Whirlpool (WHR) 10-Q2021 Q3 Quarterly report

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf. Certain statements contained in this quarterly report, including those within the forward-looking perspective section within the Management's Discussion and Analysis section, and other written and oral statements made from time to time by us or on our behalf do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and may contain forward-looking statements that reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. As such, they are considered "forward-looking statements" which provide current expectations or forecasts of future events. Such statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "may," "could," "will," "should," "possible," "plan," "predict," "forecast," "potential," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "believe," "may impact," "on track," and similar words or expressions. Our forward-looking statements generally relate to our growth strategies, financial results, product development, and sales efforts. These forward-looking statements should be considered with the understanding that such statements involve a variety of risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, and may be affected by inaccurate assumptions. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may vary materially.

This document contains forward-looking statements about Whirlpool Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries ("Whirlpool") that speak only as of this date. Whirlpool disclaims any obligation to update these statements. Forward-looking statements in this document may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future financial results, long-term value creation goals, restructuring expectations, productivity, raw material prices and the impact of COVID-19 on our operations. Many risks, contingencies and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from Whirlpool's forward-looking statements. Among these factors are: (1) COVID-19 pandemic-related business disruptions and economic uncertainty; (2) intense competition in the home appliance industry reflecting the impact of both new and established global competitors, including Asian and European manufacturers, and the impact of the changing retail environment, including direct-to-consumer sales; (3) Whirlpool's ability to maintain or increase sales to significant trade customers and the ability of these trade customers to maintain or increase market share; (4) Whirlpool's ability to maintain its reputation and brand image; (5) the ability of Whirlpool to achieve its business objectives and leverage its global operating platform, and accelerate the rate of innovation; (6) Whirlpool’s ability to understand consumer preferences and successfully develop new products; (7) Whirlpool's ability to obtain and protect intellectual property rights; (8) acquisition and investment-related risks, including risks associated with our past acquisitions, and risks associated with our increased presence in emerging markets; (9) risks related to our international operations, including changes in foreign regulations, regulatory compliance and disruptions arising from political, legal and economic instability; (10) information technology system failures, data security breaches, data privacy compliance, network disruptions, and cybersecurity attacks; (11) product liability and product recall costs; (12) the ability of suppliers of critical parts, components and manufacturing equipment to deliver sufficient quantities to Whirlpool in a timely and cost-effective manner; (13) our ability to attract, develop and retain executives and other qualified employees; (14) the impact of labor relations; (15) fluctuations in the cost of key materials (including steel, resins, copper and aluminum) and components and the ability of Whirlpool to offset cost increases; (16) Whirlpool's ability to manage foreign currency fluctuations; (17) impacts from goodwill impairment and related charges; (18) triggering events or circumstances impacting the carrying value of our long-lived assets; (19) inventory and other asset risk; (20) health care cost trends, regulatory changes and variations between results and estimates that could increase future funding obligations for pension and postretirement benefit plans; (21) changes in LIBOR, or replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate; (22) litigation, tax, and legal compliance risk and costs, especially if materially different from the amount we expect to incur or have accrued for, and any disruptions caused by the same; (23) the effects and costs of governmental investigations or related actions by third parties; (24) changes in the legal and regulatory environment including environmental, health and safety regulations, and taxes and tariffs; and (25) the uncertain global economy and changes in economic conditions which affect demand for our products.

We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, and investors are advised to review disclosures in our filings with the SEC. It is not possible to foresee or identify all factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected or historic results. Therefore, investors should not consider the foregoing factors to be an exhaustive statement of all risks, uncertainties, or factors that could potentially cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements.

Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in Part II, Item 1A of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.    

Unless otherwise indicated, the terms "Whirlpool," "the Company," "we," "us," and "our" refer to Whirlpool Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries.

We routinely post important information for investors on our website, whirlpoolcorp.com, in the "Investors" section. We also intend to update the Hot Topics Q&A portion of this webpage as a means of disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Investors section of our website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our webpage is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document.

The accompanying unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") for interim financial information, and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all information or footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. As a result, this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Management believes that the accompanying Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring items, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods.

We are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements and accompanying Notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Certain prior year amounts in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation.

