Honeywell International (HON) 10-K2023 FY Annual report

The order and presentation of content in our Annual Report on Form 10-K (Form 10-K) differs from the traditional U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Form 10-K format. We believe that our format improves readability and better presents how we organize and manage our business. See Form 10-K Cross-Reference Index for a cross-reference to the traditional SEC Form 10-K format.

We describe many of the trends and other factors that drive our business and future results in the section titled Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and in other parts of this report (including under the section titled Risk Factors). Such discussions contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). Forward-looking statements are those that address activities, events, or developments that management intends, expects, projects, believes, or anticipates will or may occur in the future. They are based on management’s assumptions and assessments in light of past experience and trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments, and other relevant factors, many of which are difficult to predict and outside of our control. They are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments, and business decisions may differ significantly from those envisaged by our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update or revise any of our forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. Our forward-looking statements are also subject to material risks and uncertainties, including ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical risks, such as lower GDP growth or recession, capital markets volatility, inflation, and certain regional conflicts, that can affect our performance in both the near- and long-term. In addition, no assurance can be given that any plan, initiative, projection, goal, commitment, expectation, or prospect set forth in this Form 10-K can or will be achieved. These forward-looking statements should be considered in light of the information included in this Form 10-K, including, in particular, the factors discussed within the section titled Risk Factors. Such factors may be revised or supplemented in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. Any forward-looking plans described herein are not final and may be modified or abandoned at any time.

Honeywell International Inc. (Honeywell, we, us, our, or the Company) is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Our portfolio of solutions is uniquely positioned to blend physical products with software to serve customers worldwide with aerospace products and services, energy efficient products and solutions for businesses, specialty chemicals, electronic and advanced materials, process technology for refining and petrochemicals, and productivity, sensing, safety, and security technologies for buildings and industries. Our products and solutions enable a safer, more comfortable, and more productive world, enhancing the quality of life of people around the globe. The Honeywell brand dates back to 1906, and the Company was incorporated in Delaware in 1985.

In addition, in this Form 10-K, the Company incorporates by reference certain information from its definitive Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the Proxy Statement), which we expect to file with the SEC on or about April 2, 2024, and which will also be available free of charge on our website.

In 2023, we announced the next phase of Accelerator, version 3.0 of Honeywell's robust operating system, taking an important step toward standardizing our organization end-to-end across our four main business models - products, aftermarket services, projects, and software - and facilitating knowledge transfer of best practices to drive incremental growth, margin expansion, and cash generation. We are completing the buildout of our full suite of information technology (IT) platforms covering all different aspects of the value chain, and implementing digital threads to provide valuable data that will improve our business performance. Over the last six years, the efforts of the “Great Integration” of Honeywell transformed the organization into an integrated operating company, deploying world-class capabilities and multiple growth enablers that benefit each strategic business group.

Our businesses focus on the following objectives:

We globally manage our business operations through four reportable business segments: Aerospace, Honeywell Building Technologies, Performance Materials and Technologies, and Safety and Productivity Solutions. The remainder of Honeywell's operations is presented in Corporate and All Other, which is not a reportable business segment. Financial information related to our reportable business segments is included in Note 22 Segment Financial Data of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

We are subject to competition in substantially all product and service areas. Some of our key competitors include but are not limited to:

Our businesses compete on a variety of factors such as performance, applied technology, product innovation, product recognition, quality, reliability, customer service, delivery, and price. Brand identity, service to customers, and quality are important competitive factors for our products and services. Our products face considerable price competition. While our competitive position varies among our products and services, we are a significant competitor in each of our major product and service areas.

Our backlog represents the estimated remaining value of work to be performed under firm contracts. Backlog is equal to our remaining performance obligations under the contracts that meet the guidance on revenue from contracts with customers as discussed in Note 3 Revenue Recognition and Contracts with Customers of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Backlog was $31,777 million and $29,558 million at December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively. We expect to recognize approximately 60% of our remaining performance obligations as revenue in 2024, and the remaining balance thereafter.

The Company, principally through our Aerospace reportable business segment, sells to the U.S. government acting through its various departments and agencies and through prime contractors, including the U.S. Department of Defense (as both a prime contractor and subcontractor). We do not expect our overall operating results to be significantly affected by any proposed changes in 2024 federal defense spending due to the varied mix of the government programs which impact us (OEM production, engineering development programs, aftermarket spares and repairs, and overhaul programs), as well as our diversified customer base.

We engage in manufacturing, sales, service, and research and development globally. U.S. exports and non-U.S. manufactured products are significant to our operations. U.S. exports represented 13% of our total sales in 2023, and 12% in 2022 and 2021. Non-U.S. manufactured products and services, mainly in Europe and Asia, were 42% of our total sales in 2023, and 40% in 2022 and 2021.

Information related to risks associated with our foreign operations is included in the section titled Risk Factors under the caption “Macroeconomic and Industry Risks.”

The vast majority of principal raw materials used in our operations are readily available; however, during 2023, we continued to experience supply chain constraints for certain raw materials. We maintain mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of disruptions, including digital solutions to assist in identifying and managing shortages, pricing actions, longer term planning for constrained materials, material supply tracking tools, and direct engagement with key suppliers to meet customer demand. We assist certain suppliers facing manufacturing challenges by committing our own resources to their sites and facilities. Our relationships with primary and secondary suppliers allow us to reliably source key components and raw materials. Where we cannot procure key components or raw materials, we consider altering existing products and developing new products to satisfy customer needs. Alterations to existing products and the development of new products undergo product quality controls and engineering qualification, prior to releasing to our customers. We continue to leverage existing supplier relationships and are not dependent on any one supplier for a material amount of our raw materials. We believe these mitigation strategies enable us to reduce supply risk, accelerate new product innovation, and expand our penetration in the markets we serve. Additionally, due to the strenuous quality controls and product qualification we perform on a new or altered product, we do not expect these mitigation strategies to impact product quality or reliability.

Prices of certain key raw materials are expected to moderate. We offset raw material cost increases with formula-driven or long-term supply agreements, price increases, and hedging activities where feasible. We anticipate supply chain constraints for certain raw materials will continue into 2024; however, we believe our short-term and long-term mitigation strategies position us well to mitigate and reduce the impact these factors may have on our businesses. As such, we do not presently anticipate that a shortage of raw materials will cause any material adverse impacts during 2024.

See the section titled Risk Factors for additional information on supply chain constraints.

Our reportable business segments are not dependent upon any single patent or related group of patents, trademarks, or any licenses or distribution rights. In our judgment, our intellectual property rights are adequate for the conduct of our business. We believe that, in the aggregate, the rights under our patents, trademarks, licenses, and distribution rights are generally important to our operations, but we do not consider any individual patent, trademark, or any licensing or distribution rights related to a specific process or product to be of material importance in relation to our total business.

Our operations are subject to various federal, state, local, and foreign government regulations, including requirements regarding the protection of human health and the environment. We design our policies, practices, and procedures to prevent unreasonable risk of environmental damage, and of resulting financial liability, in connection with our business. Some risk of environmental damage is, however, inherent in some of our operations and products, as it is with other companies engaged in similar businesses.

We engage in the handling, manufacturing, use, and disposal of many substances classified as hazardous by one or more regulatory agencies. We design policies, practices, and procedures to prevent unreasonable risk of environmental damage and personal injury, and to ensure that our handling, manufacture, use, and disposal of these substances meet or exceed environmental and safety laws and regulations. It is possible that future knowledge or other developments, such as improved capability to detect substances in the environment or increasingly strict environmental laws and standards and enforcement policies, could bring into question our current or past handling, manufacture, use, or disposal of these substances.

