Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q1 2025, net sales were $1.8 billion, down 4% year-over-year, while gross profit dollars increased by 12%, with margins up 350 basis points to 25.7% [17][18] - Adjusted operating income rose by 26% year-over-year to $273 million, driven by lower raw material costs and greater sales volume [17][18] - Adjusted EPS increased by $0.89 per share, primarily due to an operating margin increase of $0.60 and other income of $0.17 [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Texture and Healthful Solutions segment saw net sales up 1% and operating income up 34%, with a margin of 16.4%, reflecting lower input costs and greater volumes [20] - Food and Industrial Ingredients LATAM experienced a 7% decline in net sales, but operating income improved by 26% to $127 million due to lower raw material costs [20] - In the U.S./Canada segment, net sales were down 4%, but operating income increased by 6% to $92 million, driven by lower raw material costs [21] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Organic growth was driven by a 3% increase in net sales volume, with Texture and Healthful Solutions growing by 7% across all geographies [8] - LATAM's net sales volumes decreased by 2%, primarily due to soft volumes in brewing, while the U.S./Canada segment saw strong volumes in brewing offset by weaker specialty starch sales [9][10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on three strategic pillars: business growth, cost competitiveness, and a people-centric culture, with significant investments in expanding specialty industrial starch capacity [12][13][14] - The commitment to sustainability is highlighted by recognitions from Fortune and Ethisphere, reflecting the company's ethical practices and environmental efforts [14][16] - The company is actively monitoring the evolving trade environment and has set up a tariff response hub to navigate complexities [28] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management remains cautiously optimistic about 2025, citing customer collaborations driving volume growth and a diversified ingredient portfolio [29][30] - Key economic indicators such as low unemployment and moderating food inflation are viewed as positive signs for future performance [30] - The company anticipates minimal impact from current tariffs, with a strong local production and sales model [27][30] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $55 million of outstanding common shares and paid out $52 million in dividends in the first quarter [23] - Full-year cash from operations is expected to be between $825 million and $950 million, reflecting updates to working capital investments [25] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide insights on the updated guidance for Q2? - Management indicated that Q2 guidance is against a record year and expects solid performance in Texture and Healthful Solutions, while LATAM may see seasonal weakness [32][34] Question: What are the implications of recent corn planting data on costs? - Management noted that while some corn costs are unhedged, they have hedged 80-85% of their needs, which helps stabilize pricing [36][37] Question: How does the company view volumes amid consumer uncertainty? - Management remains optimistic about volume growth, particularly in Texture and Healthful Solutions, driven by affordable formulation trends [44][46] Question: What is the outlook for the LATAM segment? - The LATAM segment is expected to perform well, with positive operating income growth despite some volume declines in beverages [64][66] Question: How does the company plan to handle potential trade downs in consumer behavior? - Management stated that their product mix is resilient, with growth in private label products and clean label solutions, which are in demand regardless of economic conditions [58][60]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q1 2025, the company reported net sales of $1.8 billion, a decrease of 4% compared to the prior year, while gross profit dollars increased by 12%, leading to a gross margin of 25.7%, up 350 basis points [16][19][20] - Adjusted operating income rose by 26% year over year to $273 million, driven by lower raw material costs and increased sales volume [16][19] - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter increased by $0.89, primarily due to an operating margin increase and lower financing costs [22][26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Texture and Healthful Solutions segment saw net sales increase by 1% and operating income grow by 34%, with a margin of 16.4%, up 400 basis points from the previous year [19][20] - Food and Industrial Ingredients LATAM reported a 7% decrease in net sales, but operating income improved by 26% to $127 million, benefiting from lower raw material costs [19][20] - In the U.S./Canada segment, net sales decreased by 4%, while operating income increased by 6% to $92 million, driven by lower raw material costs [19][20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company achieved a 3% organic growth in net sales volume, with a 7% increase in the Texture and Healthful Solutions segment [7][19] - The LATAM segment experienced a 2% decline in net sales volumes, primarily due to soft demand in brewing, although there was recovery in confectionery and bakery markets [8][19] - The U.S./Canada segment's strong volumes in brewing were offset by weaker sales of specialty starches for papermaking and packaging [8][19] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on three strategic pillars: business growth, cost competitiveness, and a people-centric performance culture [10][12][13] - A $50 million investment was announced for the Cedar Rapids facility to expand specialty industrial starch capacity and support innovation in sustainable food packaging [11] - The company is committed to reducing earnings volatility through expanded hedging practices and operational excellence [10][12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed cautious optimism for the remainder of 2025, highlighting customer collaborations driving volume growth and the importance of monitoring economic indicators such as unemployment and food inflation [29][30] - The company does not anticipate significant financial impacts from current tariffs, as most products are produced and sold locally [27][30] - Management is actively monitoring the evolving trade environment and has set up a tariff response hub to navigate complexities [28][30] Other Important Information - The company received several recognitions, including being named one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies and one of Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies [13][14] - Cash generated from operations was $77 million, with capital expenditures of $92 million planned for organic growth initiatives [22][23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide insights on the updated guidance for Q2 and segment performance? - Management indicated that Q2 guidance is against a strong prior year, with expectations for the U.S./Canada segment to remain strong despite seasonal weakness in LATAM [34][35] Question: How do you view the impact of recent prospective plantings on corn costs? - Management noted that while some corn costs are unhedged, they have hedged 80-85% of their needs, which helps stabilize pricing [38] Question: What are the expectations for volumes in the context of consumer uncertainty? - Management remains optimistic about mid-single-digit sales volume growth, driven by trends towards affordable formulations [46][49] Question: How does the sales mix look in light of potential consumer trade downs? - Management stated that the ingredients supplied to private label customers are not significantly impacted by trade downs, and clean label solutions are performing well [56][60] Question: Can you elaborate on the performance in LATAM and any portfolio shifts? - Management highlighted improved performance in LATAM due to a stable Argentine peso and strategic shifts in product mix to higher-margin uses [65][66] Question: What is the size of the Pakistan affiliate business and potential sale implications? - Management indicated that the Pakistan business is similar in size to the South Korea business, but details on potential sale proceeds are not yet available [68][70]