwise harm the operations of PPG, our customers and our suppliers. It is not possible for us to predict the occurrence or consequence of any such events. However, such events could reduce our ability to supply products, reduce demand for our products or make it difficult or impossible for us to receive raw materials from suppliers or to deliver products to customers. Integrating acquired businesses into our existing operations. Part of the Company’s strategy is growth through acquisitions. Over the last decade, we have successfully completed more than 50 acquisitions, and we will likely acquire additional businesses and enter into additional joint ventures in the future. Growth through acquisitions and the formation of joint ventures involve risks, including: •difficulties in assimilating acquired companies and products into our existing business; •delays in realizing the benefits from the acquired companies or products; •diversion of our management’s time and attention from other business concerns; •difficulties due to lack of or limited prior experience in any new markets we may enter; •unforeseen claims and liabilities, including unexpected environmental exposures, product liability, or existing cyber vulnerability; •unexpected losses of customers or suppliers of the acquired or existing business; •difficulty in conforming the acquired business’ standards, processes, procedures and controls to those of our operations; and •difficulties in retaining key employees of the acquired businesses. These risks or other problems encountered in connection with our past or future acquisitions and joint ventures could cause delays in realizing the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions or joint ventures and could adversely affect our results of operations, Cash from operating activities or financial condition. Our ability to understand our customers’ specific preferences and requirements, and to innovate, develop, produce and market products that meet customer demand is critical to our business results. Our business relies on continued global demand for our brands and products. To achieve business goals, we must develop and sell products that appeal to customers. This is dependent on a number of factors, including our ability to produce products that meet the quality, performance and price expectations of our customers and our ability to develop effective sales, advertising and marketing programs. We believe the automotive industry will experience significant and continued change in the coming years. Vehicle manufacturers continue to develop new safety features such as collision avoidance technology and self-driving vehicles that may reduce vehicle collisions in the future, potentially lowering demand for our refinish coatings. In addition, through the introduction of new technologies, new business models or new methods of travel, such as ridesharing, the number of automotive OEM new-builds may decline, potentially reducing demand for our automotive OEM coatings and related automotive parts. Additionally, the development of customer-facing digital platforms has and will continue to transform certain retail industries. An inability to develop such solutions and our customer’s pace of adoption of those solutions could negatively affect our business or the market demand for our products. Our future growth will depend on our ability to continue to innovate our existing products and to develop and introduce new products. If we fail to keep pace with product innovation on a competitive basis or to predict market demands for our products, our businesses, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. The industries in which we operate are highly competitive. With each of our businesses, an increase in competition may cause us to lose market share, lose a large regional or global customer, or compel us to reduce prices to remain competitive, which could result in reduced margins for our products. Additionally, our ability to achieve price increases may impact the overall economics for the products we offer. 2020 PPG ANNUAL REPORT AND 10-K 12 Competitive pressures may not only reduce our margins but may also impact our revenues and our growth which could adversely affect our results of operations. The security of our information technology systems could be compromised, which could adversely affect our ability to operate. Increased global information technology security requirements, threats and sophisticated and targeted computer crime pose a risk to the security of our systems, networks and the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data. Despite our efforts to protect sensitive information and confidential and personal data, our facilities and systems may be vulnerable to security breaches. This could lead to negative publicity, theft, modification or destruction of proprietary information or key information, manufacture of defective products, production downtimes and operational disruptions, which could adversely affect our reputation, competitiveness and results of operations. In 2018, we concluded that previously issued financial statements as detailed below should not be relied upon and restated those previously issued financial statements, which led to, among other things, shareholder litigation, investigations by the SEC and the U.S. Attorney’s office, a settlement by the Company with the SEC and unanticipated costs for accounting and legal fees, and which may result in certain other risks. As discussed in the Explanatory Note, Note 2, “Restatement of Previously Reported Consolidated Annual Financial Statements” and in Note 19, “Quarterly Financial Information (unaudited)” under Item 8 of the 2017 Form 10-K/A, in 2018 we concluded that our previously issued financial statements as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, and for each of the quarterly and year-to-date periods in 2017, and the final quarterly and year-to-date period in 2016, should no longer be relied upon. The determination that the applicable financial statements should no longer be relied upon and that these financial statements would be restated was made following the identification of misstatements. Although the Company restated these financial statements, remediated the material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, reached a settlement with the SEC and is no longer the subject of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we continue to be subject to risks and uncertainties relating to these events, including advancement of legal expenses and potential indemnification obligations to certain current and former employees who are responding to investigations by the SEC and U.S. Attorney’s Office for alleged violations of the securities laws relating to the restatement described above, potential loss of investor confidence, potential reputational harm and a potential negative impact on our stock price. Item 1B.