Among other environmental requirements, we are subject to the Federal Superfund and similar state and foreign laws and regulations, under which we have been designated as a potentially responsible party that may be liable for cleanup costs associated with current and former operating sites and various hazardous waste sites, some of which are on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priority List. While there is a possibility that a responsible party might be unable to obtain appropriate contribution from other responsible parties, we do not anticipate having to bear significantly more than our proportional share in multi-party situations taken as a whole.

We do not believe that federal, state, and local provisions regulating the discharge of materials into the environment, or otherwise relating to the protection of the environment, or any existing or pending climate change legislation, regulation, or international treaties or accords are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect in the foreseeable future on our business and we will continue to monitor emerging developments in this area.

Beyond our compliance requirements with environmental regulations, compliance with other government regulations has not had, and based on laws and regulations currently in effect, is not expected to have a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position. See the section titled Risk Factors for additional information on government regulation that could impact our business.

Our commitment to being environmentally responsible is reflected in the extensive work we do to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase energy efficiency, conserve water, minimize waste, manage air emissions, and drive efficiency throughout our operations. Our operating system – which drives sustainable improvements and the elimination of waste in our manufacturing operations – is a critical component in how we approach environmental stewardship within Honeywell.

We commit resources each year to projects that support these objectives:

We uphold our commitment to be carbon neutral by 2035 in our facilities and operations. Our GHG reduction program initially began in 2004, in our view setting us well on our way to achieving this commitment. Further to achieving our carbon neutrality goals, in 2023, we exceeded our 10-10-10 commitments that we established in 2019 to (i) reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity by 10% from a 2018 baseline, (ii) deploy 10 renewable energy opportunities, and (iii) achieve certification to ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard at 10 facilities. In 2022, we joined the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Climate Challenge, pledging to reduce U.S. Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 50% from a 2018 baseline. In addition, in 2023, our near-term science-based target, which includes Scope 3 emissions, was approved by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).

We strive to lead the marketplace in sustainable technology development and help our customers meet their sustainability goals. We are innovating to solve the world’s toughest environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges. The graphic below demonstrates our multitude of ESG-oriented offerings.

Additional information regarding our sustainability initiatives and strategy is included in our 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance Report, which can be found on our website (honeywell.com); this report is not incorporated into this Form 10-K by reference and should not be considered part of this Form 10-K.

Our Code of Business Conduct establishes the baseline requirements of our integrity and compliance program and promotes an environment where everyone is treated ethically and with respect. It outlines our pledge to recognize the dignity of each individual, respect each employee, provide compensation and benefits that are competitive, promote self-development through training, and value diversity of perspectives and ideas. All employees must complete Code of Business Conduct training and, where permitted by law, must also certify each year that they will comply with the Code.

Overall, we believe our culture, along with our internal tools and initiatives, enable us to effectively execute our human capital strategy. For discussion on the risks relating to the ability to attract and retain top-performing talent, please see the section titled Risk Factors.

Our internal talent acquisition and management platform is a key component to recruiting, hiring, and developing top-performing talent. Our hiring practices consider a diverse slate of candidates and we provide our hiring managers with training and toolkits to reinforce their role in bringing diverse talent into the Company. We apply a “diversity of slate” requirement, a requirement to interview at least one diverse candidate, unless an exception is approved by human resources leadership, when hiring for any exempt role in the U.S. or for any management, professional, or senior administrative role globally. Further, we partner with top academic institutions and external professional organizations to enhance the diversity of our workforce to attract and retain top talent. Our talent review process requires our people managers to have semi-annual career discussions with each member of their teams to discuss the best opportunity for growth and development, which enhances our identification of candidates for internal promotion and succession planning.

The Voice of the Employee feedback survey is conducted annually with all global employees with the commitment to listening, learning, and taking action to make Honeywell an even better place to work. The survey provides data and tools to leaders at all levels to best drive actionable plans around employee engagement and build our desired culture that attracts and retains top talent, improves performance, and distinguishes the Company as a great place to work.

Our well-being focus addresses physical, mental, financial, and individual needs, providing benefits and resources to help employees and their families be their best, both personally and professionally. We facilitated several campaigns to promote well-being and help provide visibility to resources and available benefits across a range of topics from health and wellness programs to caring for your family and taking care of finances. We promoted mental health globally during Mental Health Awareness month, during which we offered a variety of benefits and resources were promoted, hosted live webinars, and employees engaged in peer-to-peer sharing. We offer Employee Assistance Programs or therapy sessions to all employees and family members globally, comprehensive mental health benefits to those enrolled in the U.S. medical plan, virtual mental health options and navigation tools to improve access and speed of care, and preventive/mental health resilience programs.

Investing in continuous learning and leadership development is at the core of our culture and long-term business growth strategy. Learning and training underscores our culture of development, continuous improvement, and integrity and compliance. We offer and encourage career and leadership development programs and learning available on Honeywell Accelerator.

We expect our people managers to model behaviors that promote a culture that is open and inclusive for all employees. We help managers develop this skill as they do any other leadership skill through training programs, interactive learning, and real-time events, including the hiring and talent review processes. Our broad portfolio of leadership development programs provide training in core management skills to leaders across the organization. We deploy unconscious bias and inclusive leadership training to our global workforce to educate and influence behavior.

Inclusion and Diversity is at the core of all we do and drives us to build and reinforce an inclusive culture. With our global programs and inclusive culture, we recruit, develop, retain, and promote diverse talent. We continue to build partnerships with diverse organizations and develop resources to support diverse employees. We hold employees accountable to actively support Inclusion and Diversity in words and actions. We further our foundational principle of Inclusion and Diversity by focusing on three strategic priority areas:

Our commitment to Inclusion and Diversity starts at the top with a diverse Board of Directors (the Board) and executive management team, who represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds and perspectives. We believe that the diversity of our current Board of Directors (four women, and two African American, one Hispanic, and two Asian American directors) and the diversity of Honeywell’s executive leadership (six of the Company’s nine executive officers are diverse by ethnic background, non-U.S. place of birth, or gender) supports our evolving business strategy and is a testament to Honeywell’s ongoing commitment to hiring, developing, and retaining diverse talent. The Company’s commitment to Inclusion and Diversity enables better decision-making, helps build competitive advantages, and furthers long-term success.

Our Global Inclusion and Diversity Steering Committee co-sponsored by our CEO, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer fortifies our inclusion and diversity governance structure by embedding Inclusion and Diversity Councils in each of our business groups. The governance structure provides a scalable model that supports our nine affinity group employee networks and facilitates the introduction of new networks to reflect the diverse characteristics of our workforce. These networks are designed to provide training and development opportunities and expand internal networks for promotional opportunities.

We held our second annual Global Inclusion and Diversity month in September 2023, during which employees all around the world recognized and supported inclusive diversity efforts by learning from and connecting with one another. The month offered employees the opportunity to make an impact by shaping an inclusive and diverse future.

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is intended to help the reader understand the results of operations and financial condition of Honeywell International Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (Honeywell, we, us, our, or the Company) for the three years ended December 31, 2023. All references to Notes relate to Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the section titled Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.    

We continue to monitor the impacts of ongoing macroeconomic conditions and geopolitical events. During 2023, material inflation continued to moderate. Slowing global growth relieved pressure on logistics freight and service capacity and provided supply chain redundancy. We continue to leverage short-term and long-term mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of supply chain disruptions, including digital solutions to assist in identifying and managing shortages.

Our mitigation strategies include pricing actions, longer term planning for constrained materials, new supplier development, material supply tracking tools, and direct engagement with key suppliers to meet customer demand. Our relationships with primary and secondary suppliers allow us to reliably source key components and raw materials. In areas where we cannot procure key components or raw materials, we consider altering existing products and developing new products to satisfy customer needs. Alterations to existing products and the development of new products undergo product quality controls and engineering qualification prior to releasing to our customers. In addition, we assist certain suppliers facing manufacturing challenges by committing our own resources to their sites and facilities. We believe these mitigation strategies enable us to reduce supply risk, accelerate new product innovation, and expand our penetration in the markets we serve. Additionally, due to the strenuous quality controls and product qualification we perform on a new or altered product, we do not expect these mitigation strategies to impact product quality or reliability.

