Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

[ X ]   QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended July 24, 2016

or

[    ]   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from ___________________________________ to ________________________________________

Commission File Number: 1-2402

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(507) 437-5611

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

None

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.   X    YES       NO

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).           X    YES        NO

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.  See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes    X   No

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2

Table of Contents

PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.  Financial Statements

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

3

Table of Contents

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

* Shares and par values have been restated, as appropriate, to give effect to the two-for-one stock split distributed on February 9, 2016.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

4

Table of Contents

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

* Shares and per share figures have been restated to give effect to the two-for-one stock split distributed on February 9, 2016.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

5

Table of Contents

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

6

Table of Contents

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' INVESTMENT

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

* Per share figures have been restated to give effect to the two-for-one stock split distributed on February 9, 2016 .

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

7

Table of Contents

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

8

Table of Contents

HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

NOTE A GENERAL

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Hormel Foods Corporation (the Company) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information, and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X.  Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.  Operating results for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year.  The balance sheet at October 25, 2015, has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.  For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 25, 2015.  Fiscal 2016 is a 53-week year as compared with fiscal 2015, which was 52 weeks, with the additional week occurring in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016.

Stock Split

On November 25, 2015, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a two-for-one split of the Company's voting common stock, which was subsequently approved by shareholders at the Company's Annual Meeting on January 26, 2016, and effected on January 27, 2016.  The Company's voting common stock was reclassified by reducing the par value from $.0293 per share to $.01465 per share and the number of authorized shares was increased from 800,000,000 to 1,600,000,000 shares, in order to effect the two-for-one stock split.  The Company distributed the additional shares of $.01465 par value common stock on February 9, 2016, and the shares began trading at the post-split price on February 10, 2016.

Unless otherwise noted, all prior year share amounts and per share calculations throughout this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q have been restated to reflect the impact of this split, and to provide data on a comparable basis.  Such restatements include calculations regarding the Company's weighted average shares, earnings per share, and dividends per share, as well as disclosures regarding the Company's stock-based compensation plans and share repurchase activity.

Assets Held For Sale

The Company classifies assets as held for sale when management approves and commits to a formal plan of sale with the expectation the sale will be completed within one year.  The net assets of the business held for sale are then recorded at the lower of their current carrying value or the fair market value, less costs to sell.  See additional discussion regarding the Company's assets held for sale in Note E.

Investments

The Company maintains a rabbi trust to fund certain supplemental executive retirement plans and deferred income plans, which is included in other assets on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.  The securities held by the trust are classified as trading securities and consist mainly of fixed return investments.  Therefore, unrealized gains and losses associated with these investments are included in the Company's earnings.  Securities held by the trust generated gains of $1.2 million and $2.4 million for the third quarter and nine months ended July 24, 2016, respectively, compared to losses of $0.6 million and gains of $2.4 million for the third quarter and nine months ended July 26, 2015.

9

Table of Contents

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

Non-cash investment activities presented on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows generally consist of unrealized gains or losses on the Company's rabbi trust.  The noted investments are included in other assets on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.  Changes in the value of these investments are included in the Company's net earnings and are presented in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as interest and investment income (loss).

Guarantees

The Company enters into various agreements guaranteeing specified obligations of affiliated parties.  The Company's guarantees either terminate in one year or remain in place until such time as the Company revokes the agreement.  The Company currently provides revocable standby letters of credit totaling $4.0 million to guarantee obligations that may arise under workers compensation claims of an affiliated party.  This potential obligation is not reflected in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2014, the FASB updated the guidance within ASC 323,  Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures .  The update provides guidance on accounting for investments by a reporting entity in flow-through limited liability entities that manage or invest in affordable housing projects that qualify for the low-income housing tax credit.  The amendments modify the conditions that a reporting entity must meet to be eligible to use a method other than the equity or cost methods to account for qualified affordable housing project investments.  If the modified conditions are met, the amendments permit an entity to make an accounting policy election to amortize the initial cost of the investment in proportion to the amount of tax credits and other tax benefits received and recognize the net investment performance in the income statement as a component of income tax expense (benefit). Additionally, the amendments introduce new recurring disclosures about all investments in qualified affordable housing projects irrespective of the method used to account for the investments.  The updated guidance is to be applied retrospectively and is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2014, with early adoption permitted.  The Company adopted the new provisions of this accounting standard at the beginning of fiscal year 2016, and adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers .  This topic converges the guidance within U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) and international financial reporting standards and supersedes ASC 605, Revenue Recognition .  The new standard requires companies to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.  The new standard will also result in enhanced disclosures about revenue, provide guidance for transactions that were not previously addressed comprehensively, and improve guidance for multiple-element arrangements.  On July 8, 2015, the FASB approved a one-year deferral of the effective date.  The new guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period, and early adoption is permitted for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016.  Accordingly, the Company expects to adopt the provisions of this new accounting standard at the beginning of fiscal year 2019, and is currently assessing the impact on its consolidated financial statements with a focus on arrangements with customers.