We have eliminated all material intercompany transactions in our Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. We do not consolidate the financial statements of any company in which we have an ownership interest of 50% or less, unless that company is deemed to be a variable interest entity ("VIE") of which we are the primary beneficiary. VIEs are consolidated when the company is the primary beneficiary of these entities and has the ability to directly impact the activities of these entities.

Such estimates and assumptions affect, among other things, the Company’s goodwill, long-lived asset and indefinite-lived intangible asset valuation; inventory valuation; assessment of the annual effective tax rate; valuation of deferred income taxes and income tax contingencies; and the allowance for expected credit losses and bad debt. Events and changes in circumstances arising after October 22, 2021, including those resulting from the impacts of COVID-19, will be reflected in management’s estimates for future periods.

Our Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates for goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles are disclosed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements and in Management's Discussion and Analysis of our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

Under U.S. GAAP, the Company calculates its quarterly tax provision based on an estimated effective tax rate for the year and then adjusts this amount by certain discrete items each quarter. Potential changing and volatile macro-economic conditions could cause fluctuations in forecasted earnings before income taxes. As such, the Company's effective tax rate could be subject to volatility as forecasted earnings before income taxes are impacted by events which cannot be predicted. In addition, potential future economic deterioration brought on by the pandemic or other factors may negatively impact the realizability of certain deferred tax assets.  

We have a number of synthetic lease arrangements with financial institutions for non-core properties and assets. The leases contain provisions for options to purchase, extend the original term for additional periods or return the property. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, these arrangements include residual value guarantees of up to $238 million and $220 million, respectively, that could potentially come due in future periods. We do not believe it is probable that any material amounts will be owed under these guarantees. Therefore, no material amounts related to the residual value guarantees are included in the lease payments used to measure the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities.

The majority of these leases are classified as operating leases. We have assessed the reasonable certainty of these provisions to determine the appropriate lease term. The leases were measured using our incremental borrowing rate and are included in our right of use assets and lease liabilities in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. Rental payments are calculated at the applicable LIBOR rate plus a margin. The impact to the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets and Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income (Loss) is nominal.

The Company has ongoing agreements globally with various third-parties to allow certain suppliers the opportunity to sell receivables due from us to participating financial institutions at the sole discretion of both the suppliers and the financial institutions.

We have no economic interest in the sale of these receivables and no direct financial relationship with the financial institutions concerning these services. Our obligations to suppliers, including amounts due and scheduled payment terms, are not impacted. All outstanding balances under these programs are recorded in accounts payable on our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets, approximately $1.3 billion and $1.2 billion has been issued to participating financial institutions at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

A downgrade in our credit rating or changes in the financial markets could limit the financial institutions’ willingness to commit funds to, and participate in, the programs. We do not believe such risk would have a material impact on our working capital or cash flows.

Due to the completed partial tender offer for Whirlpool China and subsequent deconsolidation of the subsidiary during the second quarter of 2021, we no longer have material supply chain financing arrangements in China. For additional information see Note 15 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

Effective January 1, 2021, the Company changed its accounting principle for inventory valuation for inventories located in the U.S. from a last-in, first-out ("LIFO") basis to a first-in, first-out ("FIFO") basis. All prior periods presented in the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements have been retrospectively adjusted to apply the effects of the change in accounting principle.

After May 6, 2021, Whirlpool holds an equity interest of approximately 20% in Whirlpool China, an entity which was previously controlled by the Company. We account for the remaining interest under equity method accounting and Whirlpool China and its subsidiaries continue to supply the Company in the normal course of business. Whirlpool China was also granted a license to sell Whirlpool-branded products in China.

Subsequent to the completion of the partial tender offer for Whirlpool China and deconsolidation of the entity in the second quarter of 2021, we made purchases from Whirlpool China of $86 million and $152 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. The outstanding amount due to Whirlpool China and its subsidiaries is $139 million as of September 30, 2021. The licensing revenue and outstanding accounts receivable from Whirlpool China and its subsidiaries are not material for the periods presented.

As of September 30, 2021, the value of the equity interest in Whirlpool China is $210 million and is included in Other noncurrent assets in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet.

The Company’s share of the results of equity method investments and elimination of intra-entity results are included in Interest and sundry (income) expense in the Consolidated Condensed Income Statement and Other noncurrent assets in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet. The impact of equity method investments is not material for the periods presented.

