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PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS
12 Months Ended
Oct. 27, 2024
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS  
PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

7. PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

We have several funded and unfunded defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit (OPEB) plans. These plans cover U.S. employees and certain foreign employees. The measurement date of our plans is October 31. The funded status as of October 31, 2024 of the significant plans follows:

Funded

Enrollment

    

Status

    

Status

 

Pensions:

U.S. salaried qualified

    

$

1,314

Closed

U.S. hourly qualified

 

1,217

Open

Other

 

(528)

Varies

Total

$

2,003

OPEB:

U.S. salaried

    

$

(1,198)

Closed

U.S. hourly

 

101

Closed

Other

 

(94)

Varies

Total

$

(1,191)

The components of net periodic pension and OPEB (benefit) cost excluding the service cost component are included in the line item “Other operating expenses.”

The components of net periodic pension (benefit) cost and the related assumptions consisted of the following:

 

2024

    

2023

    

2022

 

Pensions:

Service cost

 

$

230

$

246

$

349

Interest cost

 

545

 

533

 

330

Expected return on plan assets

 

(967)

 

(878)

 

(726)

Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss

 

3

 

(13)

 

132

Amortization of prior service cost

 

40

 

38

 

34

Settlements/curtailments

 

38

 

37

 

45

Net (benefit) cost

$

(111)

$

(37)

$

164

Weighted-average assumptions:

Discount rates – service cost

5.8%

5.2%

3.0%

Discount rates – interest cost

5.7%

5.1%

2.6%

Rate of compensation increase

3.8%

3.8%

3.7%

Expected long-term rates of return

7.0%

6.3%

5.1%

Interest crediting rate – U.S. cash balance plans

4.8%

4.3%

2.1%

During 2024, curtailment expense of $35 was recognized related to U.S. hourly employee layoffs.

The 2025 net periodic pension benefit is expected to increase by $100 due to an increase in the expected long-term rates of return on pension plan assets (estimated to be 7.1 percent) and the U.S. hourly pension curtailment recognized in 2024, described above.

The components of net periodic OPEB cost and the assumptions related to the cost consisted of the following:

 

2024

    

2023

    

2022

 

OPEB:

Service cost

$

17

$

27

$

45

Interest cost

 

174

 

176

 

99

Expected return on plan assets

 

(108)

 

(117)

 

(110)

Amortization of actuarial gain

 

(54)

 

(59)

 

(18)

Amortization of prior service credit

 

(4)

 

(3)

 

(4)

Net cost

$

25

$

24

$

12

Weighted-average assumptions:

Discount rates – service cost

6.7%

6.1%

3.6%

Discount rates – interest cost

5.9%

5.4%

2.3%

Expected long-term rates of return

5.6%

5.7%

4.4%

The benefit plan obligations, funded status, and the assumptions related to the obligations at October 27, 2024 and October 29, 2023 follow:

Pensions

OPEB

2024

2023

2024

2023

Change in benefit obligations:

                

 

                 

 

              

 

               

Beginning of year balance

$

(9,928)

$

(10,529)

$

(3,029)

$

(3,341)

Service cost

 

(230)

 

(246)

 

(17)

 

(27)

Interest cost

 

(545)

 

(533)

 

(174)

 

(176)

Actuarial gain (loss)

 

(1,097)

 

504

 

(385)

 

285

Benefits paid

 

746

 

838

 

263

 

260

Health care subsidies

 

(22)

 

(27)

Settlement

 

 

112

Foreign exchange and other

 

(23)

 

(74)

 

2

 

(3)

End of year balance

 

(11,077)

 

(9,928)

 

(3,362)

 

(3,029)

Change in plan assets (fair value):

Beginning of year balance

 

12,004

 

13,219

 

2,028

 

2,136

Plan assets actual gain (loss)

 

1,703

 

(387)

 

259

 

(8)

Employer contribution

 

96

 

70

 

145

 

158

Benefits paid

 

(746)

 

(838)

 

(263)

 

(260)

Settlement

 

 

(112)

Foreign exchange and other

 

23

 

52

 

2

 

2

End of year balance

 

13,080

 

12,004

 

2,171

 

2,028

Funded status

$

2,003

$

2,076

$

(1,191)

$

(1,001)

Weighted-average assumptions:

Discount rates

5.1%

5.9%

5.2%

6.0%

Rate of compensation increase

4.3%

3.8%

Interest crediting rate – U.S. cash balance plans

4.1%

4.9%

The actuarial loss for pension for 2024 was due to a decrease in discount rates. The actuarial loss for OPEB for 2024 was due to a decrease in discount rates and changes to health care assumptions. The actuarial gain for pension for 2023 was due to an increase in discount rates. The actuarial gain for OPEB for 2023 was due to changes to health care assumptions.