In April 2015, the FASB updated the guidance within ASC 835,  Interest .  The update provides guidance on simplifying the presentation of debt issuance costs.  The amendments require debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability.  The updated guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted.  The Company expects to adopt the new provisions of this accounting standard at the beginning of fiscal year 2017, and adoption is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB updated the guidance within ASC 715, Compensation-Retirement Benefits .  The update provides guidance on simplifying the measurement date for defined benefit plan assets and obligations.  The

10

Table of Contents

amendments allow employers with fiscal year ends that do not coincide with a calendar month end to make an accounting policy election to measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations as of the end of the month closest to their fiscal year ends.  The updated guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted.  The Company adopted the new provisions of this accounting standard at the beginning of fiscal year 2016, with no accounting policy change elected.

In May 2015, the FASB updated the guidance within ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures .  The update provides guidance on the disclosures for investments in certain entities that calculate net asset value (NAV) per share (or its equivalent).  The amendments remove the requirement to categorize within the fair value hierarchy all investments for which fair value is measured using the NAV per share (or its equivalent) as a practical expedient.  The updated guidance is to be applied retrospectively and is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted.  The Company adopted the new provisions of this accounting standard at the beginning of fiscal year 2016, and adoption will impact year-end disclosures only and did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB updated the guidance within ASC 740, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes .  The update requires all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet.  The updated guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted.  The Company adopted the new provisions of this accounting standard prospectively at the beginning of fiscal year 2016, and adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB updated the guidance within ASC 842, Leases .  The update requires lessees to put most leases on their balance sheets while recognizing expenses on their income statements in a manner similar to current U.S. GAAP.  The guidance also eliminates current real estate-specific provisions for all entities.  For lessors, the guidance modifies the classification criteria and the accounting for sales-type and direct financing leases.  The updated guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018.  The Company is currently assessing the timing and impact of adopting the updated provisions.

In March 2016, the FASB updated the guidance within ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation.   The update simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions , including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The updated guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016.  Early adoption is permitted in any interim or annual period, with adjustments reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year.  The Company is currently assessing the timing and impact of adopting the updated provisions.

In June 2016, the FASB updated the guidance within ASC 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses .  The update provides guidance on the measurement of credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. The amendments replace the current incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. The updated guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years.  Early adoption is permitted for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods therein.  The Company is currently assessing the timing and impact of adopting the updated provisions.

NOTE B ACQUISITIONS

On May 26, 2016, the Company acquired Justin's, LLC (Justin's) for a preliminary purchase price of $281.7 million.  The transaction provides a cash flow benefit resulting from the amortization of the tax basis of assets, the net present value of which is approximately $70.0 million.  The purchase price is preliminary pending working

11

Table of Contents

capital and purchase accounting adjustments, and was funded by the Company with cash on hand and by utilizing short-term financing.  Primary assets acquired include goodwill, intangibles, and working capital.

Justin's is a pioneer in nut butter-based snacking and this acquisition allows the Company to enhance its presence in the specialty natural and organic nut butter category, complementing the Company's SKIPPY peanut butter products.

Operating results for this acquisition have been included in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations from the date of acquisition and are reflected in the Grocery Products segment.

On July 13, 2015, the Company acquired Applegate Farms, LLC (Applegate) of Bridgewater, New Jersey for a final purchase price of $774.1 million in cash.  The purchase price was funded by the Company with cash on hand and by utilizing short-term financing.

Applegate ®  is the No. 1 brand in natural and organic value-added prepared meats and this acquisition will allow the Company to expand the breadth of its protein offerings to provide consumers more choice in this fast growing category.

The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method.  The Company obtained an independent appraisal.  A final allocation of the purchase price to the acquired assets, liabilities, and goodwill is presented in the table below.