For additional information, see Note 15 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

In 2018, Whirlpool of India Limited (“Whirlpool India”), a majority-owned subsidiary of Whirlpool Corporation, acquired a 49% equity interest in Elica PB India Private Limited (“Elica PB India”) for $22 million. On September 27, 2021, the Company entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire an additional 38% equity interest in Elica PB India for $57 million, which resulted in a controlling equity ownership of 87%. Following the closing of the transaction on September 29, 2021, Elica PB India is consolidated in Whirlpool Corporation's financial statements and is reported within our Asia reportable segment. The transaction resulted in a gain of approximately $42 million on the Company’s previously held equity interest. This gain was recorded within Interest and sundry (income) expense during the third quarter.

The Company is in the process of finalizing independent appraisals for the purpose of allocating the purchase price to the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the acquisition. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price included in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheet at September 30, 2021 is based on the best estimates of management and is subject to revision of the final determination of asset fair values and useful lives. Any changes to the preliminary estimates of the fair values of the assets and liabilities could potentially impact goodwill as well as future depreciation and amortization expense.

On a preliminary basis, goodwill of $100 million, which is not deductible for tax purposes, has been allocated to the Asia reportable segment. The allocation has been made on the basis that the anticipated synergies identified will primarily benefit this reportable segment.

Both Whirlpool India and the non-controlling interest shareholders retain an option for Whirlpool India to purchase the remaining equity interest in Elica PB India for fair value, which could be material to the financial statements of the Company, depending on the performance of the business.

We adopted the following standard, which did not have a material impact on our Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements:

All other newly issued and effective accounting standards during 2021 were not relevant or material to the Company.

In March 2020, the FASB issued Update 2020-04, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting". The amendments in Update 2020-04 are elective and apply to all entities that have contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued due to reference rate reform. The new guidance provides the following optional expedients: simplify accounting analyses under current U.S. GAAP for contract modifications, simplify the assessment of hedge effectiveness, allow hedging relationships affected by reference rate reform to continue and allow a one-time election to sell or transfer debt securities classified as held to maturity that reference a rate affected by reference rate reform. In January 2021, the FASB issued Update 2021-01, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Scope". The update provides additional optional guidance on the transition from LIBOR to include derivative instruments that use an interest rate for margining, discounting or contract price alignment. The standard will ease, if warranted, the requirements for accounting for the future effects of the rate reform. An entity may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December 31, 2022. We continue to monitor the impact the discontinuance of LIBOR or another reference rate will have on our contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions.

All other issued and not yet effective accounting standards are not relevant or material to the Company.

The following table presents our disaggregated revenues by revenue source. We sell products within all product categories in each operating segment. For additional information on the disaggregated revenues by geographic regions, see Note 14 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as reported within our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Cash Flows:

The following table summarizes our inventories at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

Effective January 1, 2021, the Company changed its accounting principle for inventory valuation for inventories located in the U.S. from a last-in, first-out ("LIFO") basis to a first-in, first-out ("FIFO") basis.

The following table summarizes our property, plant and equipment at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, in the normal course of business, we disposed of buildings, machinery and equipment with a net book value of $10 million. The net gain on the disposals was not material.

On February 21, 2020, Whirlpool EMEA Finance S.à r.l., an indirect, wholly-owned finance subsidiary of Whirlpool Corporation, completed a bond offering consisting of €500 million (approximately $540 million at closing) in principal amount of 0.50% Senior Notes due in 2028 (the "2028 Notes") in a public offering pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-224381). The 2028 Notes were issued under an indenture, dated February 21, 2020, among Whirlpool EMEA Finance S.à r.l, as issuer, the Company, as parent guarantor, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. Whirlpool Corporation has fully and unconditionally guaranteed the Notes on a senior unsecured basis. The 2028 Notes contain covenants that limit Whirlpool

Corporation's ability to incur certain liens or enter into certain sale and lease-back transactions. In addition, if we experience a specific kind of change of control, we are required to make an offer to purchase all of the 2028 Notes at a purchase price of 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest.