Global conflicts continue to create volatility in global financial and energy markets and contribute to supply chain shortages adding to the inflationary pressures in the global economy. We actively collaborate with our suppliers to minimize impacts of supply shortages on our manufacturing capabilities.

To date, our strategies have successfully mitigated our exposure to these conditions. However, if we are not successful in sustaining or executing these strategies, these macroeconomic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations or operating cash flows.

See the section titled Review of Business Segments for additional information on the impacts of inflationary cost pressures and labor shortages to our businesses.

See the section titled Risk Factors for a discussion of risks associated with the potential adverse effects of inflationary cost pressures, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages to our businesses.

A discussion of Net sales by reportable business segment can be found in the Review of Business Segments section of Management's Discussion and Analysis.

We globally manage our business operations through four reportable business segments: Aerospace, Honeywell Building Technologies, Performance Materials and Technologies, and Safety and Productivity Solutions.

Segment profit increased $513 million and segment margin percentage increased 20 basis points to 27.5% compared to 27.3% for the same period of 2022.

Segment profit increased $66 million and segment margin percentage increased 100 basis points to 25.0% compared to 24.0% for the same period of 2022.

Segment profit increased $195 million and segment margin percentage increased 30 basis points to 22.2% compared to 21.9% for the same period of 2022.

Segment profit decreased $179 million and segment margin percentage increased 80 basis points to 16.4% compared to 15.6% for the same period in 2022.

During the second quarter of 2022, our Productivity Solutions and Services business entered into a license and settlement agreement (the Agreement). Under the Agreement, we will receive up to $360 million, paid in equal quarterly installments over eight quarters, beginning with the second quarter of 2022. The Agreement provides each party a license to its existing patent portfolio for use by the other party’s existing products and resolves all patent-related litigation between the parties.

Corporate and All Other primarily includes unallocated corporate costs, interest expense on holding-company debt, and the controlling majority-owned interest in Quantinuum. Corporate and All Other is not a separate reportable business segment as segment reporting criteria is not met. The Company continues to monitor the activities in Corporate and All Other to determine the need for further reportable business segment disaggregation.

In October 2023, the Company announced a realignment, effective in the first quarter of 2024, of its business units comprising its Performance Materials and Technologies, and Safety and Productivity Solutions reportable business segments by forming two new reportable business segments: Industrial Automation, and Energy and Sustainability Solutions. Industrial Automation will include Sensing and Safety Technologies, Productivity Solutions and Services, and Warehouse and Workflow Solutions, which are currently included in Safety and Productivity Solutions, in addition to Process Solutions, which is currently included in Performance Materials and Technologies. Energy and Sustainability Solutions will include UOP and Advanced Materials, which are currently included in Performance Materials and Technologies. Further, as part of the realignment, the Company will rename its Aerospace and Honeywell Building Technologies reportable business segments to Aerospace Technologies and Building Automation, respectively. Following the realignment, the Company’s reportable business segments will be Aerospace Technologies, Industrial Automation, Building Automation, and Energy and Sustainability Solutions. The realignment will not impact the Company’s historical consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. The Company expects to report its financial performance based on this realignment effective with the first quarter of 2024.

Our business, operating results, cash flows, and financial condition are subject to the material risks and uncertainties set forth below, any one of which could cause our actual results to vary materially from recent results or from our anticipated future results. Disclosures of risks should not be interpreted to imply that the risks have not already materialized, and there may be additional risks that are not presently material or known.

Our international operations, including U.S. exports, represent more than half of the Company’s sales. Risks related to international operations include exchange control regulations, wage and price controls, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, antitrust regulations, employment regulations, foreign investment laws, import, export, and other trade restrictions (such as sanctions and embargoes), differing levels of protection of intellectual property, acts of industrial espionage, violations by our employees of anti-corruption laws (despite our efforts to mitigate such risk), changes in regulations regarding transactions with state-owned enterprises, nationalization of private enterprises, acts of terrorism, acts of war, civil strife, and our ability to hire and maintain qualified staff and maintain the safety of our employees in these regions. Instability and uncertainties arising from the global geopolitical environment and the evolving international and domestic political, regulatory, and economic landscape, including the potential for changes in global trade policies, such as sanctions and trade barriers, and trends such as populism, economic nationalism, and negative sentiment toward multinational companies, as well as the cost of compliance with increasingly complex and often conflicting regulations worldwide, can impair our flexibility in modifying product, marketing, pricing, or other strategies for growing our businesses, as well as our ability to improve productivity and maintain acceptable operating margins.

Existing free trade laws and regulations provide certain beneficial duties and tariffs for qualifying imports and exports. Changes in laws or policies governing the terms of foreign trade, and in particular increased trade restrictions, tariffs, or taxes on imports from countries where we manufacture products or from where we import products or raw materials, either directly or through our suppliers, could have an impact on our competitive position and financial results.

The U.S. continues to implement certain trade actions, including imposing tariffs on certain goods imported from China and other countries, which has resulted in retaliatory tariffs by China and other countries. Additional tariffs, export controls, and sanctions laws imposed by the U.S. on a broader range of imports, or further retaliatory trade measures taken by China or other countries in response, could increase the cost of our products.

In response to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the U.S. and other countries imposed actions including sanctions, export and import controls, and trade restrictions with respect to Russian and Belarusian governments, government-related entities, and other entities and individuals. Further, the Russian government implemented retaliatory actions against the U.S. and other nation members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as well as certain other nations. Given the uncertainty inherent in our remaining obligations related to our contracts with Russian counterparties, we do not believe it is possible to develop estimates of reasonably possible loss in excess of current accruals for these matters. As the conflict continues to evolve, existing conditions may worsen, or other impacts, including escalation of the conflict in other regions of Europe where there is a material portion of our business, increased tension between Russia and the U.S. and other NATO members and other countries, or other impacts that are unknown at this time, could lead to increased charges and could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position. These impacts may result in increased costs or additional impacts on our operations and may adversely affect our ability to meet contractual and financial obligations, results of operations, and financial condition.

To the extent the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates, it may also negatively impact other risk factors disclosed in this Form 10-K and further impact our financial results. Such risks include, but are not limited to, adverse effects on macroeconomic conditions, including inflation and consumer spending; cybersecurity incidents and other disruptions to our information technology infrastructure or that of our customers and suppliers, including disruptions at our cloud computing, server, systems, and other third party information technology (IT) service providers; adverse changes in international trade policies and relations; our ability to implement and execute our business strategy, particularly in Eastern Europe and surrounding regions; disruptions in global supply chains; energy shortages; terrorist activities targeting U.S. government contractors and/or critical infrastructure; our exposure to foreign currency fluctuations; and constraints, volatility, or disruption in the capital markets.

Operating outside of the U.S. also exposes us to foreign exchange risk, which we monitor and seek to reduce through hedging activities. However, foreign exchange hedging activities bear a financial cost and may not always be available to us or be successful in eliminating such volatility. Finally, we generate significant amounts of cash outside of the U.S. that is invested with financial and non-financial counterparties. While we employ comprehensive controls regarding global cash management to guard against cash or investment loss and to ensure our ability to fund our operations and commitments, a material disruption to the counterparties with whom we transact business could expose Honeywell to financial loss.

Operating outside the U.S. also exposes us to additional intellectual property risk. The laws and enforcement practices of certain jurisdictions in which we operate may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as in the U.S. and may impose joint venture, technology transfer, local service or other foreign investment requirements, and restrictions that potentially compromise control over our technology and proprietary information. Failure of foreign jurisdictions to protect our intellectual property rights, an inability to effectively enforce such rights in foreign jurisdictions, or the imposition of foreign jurisdiction investment or sourcing restrictions or requirements could result in loss of valuable proprietary information and could impact our competitive position and financial results.