During 2023, we irrevocably transferred to an insurance company $112 of a Canadian pension plan’s defined benefit obligations and related plan assets. The transaction resulted in no changes to the benefits to be received by the retired participants. We recognized a one-time, non-cash, pretax pension settlement charge of $36 related to the accelerated recognition of actuarial losses included within “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).”

The discount rate assumptions used to determine the pension and OPEB obligations for all periods presented were based on hypothetical AA yield curves represented by a series of annualized individual discount rates. These discount rates represent the rates at which our benefit obligations could effectively be settled at the October 31 measurement dates.

The mortality assumptions for the 2024 U.S. benefit plan obligations used the tables based on the plan’s mortality experience and the most recent scales issued by the Society of Actuaries. The mortality assumptions for the 2023 U.S. benefit plan obligations used the most recent tables and scales issued by the Society of Actuaries at that time. The 2024 and 2023 mortality assumptions included an adjustment to the scale related to COVID for some plans.

The weighted-average annual rates of increase in the per capita cost of covered health care benefits (the health care cost trend rates) for medical and prescription drug claims for pre- and post-65 age groups used to determine the October 27, 2024 and October 29, 2023 accumulated postretirement benefit obligations were as follows:

2024

2023

Initial year

16.9% (2024 to 2025)

18.7% (2023 to 2024)

Second year

11.5% (2025 to 2026)

8.8% (2024 to 2025)

Ultimate

4.7% (2033 to 2034)

4.7% (2032 to 2033)

An increase in Medicare Advantage premiums and prescription drug trends impacted the weighted-average annual rates of increase for the initial year in 2024 and 2023.

Information related to pension plans benefit obligations at October 27, 2024 and October 29, 2023 follows:

2024

2023

Total accumulated benefit obligations for all plans

$

10,441

$

9,453

Plans with accumulated benefit obligation exceeding fair value of plan assets:

Accumulated benefit obligations

1,405

1,147

Fair value of plan assets

920

704

Plans with projected benefit obligation exceeding fair value of plan assets:

Projected benefit obligations

1,541

1,261

Fair value of plan assets

951

729

The pension and OPEB amounts recognized in the balance sheet at October 27, 2024 and October 29, 2023 consisted of the following:

Pensions

OPEB

2024

2023

2024

2023

Noncurrent asset

$

2,593

  

$

2,608

$

328

  

$

399

Less: Current liability

 

66

 

59

39

40

Less: Noncurrent liability

 

524

 

473

 

1,480

 

1,360

Total

$

2,003

$

2,076

$

(1,191)

$

(1,001)

The retirement benefits and other liabilities recognized in the balance sheet at October 27, 2024 and October 29, 2023 consisted of the following:

2024

2023

Deferred compensation – current

$

28

$

25

Deferred compensation and other – noncurrent

217

183

Pensions and OPEB – current

105

99

Pensions and OPEB – noncurrent

2,004

1,833

Total

$

2,354

$

2,140

The amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income pretax at October 27, 2024 and October 29, 2023 consisted of the following:

Pensions

OPEB

2024

2023

2024

2023

Net actuarial (gain) loss

$

2,011

$

1,660

$

(632)

$

(921)

Prior service (credit) cost

 

329

 

406

 

2

 

(1)

Total

$

2,340

$

2,066

$

(630)

$

(922)

Actuarial gains and losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). To the extent unamortized gains and losses exceed 10 percent of the higher of the market-related value of assets or the benefit obligation, the excess is amortized as a component of net periodic (benefit) cost over the remaining service period of the active participants. For plans in which all or almost all of the plan’s participants are inactive, the amortization period is the remaining life expectancy of the inactive participants.

Contributions

We make any required contributions to the plan assets under applicable regulations and voluntary contributions after evaluating our liquidity position and ability to make tax-deductible contributions. Total contributions to the plans were $241 in 2024 and $228 in 2023, which included both required and voluntary contributions and direct benefit payments.