On August 6, 2019, Whirlpool Corporation entered into a Fourth Amended and Restated Long-Term Credit Agreement (the "Amended Long-Term Facility", or "revolving credit facility") by and among the Company, certain other borrowers, the lenders referred to therein, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as Administrative Agent, and Citibank, N.A., as Syndication Agent. The Amended Long-Term Facility provides aggregate borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion. The Amended Long-Term Facility has a maturity date of August 6, 2024, unless earlier terminated. The interest and fee rates payable with respect to the Amended Long-Term Facility based on our current debt rating are as follows: (1) the spread over Eurocurrency Rate is 1.125%; (2) the spread over prime is 0.125%; and (3) the unused commitment fee is 0.100%. The Amended Long-Term Facility contains customary covenants and warranties including, among other things, a debt to capitalization ratio of less than or equal to 0.65 as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, and a rolling twelve month interest coverage ratio required to be greater than or equal to 3.0 for each fiscal quarter. In addition, the covenants limit our ability to (or to permit any subsidiaries to), subject to various exceptions and limitations: (i) merge with other companies; (ii) create liens on our property; (iii) incur debt at the subsidiary level.

We are in compliance with both our debt to capitalization ratio and interest coverage ratio under the revolving credit facility as of September 30, 2021.

On April 27, 2020, Whirlpool Corporation entered into a revolving 364-Day Credit Agreement (the “364-Day Facility”) by and among the Company, the lenders referred to therein, and Citibank, N.A. as Administrative Agent. The 364-Day Facility provided aggregate borrowing capacity of $500 million, and expired on its termination date of April 26, 2021 with no outstanding borrowings.

In addition to the committed $3.5 billion Amended Long-Term Facility, we have committed credit facilities in Brazil and India. These committed credit facilities provide borrowings up to approximately $197 million at September 30, 2021 and $206 million at December 31, 2020, based on exchange rates then in effect, respectively. Committed credit facilities are maturing through 2023.

On March 13, 2020, the Company initiated a borrowing of approximately $2.2 billion under the Amended Long-Term Facility, for which a portion of the proceeds from the borrowing were used to fund commercial paper repayment. The Company repaid $500 million of this Amended Long-Term Facility borrowing with the proceeds from its May 2020 Notes offering. The Company repaid an additional $500 million of this Amended Long-Term Facility borrowing by drawing on the full amount of the 364-Day Facility. All facility borrowing were repaid as of December 31, 2020 and no amounts were borrowed on the facility during the nine months ended September 30, 2021.

Notes payable, which consist of short-term borrowings payable to banks or commercial paper, are generally used to fund working capital requirements. The fair value of our notes payable approximates the carrying amount due to the short maturity of these obligations.

The following table summarizes the carrying value of notes payable at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

In an effort to manage economic and geographic trade customer risk, from time to time, the Company will transfer, primarily without recourse, accounts receivable balances of certain customers to financial institutions resulting in a nominal impact recorded in interest and sundry (income) expense. These transactions are accounted for as sales of the receivables resulting in the receivables being de-recognized from the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. These transfers do not require continuing involvement from the Company.

Certain arrangements include servicing of transferred receivables by Whirlpool. During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, no amounts were received from the sales of accounts receivable. The Company received cash proceeds of $564 million under these arrangements for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Outstanding accounts receivable transferred under arrangements where the Company continues to service the transferred asset were $0 and $30 million as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

Beginning in February 2009, our former Embraco compressor business headquartered in Brazil ("Embraco") was notified of antitrust investigations of the global compressor industry by government authorities in various jurisdictions. Embraco resolved the government investigations and related claims in various jurisdictions and certain other claims remain pending.

Whirlpool agreed to retain potential liabilities related to this matter following closing of the Embraco sale transaction. We continue to defend these actions. While it is currently not possible to reasonably estimate the aggregate amount of costs which we may incur in connection with these matters, such costs could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements in any particular reporting period.

In previous years, our Brazilian operations earned tax credits under the Brazilian government's export incentive program (BEFIEX). These credits reduced Brazilian federal excise taxes on domestic sales.

Our Brazilian operations have received tax assessments for income and social contribution taxes associated with certain monetized BEFIEX credits. We do not believe BEFIEX credits are subject to income or social contribution taxes. We believe these tax assessments are without merit and are vigorously defending our positions. We have not provided for income or social contribution taxes on these BEFIEX credits, and based on the opinions of tax and legal advisors, we have not accrued any amount related to these assessments at September 30, 2021. The total amount of outstanding tax assessments received for income and social contribution taxes relating to the BEFIEX credits, including interest and penalties, is approximately 2.0 billion Brazilian reais (approximately $368 million at September 30, 2021).

Relying on existing Brazilian legal precedent, in 2003 and 2004, we recognized tax credits in an aggregate amount of $26 million, adjusted for currency, on the purchase of raw materials used in production ("IPI tax credits"). The Brazilian tax authority subsequently challenged the recording of IPI tax credits. No such credits have been recognized since 2004. In 2009, we entered into a Brazilian government program ("IPI Amnesty") which provided extended payment terms and reduced penalties and interest to encourage taxpayers to resolve this and certain other disputed tax credit amounts. As permitted by the program, we elected to settle certain debts through the use of other existing tax credits and recorded charges of approximately $34 million in 2009 associated with these matters. In July 2012, the Brazilian revenue authority notified us that a portion of our proposed settlement was rejected and we received tax assessments of 259 million Brazilian reais (approximately $48 million at September 30, 2021), reflecting interest and penalties to date. We believe these tax assessments are without merit and we are vigorously defending our position. The government's assessment in this case relies heavily on its arguments regarding taxability of BEFIEX credits for certain years, which we are disputing in one of the BEFIEX government assessment cases cited in the prior paragraph. Because the IPI Amnesty case is moving faster than the BEFIEX taxability case, we could be required to pay the IPI Amnesty assessment before obtaining a final decision in the BEFIEX taxability case.

We have received tax assessments from the Brazilian federal tax authorities relating to amounts allegedly due regarding unemployment/social security insurance taxes (PIS/COFINS) for tax credits recognized since 2007. These credits were recognized for inputs to certain manufacturing and other business processes. These assessments are being challenged at the administrative and judicial levels in Brazil. The total amount of outstanding tax assessments received for credits recognized for PIS/COFINS inputs is approximately 305 million Brazilian reais (approximately $56 million at September 30, 2021). We believe these tax assessments are without merit and are vigorously defending our positions. Based on the opinion of our tax and legal advisors, we have not accrued any amount related to these assessments.

In addition to the BEFIEX, IPI tax credit and PIS/COFINS inputs matters noted above, other assessments issued by the Brazilian tax authorities related to indirect and income tax matters, and other matters, are at various stages of review in numerous administrative and judicial proceedings. The amounts related to these assessments will continue to be increased by monetary adjustments at the Selic rate, which is the benchmark rate set by the Brazilian Central Bank. In accordance with our accounting policies, we routinely assess these matters and, when necessary, record our best estimate of a loss. We believe these tax assessments are without merit and are vigorously defending our positions.

Litigation is inherently unpredictable and the conclusion of these matters may take many years to ultimately resolve. We may experience additional delays in resolving these matters as a result of COVID-19-related administrative and judicial system temporary delays and closures in Brazil. Amounts at issue in potential future litigation could increase as a result of interest and penalties in future periods. Accordingly, it is possible that an unfavorable outcome in these proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements in any particular reporting period.

We also filed legal actions in Brazil to recover certain social integration and social contribution taxes paid over gross sales including ICMS receipts, which is a form of Value Added Tax in Brazil. During 2017, we sold the rights to certain portions of this litigation to a third party for 90 million Brazilian reais (approximately $27 million at December 31, 2017). In the first quarter of 2019, we received a favorable decision in the largest of these ICMS legal actions. This decision is final and not subject to appeals. Based on the opinion of our tax and legal advisors, we recognized a gain of approximately $84 million, after related taxes and fees and based on exchange rates then in effect, during the first quarter of 2019 in connection with this decision. This amount reflects approximately $142 million in indirect tax credits ("credits") that we are entitled to monetize in future periods, offset by approximately $58 million in taxes and fees, which have been paid.

In the second quarter of 2019, we received favorable final, non-appealable decisions in 2 smaller ICMS legal actions. Based on the opinion of our tax and legal advisors, we recognized a gain of approximately $35 million, after related taxes and fees and based on exchange rates then in effect, during the second quarter of 2019 in connection with this decision. This amount reflects approximately $54 million in credits that we are entitled to monetize in future periods, offset by approximately $18 million in taxes and fees, which have been paid. The ICMS credits and related fees were recorded in interest and sundry (income) expense in our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).