Risks related to our defined benefit pension plans may adversely impact our results of operations and cash flow.

Significant changes in actual investment return on pension assets, discount rates, and other factors could adversely affect our results of operations and require cash pension contributions in future periods. Changes in discount rates and actual asset returns different than our anticipated asset returns can result in significant non-cash actuarial gains or losses, which we record in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, and, if applicable, in any quarter in which an interim re-measurement is triggered. With regard to cash pension contributions, funding requirements for our pension plans are largely dependent upon interest rates, actual investment returns on pension assets, and the impact of legislative or regulatory changes related to pension funding obligations.

Raw material price fluctuations, inflation, the ability of key suppliers to meet quality and delivery requirements, or catastrophic events can increase the cost of our products and services, impact our ability to meet commitments to customers, and cause us to incur significant liabilities.

Many major components, product equipment items, and raw materials, particularly in Aerospace, are procured or subcontracted on a single or sole-source basis. Although we maintain a qualification and performance surveillance process and we believe that sources of supply for raw materials and components are generally adequate, it is difficult to predict what effects shortages or price increases, in addition to other supply chain disruptions, may have in the future. Our ability to manage inventory and meet delivery requirements may be constrained by our suppliers’ inability to scale production and adjust delivery of long-lead time products during times of volatile demand. In addition, current or future global economic uncertainty, including inflation and increased interest rates, supply chain and labor disruptions, unemployment rates, banking instability, any U.S. government shutdown, any downgrades in the U.S. government's sovereign credit rating, public health crises, volatile financial markets, geopolitical instability and regional conflicts, and potential recession may affect the financial stability of our key suppliers or their access to financing, which may in turn affect their ability to perform their obligations to us. If one or more of our suppliers experiences financial difficulties, delivery delays, or other performance problems, our resulting inability to fill our supply needs would jeopardize our ability to fulfill obligations under commercial and government contracts, which could, in turn, result in reduced sales and profits, contract penalties or terminations, and damage to customer relationships.

In an effort to reduce the impact of current and future supply chain disruptions, we have implemented short-term and long-term strategies to reduce the impact of such disruptions, including pricing actions, longer-term planning for constrained materials, material supply tracking tools, direct engagement with key suppliers to meet customer demand, and development of new or redesigned products that satisfy our product quality controls and engineering qualifications and/or any applicable regulatory requirements. We cannot provide any assurance that our mitigation strategies will continue to be successful, or that we will be able to alter our strategies or develop new strategies if and as needed.

We regularly review our portfolio of businesses and pursue growth through acquisitions and seek to divest non-core businesses. We may not be able to complete transactions on favorable terms, on a timely basis, or at all. In addition, our results of operations and cash flows may be adversely impacted by (i) the failure of acquired businesses to meet or exceed expected returns, including risk of impairment; (ii) the failure to integrate multiple acquired businesses into Honeywell simultaneously and on schedule and/or to achieve expected synergies; (iii) the inability to dispose of non-core assets and businesses on satisfactory terms and conditions; and (iv) the discovery of unanticipated liabilities, labor relations difficulties, cybersecurity concerns, compliance issues, or other problems in acquired businesses for which we lack contractual protections, insurance or indemnities, or, with regard to divested businesses, claims by purchasers to whom we have provided contractual indemnification.

Our future growth is largely dependent upon our ability to develop new technologies and introduce new products that achieve market acceptance in increasingly competitive markets with acceptable margins.

Our future growth rate depends upon a number of factors, including our ability to (i) identify and evolve with emerging technological and broader industry trends, including technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning in our target end markets; (ii) develop and maintain competitive products; (iii) defend our market share against an ever-expanding number of competitors, including many new and non-traditional competitors; (iv) enhance our products by adding innovative features that differentiate our products from those of our competitors and prevent commoditization of our products; (v) develop, manufacture, and bring compelling new products to market quickly and cost-effectively; (vi) monitor disruptive technologies and business models; (vii) achieve sufficient return on investment for new products introduced based on capital expenditures and research and development spending; (viii) respond to changes in overall trends related to end market demand; and (ix) attract, develop, and retain individuals with the requisite technical expertise and understanding of customers’ needs to develop new technologies and introduce new products. Competitors may also develop after-market services and parts for our products which attract customers and adversely affect our return on investment for new products. The failure of our technologies or products to gain market acceptance due to more attractive offerings by our competitors or the failure to address any of the above factors could significantly reduce our revenues and adversely affect our competitive standing and prospects.

Failure to increase productivity through sustainable operational improvements, as well as an inability to successfully execute repositioning projects or to effectively manage our workforce, may reduce our profitability or adversely impact our businesses.

Our profitability and margin growth are dependent upon our ability to drive sustainable improvements. We seek productivity and cost savings benefits through repositioning actions and projects, such as consolidation of manufacturing facilities, transitions to cost-competitive regions, and product line rationalizations. Risks associated with these actions include delays in execution, additional unexpected costs, realization of fewer than estimated productivity improvements, and adverse effects on employee morale. We may not realize the full operational or financial benefits we expect, the recognition of these benefits may be delayed, and these actions may potentially disrupt our operations. In addition, organizational changes, increased attrition, failure to create and implement a succession plan for key Company positions, not retaining key talent, inability to attract new employees with unique skills, trends in rising labor costs and labor availability, labor relations difficulties, or workforce stoppage could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial position, and results of operations. Additionally, certain personnel may be required to receive various clearances and substantial training in order to work on certain programs or perform certain tasks. Necessary security clearances may be delayed, which may impact our ability to perform on our U.S. government contracts. We also may not be successful in training or developing qualified personnel with the requisite relevant skills or security clearances.

As a supplier to the U.S. government, we are subject to unique risks, such as the right of the U.S. government to terminate contracts for convenience and to conduct audits and investigations of our operations and performance.

U.S. government contracts are subject to termination by the government, either for the convenience of the government or for our failure to perform consistent with the terms of the applicable contract. Our contracts with the U.S. government are also subject to government audits that may recommend downward price adjustments and other changes. When appropriate and prudent, we made adjustments and paid voluntary refunds in the past and may do so in the future. In addition, U.S. government contracts are subject to congressional funding, which may be unavailable due to changes in priorities or subject to continuing resolution, which may result in funding reductions, eliminations, or other effects that could impact our business.

We are also subject to government investigations of business practices and compliance with government procurement and security regulations. If, as a result of any such investigation or other government investigations (including investigation of violations of certain environmental, employment, or export laws), Honeywell or one of its businesses were found to have violated applicable law, then it could be suspended from bidding on or receiving awards of new government contracts, suspended from contract performance pending the completion of legal proceedings, and/or have its export privileges suspended.

Our operations and the prior operations of predecessor companies expose us to the risk of material environmental liabilities.

Mainly because of past operations and operations of predecessor companies, we are subject to potentially material liabilities related to the remediation of environmental hazards and to claims of personal injuries or property damages that may be caused by hazardous substance releases and exposures. We continue to incur remedial response and voluntary clean-up costs for site contamination and are a party to lawsuits and claims associated with environmental and safety matters, including past production of products containing hazardous substances. Additional lawsuits, claims, and costs involving environmental matters are likely to continue to arise in the future. Various federal, state, local, and foreign governments regulate the use of certain materials, the discharge of materials into the environment, and/or communications respecting certain materials in our products, and can impose substantial fines and criminal sanctions for violations, and require injunctive relief measures, including installation of costly equipment, implementation of operational changes to limit emissions and/or decrease the likelihood of accidental hazardous substance releases, or limiting access of our products to markets, among others. In addition, changes in laws, regulations and enforcement of policies, the discovery of previously unknown contamination or new technology or information related to individual sites, the establishment of stricter toxicity standards with respect to certain contaminants, or the imposition of new clean-up requirements or remedial techniques could require us to incur additional costs in the future that would have a negative effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Our business, reputation, and financial performance may be materially impacted by cybersecurity attacks on our information technology infrastructure and products.

Cybersecurity is a critical component of the Company’s enterprise risk management program. Global cybersecurity threats and incidents can range from uncoordinated individual attempts to gain unauthorized access to IT systems to sophisticated and targeted measures known as advanced persistent threats, directed at the Company, its products, its customers, and/or its third party software and service providers, including cloud providers. Our customers, including the U.S. government, are increasingly requiring cybersecurity protections and mandating cybersecurity standards in our products, and we may incur additional costs to comply with such demands. While we have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, these types of threats and incidents, none of them to date have been material to the Company. We seek to deploy comprehensive measures to deter, prevent, detect, respond to, and mitigate these threats, including identity and access controls, data protection, vulnerability assessments, continuous monitoring of our IT networks and systems, and maintenance of backup and protective systems. Despite these efforts, cybersecurity incidents (against us, parties with whom we contract, or software used in our business), including incidents due to human error, third-party action, including actions of foreign actors, which risk may be exacerbated by the current Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts and U.S. and international response, insider attacks, phishing or denial-of-service attacks, ransomware or other malware, social engineering, malfeasance, other unauthorized physical or electronic access, or other vulnerabilities, depending on their nature and scope, could potentially result in the misappropriation, destruction, corruption or unavailability of critical data and confidential or proprietary information (our own or that of third parties), theft of funds, and the disruption of business operations. In addition, the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to sensitive data continue to evolve and become more sophisticated and may not be recognized until launched against a target; accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures, and future cybersecurity incidents could go undetected and persist for an extended period of time. Furthermore, to the extent artificial intelligence capabilities improve and are increasingly adopted, they may be used to identify vulnerabilities and craft increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity attacks, and vulnerabilities may be introduced from the use of artificial intelligence by us, our financial services providers and other vendors and third-party providers.

Our customers, partners (including our suppliers), subcontractors, and other third parties to whom we entrust confidential data, and on whom we rely to provide products and services, face similar threats and growing requirements. We depend on such parties to implement adequate controls and safeguards to protect against and report cyber incidents. If such parties fail to deter, detect, or report cybersecurity incidents in a timely manner, we may suffer from financial and other harm, including to our information, operations, performance, employees, and reputation.

The potential consequences of a material cybersecurity incident and its effects include financial loss, reputational damage, litigation with third parties, theft of intellectual property, fines levied by the Federal Trade Commission or other government agencies, diminution in the value of our investment in research, development, and engineering, and increased cybersecurity protection and remediation costs due to the increasing sophistication and proliferation of threats, which in turn could have a material impact on our competitiveness, business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, cybersecurity laws and regulations continue to evolve, and are increasingly demanding, both in the U.S. and globally, which adds compliance complexity and may increase our costs of compliance and expose us to reputational damage or litigation, monetary damages, regulatory enforcement actions, or fines in one or more jurisdictions. We cannot be certain that our cybersecurity insurance coverage will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred, that insurance will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or that any insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim.

The development of technology products and services presents security and safety risks.

An increasing number of our products, services, and technologies are delivered with Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities and the accompanying interconnected device networks, which include sensors, data, and advanced computing capabilities. We have developed product software designs that we believe are less susceptible to cyber-attacks, but despite these efforts, if our products and services that include IoT solutions do not work as intended or are compromised, the possible consequences include financial loss, reputational damage, exposure to legal claims or enforcement actions, theft of intellectual property, and diminution in the value of our investment in research, development, and engineering, which in turn could adversely affect our competitiveness and results of operations.

Data privacy, data protection, and information security may require significant resources and present certain risks.

We collect, store, have access to, and otherwise process certain confidential or sensitive data, including proprietary business information, personal data, or other information that is subject to data privacy and security laws, regulations, and/or contractual obligations with third parties. Despite our efforts to protect such data, we may be vulnerable to material security breaches, theft, misplaced or lost data, programming errors, or human errors that could potentially lead to the compromise of such data, improper use of our products, systems, software solutions, or networks, unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, or destruction of data, defective products, production downtimes, and operational disruptions. A significant actual or perceived risk of theft, loss, fraudulent use or misuse of customer, employee, or other data, whether by us, our suppliers, channel partners, customers, or other third parties, as a result of employee error or malfeasance, or as a result of the imaging, software, security, and other products we incorporate into our products, as well as non-compliance with applicable industry standards or our contractual or other legal obligations or privacy and information security policies regarding such data, could result in costs, fines, litigation, or regulatory actions, or could lead customers to select the products and services of our competitors. In addition, we operate in an environment in which there are different and potentially conflicting laws in effect in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions in which we operate, and we must understand and comply with each law and standard in these jurisdictions while also ensuring the data is secure. Many of these laws impose stringent requirements as to how we collect, store, maintain, transfer, and otherwise process personal data and provide significant or material penalties for noncompliance. Many jurisdictions have passed or are considering laws that require personal data relating to their residents or citizens to be maintained or replicated on local servers or impose specific obligations related to extraterritorial data transfers. Government enforcement actions can be costly and interrupt the regular operation of our business, and actual or alleged violations of such laws, including in relation to the Company’s processing of personal data or adoption of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, can result in fines, reputational damage, and civil lawsuits, any of which may adversely affect our business, reputation, and financial statements.

A material disruption of our operations, particularly at our manufacturing facilities or within our IT infrastructure, could adversely affect our business.

Concentrations of credit, counterparty, and market risk may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We maintain long-term contractual relationships with many of our customers, suppliers, and other counterparties. While we monitor the financial health of these counterparties, we are exposed to credit and market risks of such counterparties, including those concentrated in the same or similar industries and geographic regions. Changes in political and economic conditions could also lead to concerns about the creditworthiness of counterparties and their ability to pay in the same or similar industry or geography, impacting our ability to renew our long-term contractual arrangements or collect amounts due under these arrangements. Among other factors, geopolitical events, inflation, rising interest rates, banking instability, and changes in economic conditions, including an economic downturn or recession, could also result in the credit deterioration or insolvency of a significant counterparty.

We are impacted by increasing stakeholder interest in public company performance, disclosure, and goal-setting with respect to environmental, social, and governance matters.

In response to growing customer, investor, employee, governmental, and other stakeholder interest in our ESG practices, including our procedures, standards, performance metrics, and goals, we have increased reporting of our ESG programs and performance and have established and announced goals and other objectives related to ESG matters. These goal statements reflect our current plans and aspirations and are not guarantees that we will be able to achieve them. Our ability to achieve any goal or objective, including with respect to ESG initiatives, is subject to numerous risks, many of which are outside of our control. Examples of such risks include: (i) the availability and cost of low- or non-carbon-based energy sources and technologies, (ii) evolving regulatory requirements affecting ESG standards or disclosures, (iii) the availability of suppliers that can meet our sustainability, diversity and other standards, (iv) our ability to recruit, develop, and retain diverse talent in our labor markets, and (v) the impact of our organic growth and acquisitions or dispositions of businesses or operations. In addition, standards for tracking and reporting on ESG matters have not been harmonized and continue to evolve. Our processes and controls for reporting of ESG matters may not always comply with evolving and disparate standards for identifying, measuring, and reporting ESG metrics, our interpretation of reporting standards may differ from those of others, and such standards may change over time, any of which could result in significant revisions to our performance metrics, goals, or reported progress in achieving such goals. In addition, certain of our products and services, including offerings in our Defense and Space business unit, are unattractive to certain investors and may cause us to be increasingly subject to ESG-driven investment practices that preclude investment in our debt and equity. On the other hand, some investors have a negative response to ESG practices as a result of anti-ESG sentiment and may choose not to invest in us, or divest in their holdings of us, as a result of our ESG practices and initiatives.