Goodwill is calculated as the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets recognized.  The goodwill recorded as part of the acquisition primarily reflects the value of the potential to expand presence in the natural and organic channels and the supply chain for natural and organic products.  A portion of the goodwill balance is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.  The goodwill and intangible assets have been allocated to the Refrigerated Foods segment.

Operating results for this acquisition have been included in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations from the date of acquisition and are reflected in the Refrigerated Foods segment.

Pro forma results of operations are not presented, as neither acquisition was considered material, individually or in the aggregate, to the consolidated Company.

NOTE C INVENTORIES

Principal components of inventories are:

12

Table of Contents

NOTE D GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

The carrying amounts of goodwill for the third quarter and nine months ended July 26, 2016, are presented in the table below.  Additions during the third quarter relate to the acquisition of Justin's on May 26, 2016and are preliminary pending final working capital and purchase accounting adjustments.  Reductions during the third quarter are due to the sale of Diamond Crystal Brands (DCB) on May 9, 2016.  Impairment charges during the first nine months of fiscal 2016 relate to the write-down of the Company's assets held for sale.  See additional discussion regarding the Company's assets held for sale in Note E.  The purchase adjustments represent final purchase accounting adjustments related to the Applegate acquisition.

The gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization for definite-lived intangible assets are presented in the table below.

Amortization expense was $2.5 million and $6.5 million for the third quarter and nine months ended July 24, 2016, respectively, compared to $2.3 million and $6.3 million for the third quarter and nine months ended July 26, 2015.

13

Table of Contents

Estimated annual amortization expense for the five fiscal years after October 25, 2015, is as follows:

The carrying amounts for indefinite-lived intangible assets are presented in the table below.  Reductions during the third quarter are due to the sale of the Company's assets held for sale on May 9, 2016.

NOTE E ASSETS HELD FOR SALE

In fiscal year 2015, the Company began actively marketing a portion of DCB.  Through this process, the Company identified the specific assets and liabilities to be sold and allocated goodwill based on the relative fair values of the assets held for sale and the assets that will be retained by the Company.  In the second quarter of fiscal 2016, the Company entered into an agreement for the sale and recorded a $1.0 million impairment charge based on the valuation of the assets as implied by the agreed-upon sales price.  This impairment was recorded on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations on the line item "Goodwill impairment charge."  The transaction closed on May 9, 2016 resulting in proceeds, net of selling costs, of a preliminary closing price of $110.1 million, pending working capital adjustments.  DCB was reported within the Company's Specialty Foods segment.  DCB provided approximately $260 million of net sales in fiscal 2015.  Net earnings and earnings per share were not material to the consolidated Company.

Amounts classified as assets and liabilities held for sale on October 25, 2015 were presented on the Company's Consolidated Statement of Financial Position within their respective accounts, and include the following:

14

Table of Contents

NOTE F PENSION AND OTHER POST-RETIREMENT BENEFITS

Net periodic benefit cost for pension and other post-retirement benefit plans consists of the following:

During the third quarter of fiscal 2016, the Company made discretionary contributions of $25.7 million to fund its pension plans, compared to discretionary contributions of $22.7 million during the third quarter of fiscal 2015.  The curtailment gain recognized in the third quarter of fiscal 2016 is due to plan amendments related to the sale of DCB.

NOTE G DERIVATIVES AND HEDGING

The Company uses hedging programs to manage price risk associated with commodity purchases.  These programs utilize futures contracts and swaps to manage the Company's exposure to price fluctuations in the commodities markets.  The Company has determined that its programs which are designated as hedges are highly effective in offsetting the changes in fair value or cash flows generated by the items hedged.

Cash Flow Hedges:   The Company currently utilizes corn futures to offset the price fluctuation in the Company's future direct grain purchases, and has historically entered into various swaps to hedge the purchases of grain at certain plant locations.  The financial instruments are designated and accounted for as cash flow hedges, and the Company measures the effectiveness of the hedges at least quarterly.  Effective gains or losses related to these cash flow hedges are reported in accumulated other comprehensive loss (AOCL) and reclassified into earnings, through cost of products sold, in the period or periods in which the hedged transactions affect earnings.  Any gains or losses related to hedge ineffectiveness are recognized in the current period cost of products sold.  The Company typically does not hedge its grain exposure beyond the next two upcoming fiscal years.  As of July 24, 2016, and October 25, 2015, the Company had the following outstanding commodity futures contracts that were entered into to hedge forecasted purchases:

As of July 24, 2016, the Company has included in AOCL, hedging gains of $5.9 million (before tax) relating to these positions, compared to gains of $1.0 million (before tax) as of October 25, 2015.  The Company expects to recognize the majority of these gains over the next 12 months.

15

Table of Contents

Fair Value Hedges:  The Company utilizes futures to minimize the price risk assumed when forward priced contracts are offered to the Company's commodity suppliers.  The intent of the program is to make the forward priced commodities cost nearly the same as cash market purchases at the date of delivery.  The futures contracts are designated and accounted for as fair value hedges, and the Company measures the effectiveness of the hedges at least quarterly.  Changes in the fair value of the futures contracts, along with the gain or loss on the hedged purchase commitment, are marked-to-market through earnings and are recorded on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as a current asset and liability, respectively.  Effective gains or losses related to these fair value hedges are recognized through cost of products sold in the period or periods in which the hedged transactions affect earnings.  Any gains or losses related to hedge ineffectiveness are recognized in the current period cost of products sold.  As of July 24, 2016, and October 25, 2015, the Company had the following outstanding commodity futures contracts designated as fair value hedges:

Other Derivatives:  The Company holds certain futures and options contract positions as part of a merchandising program and to manage the Company's exposure to fluctuations in commodity markets.  The Company has not applied hedge accounting to these positions.

As of July 24, 2016, and October 25, 2015, the Company had the following outstanding futures related to these programs:

Fair Values:   The fair values of the Company's derivative instruments (in thousands) as of July 24, 2016, and October 25, 2015, were as follows:

(1) Amounts represent the gross fair value of derivative assets and liabilities.  The Company nets the derivative assets and liabilities for each of its hedging programs, including cash collateral, when a master netting arrangement exists between the Company and the counterparty to the derivative contract.  The amount or timing of cash collateral balances may impact the classification of the derivative in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.  See Note L "Fair Value Measurements" for a discussion of these net amounts as reported in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position.

16

Table of Contents

Derivative Gains and Losses:   Gains or losses (before tax, in thousands) related to the Company's derivative instruments for the third quarter ended July 24, 2016, and July 26, 2015, were as follows:

Derivative Gains and Losses:   Gains or losses (before tax, in thousands) related to the Company's derivative instruments for the nine months ended July 24, 2016, and July 26, 2015, were as follows:

17

Table of Contents

(1)  Amounts represent gains or losses in AOCL before tax.  See Note I "Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss" or the Consolidated

Statements of Comprehensive Income for the after-tax impact of these gains or losses on net earnings.

(2)  There were no gains or losses excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness during the third quarter or first nine months.  During the third quarter, due to market volatility the Company temporarily suspended the use of the special hedge accounting exemption for its Jennie-O Turkey Store corn futures contracts.  During the time of suspension, all gains or losses related to these contracts were recognized as ineffectiveness in earnings as incurred.

(3)  Amounts represent losses on commodity contracts designated as fair value hedges that were closed during the third quarter or first nine months, which were offset by a corresponding gain on the underlying hedged purchase commitment.  Additional gains or losses related to changes in the fair value of open commodity contracts, along with the offsetting gain or loss on the hedged purchase commitment, are also marked-to-market through earnings with no impact on a net basis.

(4)  There were no gains or losses resulting from the discontinuance of cash flow hedges during the third quarter or first nine months.

(5)  There were no gains or losses recognized as a result of a hedged firm commitment no longer qualifying as a fair value hedge during

the third quarter or first nine months.

NOTE H INVESTMENTS IN AND RECEIVABLES FROM AFFILIATES

The Company accounts for its majority-owned operations under the consolidation method.  Investments in which the Company owns a minority interest, and for which there are no other indicators of control, are accounted for under the equity or cost method.  These investments, along with any related receivables from affiliates, are included in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as investments in and receivables from affiliates.

Investments in and receivables from affiliates consists of the following:

Equity in earnings of affiliates consists of the following:

Dividends received from affiliates for the three and nine months ended July 24, 2016, were $10.0 million and $24.5 million, respectively, compared to $27.3 million and $37.3 million dividends received for the three and nine months ended July 26, 2015.  Equity in earnings in the first nine months of fiscal 2015 included nonrecurring charges related to the exit from international joint venture businesses.

The Company recognized a basis difference of $21.3 million associated with the formation of MegaMex Foods, LLC, of which $15.5 million is remaining as of July 24, 2016.  This difference is being amortized through equity in earnings of affiliates.

18

Table of Contents

NOTE I ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

Components of accumulated other comprehensive loss are as follows: