Selling, General and Administrative
Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $159 million and $148 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $506 million and $471 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. These amounts represented 4 percent of consolidated net sales for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2022, respectively, and 4 percent and 5 percent of consolidated net sales for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively.
Business Consolidation Costs and Other Activities
Business consolidation and other activities were income of $163 million and charges of $141 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and charges of $23 million and charges of $136 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The amounts in the three months ended September 30, 2022, include the gain on sale of Ball’s Russian aluminum beverage packaging business, facility shutdown costs and charges for employee severance and benefits related to cost-out activities. The amounts in the nine months ended September 30, 2022, include the amounts generated in the three months ended September 30, 2022, as well as charges for impairment losses on Russia’s long-lived asset group, gains related to the sale of Ball’s remaining equity method investment in Ball Metalpack, charges related to a dispute with a regional customer in Brazil and a charge related to the donation to The Ball Foundation. See Note 6 of these of these consolidated financial statements.
Interest Expense
Total interest expense was $79 million and $69 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and $218 million and $202 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Interest expense, excluding the effect of debt refinancing and other costs, as a percentage of average borrowings increased approximately 10 basis points from 3.4 percent for the three months ended September 30, 2021 to 3.5 percent for the three months ended September 30, 2022, and decreased approximately 10 basis points from 3.4 percent for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 to 3.3 percent for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.
Income Taxes
The effective tax rate for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2022, was 8.6 percent and 17.2 percent respectively, compared to negative 1.2 percent and 20.6 percent for the same periods in 2021.
The increase of 9.8 percentage points for the three months ended September 30, 2022, was primarily due to lower income before taxes in 2021, and less tax benefits for federal tax credits and share-based compensation in 2022. Similar impacts may occur in future periods, but given their inherent uncertainty, the company is unable to reasonably estimate their potential future impacts. This was partially offset by the impact of the sale of the company’s Russian aluminum beverage packaging business during the third quarter of 2022. This change is not expected to impact tax expense in future periods.
The decrease of 3.4 percentage points for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, was primarily due to the 2021 revaluation of U.K. deferred taxes due to a rate change, which was partially offset by less tax benefits for federal tax credits and share-based compensation in 2022. Similar impacts may occur in future periods, but given their inherent uncertainty, the company is unable to reasonably estimate their potential future impacts. The decrease is also driven by the impact of the sale of the company’s Russian aluminum beverage packaging business during the third quarter of 2022, which was partially offset by the establishment of a valuation allowance against related net deferred tax assets during the second quarter of 2022. These changes are not expected to impact tax expense in future periods.
RESULTS OF BUSINESS SEGMENTS
Segment Results
Ball’s operations are organized and reviewed by management along its product lines and geographical areas and presented in the four reportable segments discussed below.