We expect to contribute approximately $100 to our pension plans and approximately $660 to our OPEB plans in 2025. In November 2024, a committee of our Board of Directors approved a voluntary contribution to a U.S. OPEB plan for up to $520 to be made during the first quarter of 2025. This contribution will increase plan assets. The contributions include required and voluntary contributions and direct benefit payments from company funds. We have no significant required contributions to U.S. pension plan assets in 2025 under applicable funding regulations.

Expected Future Benefit Payments

The expected future benefit payments at October 27, 2024 were as follows:

 

   Pensions   

  

      OPEB*      

 

2025

$

760

$

257

2026

 

736

 

267

2027

 

728

 

271

2028

 

716

 

273

2029

 

716

 

274

2030 to 2034

 

3,555

 

1,331

*    Net of prescription drug group benefit subsidy under Medicare Part D.

Plan Asset Information

The fair values of the pension plan assets at October 27, 2024 follow:

 

Total

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Cash and short-term investments

$

411

$

399

$

12

Equity:

U.S. equity securities

 

451

 

440

11

International equity securities and funds

 

238

 

232

6

Fixed Income:

Government and agency securities

 

1,250

 

932

 

318

Corporate debt securities

 

4,956

 

 

4,956

Mortgage-backed securities

 

177

 

 

177

Other investments

 

57

 

36

 

21

Derivative contracts – assets

 

130

 

7

 

123

Derivative interest rate contracts – liabilities

 

(161)

 

(119)

 

(42)

Receivables, prepaids, and payables

 

(171)

 

(171)

Securities lending collateral

 

662

 

662

Securities lending liability

 

(662)

 

(662)

Securities sold short

 

(94)

 

(92)

(2)

Total of Level 1 and Level 2 assets

7,244

$

1,664

$

5,580

Investments at net asset value:

Short-term investments

492

U.S. equity funds

174

International equity funds

194

Fixed income funds

1,649

Real estate funds

385

Hedge funds

457

Private equity

1,219

Venture capital

1,219

Other investments

47

Total net assets

$

13,080

The fair values of the OPEB health care assets at October 27, 2024 follow:

 

Total

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Cash and short-term investments

$

77

$

77

Fixed Income:

Government and agency securities

 

606

 

561

$

45

Corporate debt securities

 

551

 

551

Mortgage-backed securities

 

92

 

92

Other

 

11

 

7

4

Securities lending collateral

 

167

 

167

Securities lending liability

 

(167)

 

(167)

Total of Level 1 and Level 2 assets

1,337

$

645

$

692

Investments at net asset value:

U.S. equity funds

163

International equity funds

84

Fixed income funds

348

Real estate funds

77

Hedge funds

71

Private equity

41

Venture capital

41

Other investments

9

Total net assets

$

2,171

The fair values of the pension plan assets at October 29, 2023 follow:

 

Total

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

Level 3

 

Cash and short-term investments

$

513

$

470

$

43

Equity:

U.S. equity securities

 

342

 

330

12

International equity securities and funds

 

199

 

197

2

Fixed Income:

Government and agency securities

 

1,017

 

759

 

258

 

Corporate debt securities

 

4,389

 

4,389

 

Mortgage-backed securities

 

285

 

 

285

 

Private equity

 

18

 

 

$

18

Other investments

 

50

 

30

 

20

 

Derivative contracts – assets

 

53

 

17

 

36

 

Derivative interest rate contracts – liabilities

 

(309)

 

(215)

 

(94)

 

Receivables, prepaids, and payables

 

(137)

 

(137)

Securities lending collateral

 

615

 

615

 

Securities lending liability

 

(615)

 

(615)

 

Securities sold short

 

(73)

 

(69)

(4)

Total of Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 assets

6,347

$

1,382

$

4,947

$

18

Investments at net asset value:

Short-term investments

362

U.S. equity funds

92

International equity funds

151

Fixed income funds

1,418

Real estate funds

462

Hedge funds

491

Private equity

1,306

Venture capital

1,341

Other investments

34

Total net assets

$

12,004

The fair values of the OPEB health care assets at October 29, 2023 follow:

 

Total

 

Level 1

 

Level 2

 

Cash and short-term investments

$

76

$

76

Fixed Income:

Government and agency securities

 

637

 

596

$

41

Corporate debt securities

 

515

 

515

Mortgage-backed securities

 

89

 

89

Other

8

5

3

Securities lending collateral

 

122

 

122

Securities lending liability

 

(122)

 

(122)

Total of Level 1 and Level 2 assets

1,325

$

677

$

648

Investments at net asset value:

Fixed income funds

392

Real estate funds

104

Hedge funds

104

Private equity

43

Venture capital

43

Other investments

17

Total net assets

$

2,028

Investments at net asset value in the preceding tables are measured at fair value using the net asset value per share practical expedient and are not classified in the fair value hierarchy. Fair value measurement levels in the preceding tables are defined in Note 25.