If our ESG practices or business portfolio do not meet evolving investor or other stakeholder expectations and standards, then our reputation, our ability to attract or retain employees, and our attractiveness as an investment, supplier, business partner, or acquiror could be negatively impacted. Our failure or perceived failure to pursue or fulfill our goals, targets, and objectives or to satisfy various reporting standards within the timelines we announce, or at all, could have similar negative impacts and expose us to government enforcement actions and private litigation.

Global climate change and related regulations and changes in customer demand could negatively affect our operations and our business.

The effects of climate change could create financial risks to our business. For example, the effects of physical impacts of climate change could disrupt our operations by impacting the availability and cost of materials needed for manufacturing, exacerbate existing risks to our supply chain, disrupt our operations, and increase insurance and other operating costs. These factors may impact our decisions to construct new facilities or maintain existing facilities in areas most prone to physical climate risks. We could also face indirect financial risks passed through the supply chain and disruptions that could result in increased prices for our products and the resources needed to produce them.

The growing focus on addressing global climate change has resulted in more regulations designed to reduce GHG emissions and more customer demand for products and services that have a lower carbon footprint or that help businesses and consumers reduce carbon emissions throughout their value chains. These regulations tend to be implemented under global, national and sub-national climate objectives or policies, and target the global warming potential of refrigerants, energy efficiency, and the combustion of fossil fuels. Although we offer and continue to invest in developing solutions that help our customers meet their carbon reduction and sustainability goals, many of our products combust fossil fuels, consume energy, and use refrigerants. Regulations and carbon reduction goals which seek to reduce GHG emissions could reduce demand for such products and present a risk to our business. We may be required to further increase research and development and other capital expenditures in order to develop offerings that meet these new regulations, standards, and customer demands. There can be no assurance that our new product development efforts will be successful, that our products will be accepted by the market, or that economic returns will reflect our investments in new product development.

Our U.S. and non-U.S. tax liabilities are dependent, in part, upon the distribution of income among various jurisdictions in which we operate, as well as changes in tax law or regulation.

Our future results of operations could be adversely affected by changes in the effective tax rate as a result of a change in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in tax laws, regulations and judicial rulings (or changes in the interpretation thereof), potential taxation of digital services, changes in generally accepted accounting principles, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in the amount of earnings permanently reinvested offshore, the results of audits and examinations of previously filed tax returns and continuing assessments of our tax exposures, and various other governmental enforcement initiatives. Our tax expense includes estimates of tax reserves and reflects other estimates and assumptions, including assessments of future earnings of the Company, which could impact the valuation of our deferred tax assets. In addition, our future effective tax rates could be subject to volatility or adversely affected by changes in tax laws, regulations, accounting principles, or interpretations thereof.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/G20 and other invited countries, developed a global tax framework inclusive of a 15% global minimum tax under the Pillar Two Global Anti-Base Erosion Rules (Pillar Two). On December 15, 2022, the Council of the European Union (EU) formally adopted the OECD’s framework to achieve a coordinated implementation amongst EU Member States consistent with EU law. The EU’s Pillar Two Directive effective dates are January 1, 2024, and January 1, 2025, for different aspects of the directive. Other major jurisdictions are actively considering and implementing changes to their tax laws to adopt certain parts of the OECD’s proposals. We have assessed this framework and determined, based upon available guidance, that these changes will not have a material impact to our results of operations. Any future changes in OECD guidance or interpretations, including local country tax legislative changes thereof, could impact our initial assessment; therefore, we will continue to monitor and refine our assessment as further guidance is made available.

Changes in legislation or government regulations or policies can have a significant impact on our results of operations.

The sales and margins of each of our reportable business segments are directly impacted by government regulations, including environmental, safety, performance, and product certification regulations. Within Aerospace, the operating results of Commercial Aviation Original Equipment and Commercial Aviation Aftermarket may be impacted by, among other things, mandates of the Federal Aviation Administration and other similar international regulatory bodies requiring the installation of equipment on aircraft. Our Defense and Space business unit may be affected by changes in government procurement regulations. Within Honeywell Building Technologies and Safety and Productivity Solutions, the demand for and cost of providing products, services and solutions can be impacted by fire, security, safety, health care, environmental, and energy efficiency standards and regulations. Performance Materials and Technologies’ results of operations can be impacted by environmental and health standards, regulations, and judicial determinations, including potential per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) legislation and regulations that, if adopted, could impact the sale of certain products in our Advanced Materials business unit, without fully assessing level of risk or environmental impact. Growth in all our businesses within emerging markets may be adversely impacted by the inability to acquire and retain qualified employees where local employment law mandates may be restrictive. Changes in such regulations and government policies could negatively impact us; for instance, noncompliance with legislation and regulations can result in fines and penalties, and compliance with any new regulations or policies may be burdensome and/or require significant expenditures.

Increased focus and evolving views of lawmakers on climate change and other ESG issues could have a long-term impact on our business and result of operations.

Increased public awareness and concern regarding global climate change and other ESG matters may result in more international, regional, and/or federal regulatory or other stakeholder requirements or expectations that could mandate more restrictive or expansive standards, such as stricter limits on GHG emissions or more prescriptive reporting of ESG metrics, practices, and targets, than the voluntary commitments that the Company has adopted or require such changes on a more accelerated time frame. There continues to be a lack of consistent climate and other ESG legislation, which creates economic and regulatory uncertainty; however, there has been an increasing amount of legislative and regulatory activity, particularly in the European Union, United Kingdom, and U.S. In addition, there is also an increasing number of state-level anti-ESG initiatives in the U.S. that may conflict with other regulatory requirements, resulting in regulatory uncertainty. New or revised legal and regulatory requirements could impose significant operational restrictions and compliance requirements upon the Company or its products, and could negatively impact the Company’s business, capital expenditures, results of operations, financial condition, and competitive position.

We cannot predict with certainty the outcome of litigation matters, government proceedings and other contingencies and uncertainties.

We are currently, and may in the future become, subject to lawsuits, fines, investigations, and disputes (some of which involve substantial amounts claimed) arising out of the conduct of our business, including matters relating to commercial transactions, government contracts, product liability (including asbestos), the integration of emerging technologies (such as, but not limited to, artificial intelligence and machine learning), prior acquisitions and divestitures, employment, employee benefits plans, intellectual property, antitrust, anti-corruption, accounting, import and export, and environmental, health, and safety matters. Our potential liabilities are subject to change over time due to new developments, changes in settlement strategy or the impact of evidentiary requirements, and we may become subject to or be required to pay damage awards or settlements that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, reputation, cash flows, and financial condition. While we maintain insurance for certain risks, the amount of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover the total amount of all insured claims and liabilities. The incurrence of significant liabilities for which there is no or insufficient insurance coverage could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, and financial condition. See Note 19 Commitments and Contingencies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion regarding the uncertainty associated with asbestos-related liabilities.

Information relating to market risks is included within Liquidity and Capital Resources of our Form 10-K under the caption “Financial Instruments.”

We manage our businesses to maximize operating cash flows as the primary source of liquidity. Each of our businesses focus on increasing operating cash flows through revenue growth, margin expansion, and improved working capital turnover. Additional sources of liquidity include U.S. cash balances, and the ability to access non-U.S. cash balances, short-term debt from the commercial paper market, long-term borrowings, committed credit lines, and access to the public debt and equity markets.