The Brazilian tax authorities sought clarification before the Brazilian Supreme Court (in a leading case involving another taxpayer) of certain matters, including the amount of these credits (i.e., the gross rate or net credit amount), and other matters that could have affected the rights of Brazilian taxpayers regarding these credits. In May 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the gross rate, which is the rate Whirlpool applied, is the appropriate rate, and that taxpayers that filed legal actions prior to the Supreme Court's original decision in 2017, such as Whirlpool, were entitled to credits for amounts paid prior to the original decision. The Supreme Court's ruling is final, and a formal written opinion has been issued. This favorable ruling affirms the position we have taken with respect to the credits at issue in our ICMS legal actions noted above, and our actions in recognizing and monetizing these credits.

In 2013, the French Competition Authority ("FCA") commenced an investigation of appliance manufacturers and retailers in France, including Whirlpool and Indesit. The FCA investigation was split into two parts, and in December 2018, we finalized a settlement with the FCA on the first part of the investigation. The second part of the FCA investigation, which is expected to focus primarily on manufacturer interactions with retailers, is ongoing. The Company is cooperating with this investigation.

Although it is currently not possible to assess the impact, if any, that matters related to the FCA investigation may have on our financial statements, matters related to the FCA investigation could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements in any particular reporting period.

The Company was a former indirect minority shareholder of Alno AG, a longstanding trade customer that filed for insolvency protection in Germany. In 2020, we paid a settlement of €52.75 million (approximately $59 million) to resolve any potential claims the insolvency trustee might have against the Company. We are also defending third-party claims related to Alno's insolvency that we believe are without merit, and believe the ultimate resolution of these claims will not have a material adverse effect on our financial statements.

On June 23, 2017, London's Metropolitan Police Service released a statement that it had identified a Hotpoint–branded refrigerator as the initial source of the Grenfell Tower fire in West London. U.K. authorities are conducting investigations, including regarding the cause and spread of the fire. The model in question was manufactured by Indesit Company between 2006 and 2009, prior to Whirlpool's acquisition of Indesit in 2014. We are fully cooperating with the investigating authorities. Whirlpool was named as a defendant in a product liability suit in Pennsylvania federal court related to this matter. The federal court dismissed the case with prejudice in September 2020. The dismissal is being appealed. In December 2020, lawsuits related to Grenfell Tower were filed in the U.K. against approximately 20 defendants, including Whirlpool Corporation and certain Whirlpool subsidiaries. Given the preliminary stage of the proceedings, we cannot speculate on their eventual outcomes or potential impact on our financial statements; accordingly, we have not recorded any significant charges as of September 30, 2021. Additional claims may be filed related to this incident.

See Note 13 for information on certain U.S. income tax litigation. In addition, we are currently defending against 2 lawsuits that have been certified for treatment as class actions in U.S. federal court, relating to 2 top-load washing machine models. In December 2019, the court in one of these lawsuits entered summary judgment in Whirlpool's favor. That ruling remains subject to appeal, and the other lawsuit is ongoing. We believe the lawsuits are without merit and are vigorously defending them. Given the preliminary stage of the proceedings, we cannot reasonably estimate a range of loss, if any, at this time. The resolution of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements in any particular reporting period.

We are currently vigorously defending a number of other lawsuits related to the manufacture and sale of our products which include class action allegations, and may become involved in similar actions. These lawsuits allege claims which include negligence, breach of contract, breach of warranty, product liability and safety claims, false advertising, fraud, and violation of federal and state regulations, including consumer protection laws. In general, we do not have insurance coverage for class action lawsuits. We are also involved in various other legal actions arising in the normal course of business, for which insurance coverage may or may not be available depending on the nature of the action. We dispute the merits of these suits and actions, and intend to vigorously defend them. Management believes, based upon its current knowledge, after taking into consideration legal counsel's evaluation of such suits and actions, and after taking into account current litigation accruals, that the outcome of these matters currently pending against Whirlpool should not have a material adverse effect, if any, on our financial statements. We may experience additional delays in resolving these and other pending litigation matters as a result of COVID-19-related temporary court and administrative body closures and postponements.

Product warranty reserves are included in other current and other noncurrent liabilities in our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. The following table summarizes the changes in total product warranty liability reserves for the periods presented:

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, we incurred approximately $26 million of additional product warranty expense related to our previously disclosed legacy Indesit dryer corrective action campaign in the UK. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, or for the year ended December 31, 2020, we incurred no additional material product warranty expense related to this campaign. We continue to voluntarily cooperate with the UK regulator with respect to the washer and dryer actions.

We have guarantee arrangements in a Brazilian subsidiary. For certain creditworthy customers, the subsidiary guarantees customer lines of credit at commercial banks to support purchases following its normal credit policies. If a customer were to default on its line of credit with the bank, our subsidiary would be required to assume the line of credit and satisfy the obligation with the bank. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the guaranteed amounts totaled 1,096 million Brazilian reais (approximately $202 million at September 30, 2021) and 297 million Brazilian reais (approximately $57 million at December 31, 2020), respectively. The fair value of these guarantees were nominal at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Our subsidiary insures against a significant portion of this credit risk for these guarantees, under normal operating conditions, through policies purchased from high-quality underwriters.

We provide guarantees of indebtedness and lines of credit for various consolidated subsidiaries. The maximum contractual amount of indebtedness and lines of credit available under these lines for consolidated subsidiaries totaled approximately $3.4 billion at September 30, 2021 and $3.5 billion at December 31, 2020. Our total short-term outstanding bank indebtedness under guarantees was nominal at both September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

The following table summarizes the components of net periodic pension cost and the cost of other postretirement benefits for the periods presented:

The following table summarizes the net periodic cost recognized in operating profit and interest and sundry (income) expense for the periods presented:

During March 2020, we announced that the company matching contributions for our 401(k) defined contribution plan, equal to up to 7% of participants' eligible compensation, covering substantially all U.S. employees, would be contributed in company stock starting from May 2020. As of January 1, 2021, we have resumed funding our matching contributions with cash.

During the third quarter of 2020, the Company announced changes to a postretirement medical benefit program for certain groups of retirees. These plan amendments were effective January 1, 2021 and reduced reimbursement amounts available under certain postretirement medical benefit programs and eliminated these benefits effective January 1, 2024 for these same retiree groups.

During the second quarter of 2020, the Company announced changes to a postretirement medical benefit program for certain groups of active employees. These plan amendments were effective July 1, 2020 and reduced medical benefits for these pre-Medicare eligible and Medicare-eligible active employees who retired on or after July 1, 2020 and eliminated certain benefits effective January 1, 2024.

These plan amendments resulted in a reduction in the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation of approximately $157 million with a corresponding adjustment of $118 million in other comprehensive income, net of $39 million in deferred taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. This amount is being amortized as a reduction of future net periodic cost over approximately 3.4 years, which represents the future remaining service period of eligible active employees. The interim plan remeasurement associated with these amendments resulted in an actuarial loss of $12 million recorded in the Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

For additional information, see Note 11 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

Derivative instruments are accounted for at fair value based on market rates. Derivatives where we elect hedge accounting are designated as either cash flow, fair value or net investment hedges. Derivatives that are not accounted for based on hedge accounting are marked to market through earnings. If the designated cash flow hedges are highly effective, the gains and losses are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) and subsequently reclassified to earnings to offset the impact of the hedged items when they occur. In the event it becomes probable the forecasted transaction to which a cash flow hedge relates will not occur, the derivative would be terminated and the amount in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) would be recognized in earnings. The fair value of the hedge asset or liability is presented in either other current assets / liabilities or other noncurrent assets / liabilities on the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets and in other within cash provided by (used in) operating activities in the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Cash Flows.

Using derivative instruments means assuming counterparty credit risk. Counterparty credit risk relates to the loss we could incur if a counterparty were to default on a derivative contract. We generally deal with investment grade counterparties and monitor the overall credit risk and exposure to individual counterparties. We do not anticipate nonperformance by any counterparties. The amount of counterparty credit exposure is limited to the unrealized gains, if any, on such derivative contracts. We do not require nor do we post collateral on such contracts.

In the normal course of business, we manage risks relating to our ongoing business operations including those arising from changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange rates and interest rates. Fluctuations in these rates and prices can affect our operating results and financial condition. We use a variety of strategies, including the use of derivative instruments, to manage these risks. We do not enter into derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.

We enter into commodity derivative contracts on various commodities to manage the price risk associated with forecasted purchases and sales of material used in our manufacturing process. The objective of these hedges is to reduce the variability of cash flows associated with the forecasted purchases and sales of commodities.