Fair values are determined as follows:

Cash and Short-Term Investments – The investments include (1) cash accounts that are valued based on the account value, which approximates fair value; (2) investments that are valued at quoted prices in the active markets in which the investment trades or using a market approach (matrix pricing model) in which all significant inputs are observable or can be derived from or corroborated by observable market data; and (3) investment funds that are valued based on a constant fund net asset value, which is based on quoted prices in the active market in which the investment fund trades, or the fund’s net asset value using the net asset value per share practical expedient (NAV), which is based on the fair value of the underlying securities.

Equity Securities and Funds The values are determined using quoted prices in the active market in which the equity investment trades, Equity funds are valued using the fund’s NAV, which is based on the fair value of the underlying securities.

Fixed Income Securities and Funds and Other FundsThe securities are valued using either a market approach (matrix pricing model) in which all significant inputs are observable or can be derived from or corroborated by observable market data such as interest rates, yield curves, volatilities, credit risk, and prepayment speeds, or they are valued using the quoted prices in the active market in which the fixed income investment trades. Fixed income and other funds are valued using the fund’s NAV, which is based on the fair value of the underlying securities.

Real Estate, Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Hedge Funds The investments that are structured as limited partnerships, excluding the private equity investment classified as Level 3, are valued at estimated fair value based on their proportionate share of the limited partnership’s fair value that is determined by the respective general partner. These investments are valued using the fund’s NAV, which is based on the fair value of the underlying investments. Valuations may be lagged up to six months. The NAV is adjusted for cash flows (additional investments or contributions, and distributions) and any known substantive valuation changes through year end. The private equity investment classified as Level 3 was valued based on the market pricing received in October 2023 for the assets that were sold in a secondary sale in December 2023. The investment was transferred into Level 3 as of October 29, 2023.

Derivative InstrumentsThe derivatives are valued using either an income approach (discounted cash flow) using market observable inputs, including swap curves and both forward and spot exchange rates, or a market approach (quoted prices in the active market in which the derivative instrument trades).

The investment objective for the pension and health care plan assets is to fulfill the projected obligations to the beneficiaries over a long period of time, while meeting our fiduciary responsibilities. The asset allocation policy is the most important decision in managing the assets, and it is reviewed regularly. The asset allocation policy considers our long-term asset class risk/return expectations for each plan since the obligations are long-term in nature. The target asset allocations as of October 27, 2024 are as follows:

Pension

Health Care

 

    

Assets

    

Assets

 

Equity

7%

12%

Debt

70%

78%

Real estate

3%

3%

Other investments

20%

7%

The assets are diversified and are managed by professional investment firms as well as by investment professionals who are company employees. As a result of our diversified investment policy, there were no significant concentrations of risk.

A market related value of plan assets is used to calculate the expected return on assets. The market related value recognizes changes in the fair value of pension plan assets systematically over a five-year period. The market related value of the health care plan assets equals fair value.

The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets reflects management’s expectations of long-term average rates of return on funds invested to provide for benefits included in the projected benefit obligations. The expected return is based on the outlook for inflation and for returns in multiple asset classes, while also considering historical returns, asset allocation, and investment strategy. Our approach has emphasized the long-term nature of the return estimate such that the return assumption is not changed significantly unless there are fundamental changes in

capital markets that affect our expectations for returns over an extended period of time (i.e., 10 to 20 years). The average annual return of our U.S. pension fund was approximately 7.2 percent during the past ten years and approximately 8.0 percent during the past 20 years.

We have Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association trusts (VEBAs) for the funding of hourly and salary postretirement health care benefits. The future expected asset returns for the VEBAs are lower than the expected return on the other pension and health care plan assets due to investment in a higher proportion of liquid securities. These assets are in addition to the other postretirement health care plan assets that have been funded under Section 401(h) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and maintained in a separate account in the John Deere Pension Trust.

Defined Contribution Plans

We have defined contribution plans related to employee investment and savings plans primarily in the U.S. Our contributions and costs under these plans were $326 in 2024, $288 in 2023, and $263 in 2022. The contribution rate varies based on employee participation in the plans.