As of December 31, 2023, and 2022, we held $8.1 billion and $10.1 billion, respectively, of cash and cash equivalents, including our short-term investments. We monitor the third-party depository institutions that hold our cash and cash equivalents on a daily basis. Our emphasis is primarily safety of principal and secondarily maximizing yield of those funds. We diversify our cash and cash equivalents among counterparties to minimize exposure to any one counterparty.

As of December 31, 2023, $5.9 billion of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments were held by non-U.S. subsidiaries. We do not have material amounts related to any jurisdiction subject to currency control restrictions that impact our ability to access and repatriate such amounts. Under current laws, we do not expect taxes on repatriation or restrictions on amounts held outside of the U.S. to have a material effect on our overall liquidity.

Our cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities, as reflected in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, are summarized as follows:

Net cash used for investing activities was $1,293 million, driven by $1,039 million of capital expenditures and $718 million cash paid for acquisitions, partially offset by a $411 million net decrease in investments.

Net cash used for financing activities was $5,763 million, driven by $3,715 million of repurchases of common stock, $2,855 million of cash dividends paid, and $1,731 million of payments of long-term debt, partially offset by $2,986 million of proceeds from issuance of long-term debt.

Net cash used for investing activities increased by $1,200 million due to a $540 million increase in cash paid for acquisitions, $409 million of cash receipts from Garrett Motion Inc. (Garrett) in 2022, and a $363 million decrease in cash receipts from settlements of derivative contracts, partially offset by a $367 million net decrease in investments.

Net cash used for financing activities decreased by $567 million due to a $485 million decrease in repurchases of common stock and $119 million decrease in payments of long-term debt, partially offset by a $136 million increase in cash dividends paid.

See Note 19 Commitments and Contingencies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on the NARCO Amended Buyout Agreement, HWI Net Sale Proceeds, and UOP Matters.

In addition to our normal operating cash requirements, we expect our primary cash requirements in 2024 to be as follows:

We continually seek opportunities to improve our liquidity and working capital efficiency, which includes the extension of payment terms with our suppliers. In addition, we maintain agreements with third-party financial institutions that offer voluntary supply chain financing (SCF) programs to suppliers. The SCF programs enable suppliers, at their sole discretion, to sell their receivables to third-party financial institutions in order to receive payment on receivables earlier than the negotiated commercial terms between us and our suppliers. Supplier sale of receivables to third-party financial institutions is on terms negotiated between the supplier and the respective third-party financial institution. We agree on commercial terms for the goods and services we procure from our suppliers, including prices, quantities, and payment terms, which normally range between 60 and 120 days, regardless of whether the supplier elects to participate in the SCF programs. A suppliers’ voluntary participation in the SCF programs has no bearing on our payment terms and we have no economic interest in a supplier’s decision to participate in the SCF programs. We agree to pay participating third-party financial institutions the stated amounts of confirmed invoices from suppliers on the original maturity dates of the invoices.

Amounts outstanding related to SCF programs are included in Accounts payable in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. At December 31, 2023, Accounts payable included approximately $1,112 million payable to suppliers who have elected to participate in the SCF programs. Amounts settled with third-party financial institutions through the SCF programs increased approximately $700 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase for the year ended December 31, 2023, reflects a combination of increased enrollment and utilization of our SCF programs. All activity related to amounts due to suppliers that elected to participate in the SCF programs is reflected in Cash flows from operating activities in our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. While access to SCF could decrease if our credit ratings are downgraded, we do not believe that changes in the availability of SCF will have a significant impact on our liquidity. The impact of these programs is not material to our overall liquidity.

We sell trade receivables to unaffiliated financial institutions with limited or no recourse. Transfers of the receivables are accounted for as sales and, accordingly, receivables sold are excluded from Accounts receivable—net in the Consolidated Balance Sheet and are reflected in Cash flows from operating activities in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The difference between the carrying amount of the trade receivables sold and the cash received is recorded in Cost of products and services sold in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. The impact of this program is not material to our overall liquidity.

Finally, we continue to assess the relative strength of each business in our portfolio as to strategic fit, market position, profit, and cash flow contribution in order to identify target investment and acquisition opportunities in order to upgrade our combined portfolio. We identify acquisition candidates that will further our strategic plan and strengthen our existing core businesses. We also identify businesses that do not fit into our long-term strategic plan based on their market position, relative profitability, or growth potential. These businesses are considered for potential divestiture, restructuring, or other repositioning actions, subject to regulatory constraints.

In early 2023, we made payments of approximately $1.5 billion in connection with the NARCO Buyout and UOP Matters. Pursuant to the NARCO Amended Buyout Agreement, in 2023 we received proceeds from the HWI Sale in the amount of $275 million. See Note 12 Fair Value Measurements of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion related to the fair value of future proceeds from the HWI Sale.

Based on past performance and current expectations, we believe that our operating cash flows will be sufficient to meet our future operating cash needs. Our available cash, committed credit lines, and access to the public debt and equity markets provide additional sources of short-term and long-term liquidity to fund current operations, debt maturities, and future investment opportunities.

See Note 9 Long-term Debt and Credit Agreements of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion of items impacting our liquidity.

We leverage a variety of debt instruments to manage our overall borrowing costs. As of December 31, 2023, and 2022, our total borrowings were $20.4 billion and $19.6 billion, respectively.

A primary source of liquidity is our ability to access the corporate bond markets. Through these markets, we issue a variety of long-term fixed rate notes, in a variety of currencies, to manage our overall funding costs.

Another primary source of liquidity is our ability to access the commercial paper market. Commercial paper notes are sold at a discount or premium and have a maturity of not more than 365 days from date of issuance. Borrowings under the commercial paper program are available for general corporate purposes as well as for financing acquisitions. The weighted average interest rate on commercial paper and other short-term borrowings outstanding was 4.29% and 3.29% as of December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively.

We also have the following revolving credit agreements:

We also have a current shelf registration statement filed with the SEC under which we may issue additional debt securities, common stock, and preferred stock that may be offered in one or more offerings on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. We anticipate that net proceeds of any offering would be used for general corporate purposes, including repayment of existing indebtedness, share repurchases, capital expenditures, and acquisitions.

Our ability to access the global debt capital markets and the related cost of these borrowings is affected by the strength of our credit rating and market conditions. Our credit ratings are periodically reviewed by the major independent debt-rating agencies. As of December 31, 2023, S&P Global Inc. (S&P), Fitch Ratings Inc. (Fitch), and Moody’s Investor Service (Moody's) have ratings on our debt set forth in the table below:

On September 20, 2023, Moody's affirmed all credit ratings of the Company and revised their credit rating outlook from stable to positive.

Following is a summary of our significant contractual obligations and probable liability payments at December 31, 2023:

Payments, net of insurance recoveries, related to known asbestos matters were $109 million, $166 million, and $240 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, and are estimated to be approximately $177 million in 2024. We expect to make payments associated with these asbestos matters from operating cash flows. The timing of these payments depends on several factors, including the timing of litigation and settlements of liability claims. In early 2023, we made payments of approximately $1.3 billion in connection with the NARCO Buyout. For additional information regarding the NARCO Buyout, see Note 19 Commitments and Contingencies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Payments related to known environmental matters were $196 million, $211 million, and $210 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, and are estimated to be approximately $227 million in 2024. We expect to make payments associated with these environmental matters from operating cash flows. The timing of these payments depends on several factors, including the timing of litigation and settlements of remediation liability, personal injury and property damage claims, regulatory approval of cleanup projects, execution timeframe of projects, remedial techniques to be utilized, and agreement with other parties.

Reimbursements from Resideo for payments related to environmental matters at certain sites, as defined in the indemnification and reimbursement agreement, were $140 million in 2023 and are expected to be $140 million in 2024.

See Note 19 Commitments and Contingencies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of our environmental matters and the indemnification and reimbursement agreement entered into with Resideo.

The Company uses derivative financial instruments to reduce risks from interest and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. Derivative financial instruments are not used for trading or other speculative purposes and we do not use leveraged derivative financial instruments.

The following table illustrates the potential change in fair value for interest rate sensitive instruments based on a hypothetical immediate one percentage point increase in interest rates across all maturities and the potential change in fair value for foreign exchange rate sensitive instruments based on a 10% weakening of the U.S. Dollar versus local currency exchange rates across all maturities at December 31, 2023, and 2022:

See Note 11 Derivative Instruments and Hedging Transactions of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles is based on the selection and application of accounting policies that require us to make significant estimates and assumptions about the effects of matters that are inherently uncertain. Many estimates and assumptions involved in the application of accounting principles have a material impact on reported financial condition and operating performance and on the comparability of such reported information over different reporting periods. Critical accounting estimates or assumptions are those where the nature of the estimates or assumptions is material due to the levels of subjectivity and judgment necessary to account for highly uncertain matters or the susceptibility of such matters to change, and the impact of the estimates and assumptions on financial condition or operating performance is material. We consider the estimates and assumptions discussed below to be critical to the understanding of our financial statements. Actual results could differ from our estimates and assumptions, and any such differences could be material to our consolidated financial statements.

We recognize tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, including resolution of any related appeals and litigation. We assess our income tax positions based upon our evaluation of the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting date. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit has been recognized in the financial statements.

See Note 1 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of additional income tax policies.

Once it is determined that an impairment review is necessary, recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying amount of the asset grouping to the estimated future undiscounted cash flows. If the carrying amount exceeds the estimated future undiscounted cash flows, the asset grouping is considered to be impaired. The impairment is then measured as the difference between the carrying amount of the asset grouping and its fair value. We endeavor to utilize the best information available to measure fair value, which is usually either market prices (if available), level 1 or level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, or an estimate of the future discounted cash flows, level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The key estimates in our discounted cash flow analysis include assumptions as to expected industry and business growth rates, sales volume, selling prices and costs, cash flows, and the discount rate selected. These estimates are subject to changes in the economic environment, including market interest rates and expected volatility. Management believes the estimates of future cash flows and fair values are reasonable; however, changes in estimates due to variances from assumptions could materially affect the valuations.

The key assumptions used in developing our net periodic pension (income) expense for our U.S. plans included the following:

The MTM Adjustment represents the recognition of net actuarial gains or losses in excess of 10% of the greater of the fair value of plan assets or the plans’ projected benefit obligation (the corridor). Net actuarial gains and losses occur when the actual experience differs from any of the various assumptions used to value our pension plans or when assumptions change. The primary factors contributing to actuarial gains and losses are changes in the discount rate used to value pension obligations as of the measurement date each year and the difference between expected and actual returns on plan assets. The mark-to-market accounting method results in the potential for volatile and difficult to forecast MTM Adjustments. These adjustments resulted in expenses of $153 million, $523 million, and $40 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

The discount rate reflects the market rate on December 31 (measurement date) for high-quality fixed income investments with maturities corresponding to our benefit obligations and is subject to change each year. The discount rate can be volatile from year to year as it is determined based upon prevailing interest rates as of the measurement date. We used a 4.97% discount rate to determine benefit obligations as of December 31, 2023, reflecting an decrease in the market interest rate environment since the prior year-end.

In addition to the potential for MTM Adjustments, changes in our expected rate of return on plan assets and discount rate resulting from economic events also affects future Pension ongoing (income) expense. The following table highlights the sensitivity of our U.S. pension obligations and ongoing (income) expense to changes in these assumptions, with all other assumptions remaining constant. These estimates exclude any potential MTM Adjustment:

Pension ongoing income for our world-wide pension plans is expected to be approximately $538 million in 2024 compared with Pension ongoing income of $528 million in 2023. Also, if required, a MTM Adjustment will be recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024 in accordance with our pension accounting method as previously described. It is difficult to reliably forecast or predict whether there will be a MTM Adjustment in 2024, and if one is required, what the magnitude of such adjustment will be. MTM Adjustments are primarily driven by events and circumstances beyond the control of the Company such as changes in interest rates and the performance of the financial markets.

In connection with the recognition of liabilities for asbestos-related matters, we record asbestos-related insurance recoveries that are deemed probable. In assessing the probability of insurance recovery, we make judgments concerning insurance coverage that we believe are reasonable and consistent with our historical dealings and our knowledge of any pertinent solvency issues surrounding insurers. While the substantial majority of our insurance carriers are solvent, some of our individual carriers are insolvent, which was considered in our analysis of probable recoveries. Projecting future events is subject to various uncertainties that could cause the insurance recovery on asbestos-related liabilities to be higher or lower than that projected and recorded. Given the inherent uncertainty in making future projections, we reevaluate our projections concerning our probable insurance recoveries considering any changes to the projected liability, our recovery experience or other relevant factors that may impact future insurance recoveries.

See Note 19 Commitments and Contingencies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of management’s judgments applied in the recognition and measurement of our asbestos-related liabilities and related insurance recoveries.

See Note 19 Commitments and Contingencies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of environmental, asbestos, and other litigation matters.

See Note 1 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements.

The executive officers of Honeywell, listed as follows, are elected annually by the Board of Directors. There are no family relationships among them.

None.

There were no matters requiring disclosure pursuant to the requirement to disclose certain environmental matters involving potential monetary sanctions in excess of $300,000.

One of our wholly-owned subsidiaries has a placer claim for and operates a chabazite ore surface mine in Arizona. Information concerning mine safety and other regulatory matters associated with this mine is required by Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 104 of Regulation S-K and is included in Exhibit 95 to this Form 10-K.

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq) under the ticker symbol “HON.” We increased our quarterly dividend rate by 5% to $1.08 per share of common stock effective with the fourth quarter 2023 dividend. We intend to continue to pay quarterly dividends in 2024.

The number of record holders of our common stock at December 31, 2023, was 35,911.

Information regarding securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans is included in the section titled Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters under the caption “Equity Compensation Plans.”

On April 24, 2023, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $10 billion of Honeywell common stock, including approximately $2.1 billion of remaining availability under the previously announced $10 billion share repurchase authorization. The repurchase authorization does not have an expiration date and may be amended or terminated by the Board of Directors at any time without prior notice.

Repurchases may be made through a variety of methods, which could include open market purchases, accelerated share repurchase transactions, negotiated block transactions, 10b5-1 plans, other transactions that may be structured through investment banking institutions or privately negotiated, or a combination of the foregoing. Honeywell presently expects to repurchase outstanding shares from time to time (i) to offset the dilutive impact of employee stock-based compensation plans, including option exercises, restricted unit vesting, and matching contributions under our savings plans, and (ii) to reduce share count via share repurchases as and when attractive opportunities arise. The amount and timing of future repurchases may vary depending on market conditions and the level of operating, financing, and other investing activities.

During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, Honeywell purchased 7,929,193 shares of its common stock, par value $1 per share. As of December 31, 2023, $7.1 billion remained available under the share repurchase authorization for additional share repurchases. The following table summarizes our purchases of Honeywell's common stock for the quarter ended December 31, 2023:

The following graph compares the five-year cumulative total return on our common stock to the total returns on the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Stock Index, composite of S&P’s Industrial Conglomerates and Aerospace and Defense indices, on a 55%/45% weighted basis (the Composite Index) and Nasdaq Industrial Select Sector (XLI Index). The weighting of the components of the Composite Index are based on our segments’ relative contribution to total segment profit. The selection of the Industrial Conglomerates component of the Composite Index reflects the diverse and distinct range of non-aerospace businesses conducted by Honeywell. The annual changes for the five-year period shown in the graph are based on the assumption that $100 was invested in Honeywell stock and each index on December 31, 2018, and that all dividends were reinvested.