We incur expenses associated with the procurement and production of products in a limited number of countries, while we sell in the local currencies of a large number of countries. Our primary foreign currency exchange exposures result from cross-currency sales of products. As a result, we enter into foreign exchange contracts to hedge certain firm commitments and forecasted transactions to acquire products and services that are denominated in foreign currencies. We enter into certain undesignated non-functional currency asset and liability hedges that relate primarily to short-term payables, receivables, intercompany loans and dividends. When we hedge a foreign currency denominated payable or receivable with a derivative, the effect of changes in the foreign exchange rates are reflected currently in interest and sundry (income) expense for both the payable/receivable and the derivative. Therefore, as a result of the economic hedge, we do not elect hedge accounting.

We also enter into hedges to mitigate currency risk primarily related to forecasted foreign currency denominated expenditures, intercompany financing agreements and royalty agreements and designate them as cash flow hedges. Gains and losses on derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, to the extent they are included in the assessment of effectiveness, are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) and subsequently reclassified to earnings to offset the impact of the hedged items when they occur.

We may enter into cross-currency interest rate swaps to manage our exposure relating to cross-currency debt. The notional amount of outstanding cross-currency interest rate swap agreements was $1,275 million at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

We may enter into interest rate swap agreements to manage interest rate risk exposure. Our interest rate swap agreements, if any, effectively modify our exposure to interest rate risk, primarily through converting certain floating rate debt to a fixed rate basis, or certain fixed rate debt to a floating rate basis. These agreements involve either the receipt or payment of floating rate amounts in exchange for fixed rate interest payments or receipts, respectively, over the life of the agreements without an exchange of the underlying principal amounts. We may enter into swap rate lock agreements to effectively reduce our exposure to interest rate risk by locking in interest rates on probable long-term debt issuances. Outstanding notional amounts of interest rate swap agreements were $300 million at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

The following table summarizes our foreign currency denominated debt and foreign exchange forwards/options designated as net investment hedges at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

For instruments that are designated and qualify as a net investment hedge, the effective portion of the instruments' gain or loss is reported as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) and recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss. The gain or loss will be subsequently reclassified into net earnings when the hedged net investment is either sold or substantially liquidated. The remaining change in fair value of the hedge instruments represents the ineffective portion, which is immediately recognized in interest and sundry (income) expense on our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Comprehensive Income. As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, there was no ineffectiveness on hedges designated as net investment hedges.

The following table summarizes our outstanding derivative contracts and their effects in our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

Fair value is measured based on an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are based on a market valuation approach using prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. As a basis for considering such assumptions, a three-tiered fair value hierarchy is established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: (Level 1) observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; (Level 2) inputs, other than the quoted prices in

active markets that are observable, either directly or indirectly; and (Level 3) unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

The following table summarizes the valuation of our assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 are as follows:

As of September 30, 2021, the Company consolidates Elica PB India. As a result, the previously held equity interest of 49% was remeasured at a fair value of $74 million (Level 2 input) on the acquisition date, resulting in an implied fair value of approximately $150 million.

For additional information, see Note 1 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

During the second quarter of 2021, the partial tender offer for Whirlpool China was completed and the entity was deconsolidated. Subsequent to the share transfer, which was completed on May 6, 2021, the Company holds an equity interest of approximately 20% in Whirlpool China. The fair value of the retained investment in Whirlpool China at the date of deconsolidation was calculated based on the Whirlpool China stock price (Level 1 input), the portion of interest retained and the shares outstanding, resulting in a fair value of $214 million.

For additional information see Note 15 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

During the second quarter of 2021, we entered into a share transfer agreement to sell our Turkish subsidiary and the sale was completed on June 30, 2021. Fair value was calculated based on the cash purchase price, subject to customary adjustments at closing (Level 2 input), and we recorded a loss on sale and disposal of businesses of $40 million for the write-down of the assets to the fair value of $111 million. An immaterial adjustment to the loss on sale and disposal of business was recorded in the third quarter of 2021.

For additional information see Note 15 to the Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

The fair value of long-term debt (including current maturities) was $5.86 billion and $6.13 billion at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, and was estimated using discounted cash flow analysis based on incremental borrowing rates for similar types of borrowing arrangements (Level 2 input).

The following table summarizes the changes in stockholders' equity for the periods presented: