The Toro Company (TTC) 10-K2024 FY Annual report

We use “Toro” and many other marks as trademarks in the United States and/or in other countries. This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains references to our registered or common law trade names, trademarks or service marks and to those belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including logos, artwork and other visual displays, may appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate in any way that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other entities’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other entity unless otherwise stated.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains, or incorporates by reference, not only historical information, but also forward-looking statements regarding future events and our future results within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"), Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Exchange Act"), and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and that are subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. In addition, we or others on our behalf may make forward-looking statements from time to time in oral presentations, including telephone conferences and/or web casts open to the public, in press releases or reports, on our websites or otherwise. Statements that are not historical are forward-looking and reflect expectations and assumptions that we believe to be reasonable. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations of future events, and often can be identified in this report and elsewhere by using words such as "expect," "strive," "outlook," "guidance," "goal," "encourage," "anticipate," "continue," "plan," "objective," "estimate," "project," "target," "improve," "believe," "become," "should," "could," "will," "would," "possible," "may," "likely," "intend," "can," "seek," "pursue," "potential," variations of such words or the negative thereof, and similar expressions or future dates. Our forward-looking statements generally relate to our future performance and may include, among others, statements relating to:

Forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in the forward-looking statements. The factors known to us that could materially adversely affect our business, reputation, operations, industry, financial position or future financial performance are described in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement which speaks only as of the date made and to recognize that forward-looking statements are predictions of future results, which may not occur as anticipated. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements and from historical results, due to the risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors," as well as others that we may consider immaterial or do not anticipate at this time. The risks and uncertainties described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors," are not exclusive and further information concerning the company and our businesses, including factors that potentially could materially affect our financial results or condition, may emerge from time to time. We make no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect actual results, events or circumstances occurring or existing after the date any forward-looking statement is made, or changes in factors or assumptions affecting such forward-looking statements. We advise you, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our future Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K we file with, or furnish to, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

We design, manufacture, market and sell professional turf maintenance equipment and services; turf irrigation systems; landscaping equipment and lighting products; snow and ice management products; agricultural irrigation ("ag-irrigation") systems; rental, specialty and underground construction equipment; and residential yard and snow thrower products. Our purpose is to help our customers enrich the beauty, productivity, and sustainability of the land. Our products are marketed and sold worldwide through a network of distributors, dealers, mass retailers, hardware retailers, equipment rental centers, and home centers, as well as online and direct to end-users under the primary trademarks of Toro®, Ditch Witch®, eXmark®, Spartan®, BOSS®, Ventrac®, American Augers®, Trencor®, Subsite®, HammerHead®, Radius®, Perrot®, Hayter®, Unique Lighting Systems®, Irritrol®, and Lawn-Boy®, most of which are registered in the United States ("U.S.") and/or in the primary countries outside the U.S. where we market our products branded under such trademarks.

We focus on innovation and quality in our products, customer service, manufacturing, and marketing. We strive to provide innovative, well-built, and dependable products supported by an extensive service network. We commit to funding research, development, and engineering activities in order to improve and enhance existing products and develop new products. Through these efforts, we seek to be responsive to trends that may affect our target markets now and in the future. A significant portion of our net sales has historically been, and we expect will continue to be, attributable to new and enhanced products. We define new products as those introduced in the current and previous two fiscal years.

We have continued to complement our brands, enhance our product portfolios, and improve our technologies through innovation and strategic acquisitions over the more than 100 years we have been in business. We plan to continue to leverage a strategic and disciplined approach to pursue targeted acquisitions that add value to TTC by complementing our existing brands, enhancing our product portfolio, and/or improving our technologies.

We classify our operations into two reportable business segments: Professional and Residential. Our remaining activities are presented as "Other" due to their insignificance. These Other activities consist of earnings (loss) from a wholly-owned domestic distribution company, certain corporate activities, and the elimination of intersegment revenues and expenses. Net sales of our reportable segments and Other activities accounted for the following percentages of our consolidated net sales for fiscal 2024: Professional, 77.6 percent; Residential, 21.8 percent; and Other, 0.6 percent.

Sustainability is integrated into our enterprise strategic priorities of accelerating profitable growth, driving productivity and operational excellence, and empowering our people. Our focus on alternative power, smart connected, and autonomous solutions, as well as our continued efforts to address environmental, social, and governance priorities, are embedded as part of our commitment to advancing our sustainability goals.

We strive to be a leader in adapting advanced technologies to products and services that provide innovative solutions for turf maintenance; landscape and lighting; rental, specialty, and underground construction; snow and ice management; agricultural; and residential demands. The following is a summary of our products, by market, for our Professional segment and our products for our Residential segment.

We design professional turf maintenance; landscape and lighting; rental, specialty, and underground construction; snow and ice management; and agricultural products. We market and sell Professional segment products worldwide through a network of distributors and dealers, as well as directly to government customers, rental companies, and large retailers. These channel partners then sell or rent our products to professional and other users, including homeowners, engaged in maintaining turf, such as golf courses, sports fields, municipal properties, as well as residential and commercial landscapes; installing, repairing, and replacing underground pipe and utilities; managing snow and ice demands; irrigating turf and agricultural fields; and creating, renovating, and illuminating landscapes. The following sections describe our Professional segment products by market.

We are the only company to offer both equipment and irrigation products for the golf market, and are a market leader in both. We design, manufacture, market, and sell equipment products under the Toro and Ventrac brands that are intended to provide innovative solutions for golf course turf maintenance. Equipment products for the golf market include large reel and rotary riding mowers for fairway, rough, and trim cutting; riding and walking mowers for greens and specialty areas; greens rollers; all-wheel drive articulating tractors; turf sprayer equipment; utility vehicles; aeration equipment; bunker maintenance equipment, and other specialty turf equipment. We also market and sell irrigation products for the golf market under the Toro brand that are designed to provide innovative water application solutions for golf course turf maintenance. These irrigation

products predominantly consist of sprinkler heads, controllers, turf sensors, valves and operating software. These equipment and irrigation products are primarily sold to distributors and dealers, who then sell to owners, managers and/or superintendents of golf courses.

We design, manufacture, market, and sell Toro and Ventrac-branded equipment products that are intended to provide innovative turf maintenance solutions to sports fields and grounds customers. Equipment products for the sports fields and grounds market primarily include riding rotary and reel mowers and attachments, aerators, infield grooming equipment, all-wheel drive articulating tractors, multipurpose vehicles and debris management products, which include versatile debris vacuums, blowers, and sweepers. In addition to equipment products, we also market and sell irrigation products under the Toro and Perrot brands that are designed to provide innovative water application solutions for sports fields and grounds turf maintenance. These irrigation products primarily include sprinkler heads, controllers, turf sensors, valves and operating software. These products are primarily sold to distributors and dealers, who then sell to owners and/or managers of sports fields, governmental properties, and residential and commercial landscapes, as well as directly to government customers.

We design, manufacture, market, and sell equipment products under the Toro, eXmark, Spartan and Ventrac brands that are intended to provide innovative turf management solutions to landscape contractors. Equipment products for the landscape contractor market include zero-turn radius riding mowers, heavy-duty walk behind mowers, mid-size walk behind mowers, stand-on mowers, and all-wheel drive articulating tractors, as well as turf application, turf renovation, and tree care equipment. These equipment products are primarily sold to distributors and dealers, who then sell to landscape contractors engaged in turf maintenance activities.

We design, manufacture, market, and sell a range of professional grade products to serve the underground construction market under the Ditch Witch, American Augers, Trencor, HammerHead, Subsite, and Radius brands, including horizontal directional drills, walk and ride trenchers, vacuum excavators, horizontal directional drilling guidance and support equipment, utility locators, utility inspection systems, pipe rehabilitation and replacement solutions, as well as after-market tools, including drive chucks and sub savers, drill pipe, starter rods and quick connects, bits and blades, rock tools, reamers, and swivels. Such products are utilized by specialty contractors worldwide to install water, gas, electric, telecommunication, fiber optic, broadband, and other utility distribution systems.

We design, manufacture, market, and sell Toro and Ditch Witch-branded equipment products that are intended to provide innovative solutions to serve the rental and specialty construction market. These products primarily consist of stand-on skid steers, walk-behind trenchers, stump grinders, and turf renovation products. We also have a line of Toro-branded rental products that feature material handlers and other concrete construction equipment. Our rental and specialty construction equipment products are mainly sold to rental companies and large retailers who subsequently rent the products to end-users, as well as to dealers who market and sell to end-customers primarily consisting of landscape contractors, municipalities, and other government entities.

We design, manufacture, market, and sell equipment products under the BOSS, Ventrac, and Toro brands that are intended to provide innovative snow removal and ice management solutions for the snow and ice management market. These equipment products primarily consist of snowplows; salt and brine ice control products; accessories for light and medium duty trucks, all-terrain vehicles, utility task vehicles, skid steers, and front-end loaders; and all-wheel drive articulating tractors, sidewalk snow and ice solution vehicles, and related attachments and accessories. These products are mainly sold through distributors and dealers who market and sell to end-customers primarily consisting of landscape contractors, municipalities, and other government entities.

Irrigation products are designed, manufactured, marketed, and sold under the Toro and Irritrol brands and primarily include rotors; sprinkler bodies and nozzles; plastic, brass, and hydraulic valves; drip tubing and subsurface irrigation; electric control devices; and wired and wireless rain, freeze, climate, and soil sensors. These irrigation products are designed to provide innovative water application solutions for both commercial and residential landscapes. Both the Toro and Irritrol brands have received several U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") WaterSense awards, as well as the EPA WaterSense certification for numerous irrigation controller families and models. In addition to our irrigation products, we market and sell Unique Lighting Systems-branded products primarily consisting of a line of lighting fixtures and transformers designed for

commercial and residential landscapes. Our commercial irrigation and lighting products are predominantly sold to distributors and dealers who market and sell to end-customers primarily consisting of landscape contractors that professionally install these products as new systems or use these products to replace or retrofit existing systems.

Irrigation products for the ag-irrigation market are designed, manufactured, marketed, and sold under the Toro brand and are intended to provide an efficient means of water application and usage in agricultural and greenhouse applications. These irrigation products primarily consist of drip tape, polyethylene tubing, drip line, emitters, filters, and fitting solutions. In addition to these core products, we offer a complement of design software and connection options to complete the ag-irrigation system. Our ag-irrigation products are sold through dealers and distributors who then sell to end-users for use primarily in vegetable fields, fruit and nut orchards, and vineyard applications.

We market and sell our Residential segment products to homeowners through a variety of distribution channels, including outdoor power equipment distributors and dealers, mass retailers, hardware retailers, and home centers, as well as online and direct to end-users. We also license our trademark on certain yard tools and garden equipment products as a means of expanding our brand presence. The following sections describe our Residential segment products.

We design, manufacture, market, and sell walk power mower equipment products under our Toro and Lawn-Boy brand names, as well as the Hayter brand in the United Kingdom. Our walk power mower equipment products are designed to provide innovative turf cutting solutions primarily to homeowners. Models differ as to cutting width, type of starter mechanism, method of grass clipping discharge, deck type, operational controls, and power sources, and are either self-propelled or operator-propelled push mowers.

Our residential zero-turn riding mower equipment products are designed, manufactured, marketed, and sold under the Toro brand name and are intended to provide innovative and time saving turf cutting solutions by using superior maneuverability to navigate around obstacles more efficiently and effectively than tractor technology. Many models of our residential zero-turn riding mowers are available with a variety of engines, decks, transmissions, and accessories.

We design, manufacture, market, and sell a range of Toro-branded battery, electric, and gas-powered single-stage and two-stage snow thrower equipment products, as well as battery and electric-powered power shovel equipment products. Single-stage snow throwers are walk behind units that are generally designed for small areas of light snow and our two-stage snow throwers are generally designed for relatively large areas of deep and heavy snow. Our battery and electric-powered power shovels are designed to be lightweight and ideal for clearing light snow from decks, steps, sidewalks, and small driveways.

Our yard tools and garden equipment products are designed, manufactured, marketed, and sold under the Toro brand name. Our Toro-branded yard tools and garden equipment products consist of a variety of battery, electric, and/or gas-powered options and primarily consist of grass trimmers, hedge trimmers, blower-vacuums, chainsaws, edgers, cultivators, string mowers, and related parts and accessories that are designed to provide innovative yard maintenance solutions to homeowners.

As a result of our international operations, we are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk arising from transactions in the normal course of business. For additional information regarding our foreign currency exchange rate risk exposure, refer to Part II, Item 7A, "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We believe that our longstanding commitment to innovation and quality in our products has been a key driver of our market success. We are committed to the development of innovative new products and improvements in the quality and performance of existing products. When applicable, we also may pursue targeted and strategic acquisitions to acquire innovative technologies that we believe bolster our longstanding commitment to innovation in our products and complement and support the development of alternative power, smart-connected, and autonomous products within our Professional and Residential segments.

Engineering and research activities are performed at our global test sites and facilities and our products are tested in conditions and locations similar to those in which they are intended to be used. We invest time up front with customers, using "Voice of the Customer" tools, to help us develop innovative products that are intended to meet or exceed customer expectations. We use Design for Manufacturing and Assembly ("DFM/A") tools to ensure early manufacturing involvement in new product designs intended to reduce production costs. DFM/A focuses on reducing the number of parts required to assemble new products, as well as designing products to move more efficiently through the manufacturing process. We strive to make improvements to our new product development system as part of our continuing focus on Lean methods to shorten development time and reduce costs, while also improving quality.

Our manufacturing facilities are designed to provide efficient and flexible assembly-line manufacturing of our products. In addition to most final assembly, we have strategically identified specific core manufacturing competencies for vertical integration, such as injection molding, extrusion, welding, stamping, fabrication, laser cutting, painting, machining, and aluminum die casting, and have chosen outside vendors to provide other services, where applicable. We design component parts through collaboration with our vendors, contract with them for the development of tooling, and subsequently enter into agreements with such vendors to purchase component parts manufactured using the tooling. We also have agreements with third-party manufacturers to produce certain standalone end-products on our behalf. In addition, our vendors regularly test new technologies to be applied in the design and production of component parts. Our manufacturing operations include robotic and computer-automated equipment intended to speed production, reduce costs, and improve resource use and the quality, fit, and finish of our products. Our operations are also designed to be flexible enough to accommodate product design changes that are necessary to respond to market conditions and changing customer requirements.

In order to utilize our manufacturing facilities and technology more efficiently and effectively, we pursue continuous improvements in our manufacturing processes with the use of Lean methods that are intended to streamline work and eliminate waste. Additionally, we use computer-aided design and manufacturing systems to shorten the time between initial concept and final production. DFM/A principles are used throughout the product development process to optimize product quality and reduce cost. We spend considerable effort to reduce manufacturing costs through Lean methods and process improvement, product and platform design, application of advanced technologies, enhanced environmental management systems, safety improvements, and improved supply-chain management.

Our Professional segment products and Residential segment lawn and garden products are generally manufactured throughout the year with peak production generally occurring ahead of the key selling seasons for certain of our businesses and product lines that are more subject to seasonality. However, our Residential segment snow thrower products are generally manufactured in the summer and fall months but may be extended into the winter months, depending upon weather conditions in key regions, the related demand for such products. Our production levels and inventory management goals are based on estimates of wholesale and retail demand for our products, taking into account production capacity; commodity, component part, and labor availability; timing of shipments; and field inventory levels. Our production system generally utilizes Kanban, supplier pull, and build-to-order methodologies in our manufacturing facilities, as appropriate, for the business units they support in order to better align the production of our products to meet customer demand. We believe this has resulted in improved service levels for our participating suppliers, distributors, dealers, and other channels. We may also periodically shut down production at our manufacturing facilities in order to allow for maintenance, rearrangement, capital equipment installation, seasonality, and as needed, to adjust for market demand, facility renovation projects, and other factors. Production shut downs of this nature are generally not materially disruptive to our business and are considered to be normal.

We purchase commodities, components, parts, and accessories for use in our manufacturing process and end-products or to be sold as stand-alone end-products. Our primary cost exposures for such items used in our products are with steel, aluminum, petroleum and natural gas-based resins, linerboard, copper, lead, rubber, engines, transmissions, transaxles, hydraulics, electrification components, and others, all of which we purchase from several suppliers around the world. We generally purchase commodities, components, parts, and accessories based upon market prices that are established with suppliers as part of the purchase process and generally attempt to obtain firm pricing from most of our suppliers for volumes consistent with

planned production and estimates of wholesale and retail demand for our products. However, most of the commodities, components, parts, and accessories used in our manufacturing process and end-products, or to be sold as stand-alone end-products, are exposed to commodity cost changes, including, for example, as a result of inflation, changing prices, foreign currency fluctuations, tariffs, duties, trade regulatory actions, industry actions, changes to international trade policies, agreements, and/or regulation and competitor activity, including antidumping and countervailing duties on certain products imported from foreign countries, including certain engines imported into the U.S. from China. For additional information regarding changing costs of commodities, refer to Part II, Item 7A, "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K in the section entitled "Commodity Cost Risk."

Most of the commodities, components, parts, and accessories utilized in our products are generally commercially available from a number of sources. Although we regularly monitor the adequacy of the supply of our commodities, components, parts, and accessories, and the financial health of the companies in our supply chain, and use alternative suppliers when necessary and available, financial hardship, insufficient demand planning, and/or the inability of companies throughout our supply chain to deliver on supply commitments, requirements, and/or demands has caused disruptions in our ability to procure the commodities, components, and parts required to manufacture our products.

Our products are warranted to provide assurance that the product will function as expected and to ensure customer confidence in design, workmanship, and overall quality. Standard warranty coverage is generally provided for specified periods of time and on select products' hours of usage, and generally covers parts and labor, and other expenses for non-maintenance repairs. We also sell separately priced extended warranty coverage on select products for a prescribed period after the original warranty period expires. Warranty coverage generally does not cover operator abuse or improper use. An authorized distributor or dealer must perform warranty work. Distributors and dealers submit claims for warranty reimbursement and are credited for the cost of repairs, labor, and other expenses as long as the repairs meet our prescribed standards. Service support outside of the warranty period is provided by authorized distributors and dealers at the customer's expense.

We have rigorous product safety standards and continually work to improve the safety and reliability of our products. We monitor for accidents and possible claims, and establish liability estimates based on internal evaluations of the merits of individual claims. We purchase insurance coverage for catastrophic product liability claims for incidents that exceed our self-insured retention levels.

We own patents, trademarks, and trade secrets related to our products in the U.S. and certain countries outside the U.S. in which we conduct business. We expect to apply for future patents and trademarks, as appropriate, in connection with the development of innovative new products, services, and enhancements. Although we believe that, in the aggregate, our patents are valuable, and patent protection is beneficial to our business and competitive positioning, our patent protection will not necessarily deter or prevent competitors from attempting to develop similar products. We are not materially dependent on any one or more of our patents; however, certain TTC trademarks that contribute to our identity and the recognition of our products and services, including but not limited to the Toro® name and logo, are an integral part of our business.

We review certain patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") and foreign patent offices to help avoid potential liability with respect to others' patents. Additionally, we periodically review competitors' products to prevent possible infringement of our patents by others. We believe these activities help us minimize our risk of being a defendant in patent infringement litigation. From time to time, we are involved in patent litigation cases, including cases by or against competitors, where we are asserting or defending against claims of patent infringement.

As a result of our global presence in key markets that are subject to seasonal weather patterns, some of our businesses are seasonal. Overall, our seasonal shipment volumes are generally a function of the key selling seasons of our channel partners based on their industry, geographic location, and the nature and intended purpose of our products in relation to the correlating season. Seasonal weather patterns can impact the timing of the key selling seasons of our channel partners, which may cause

our quarterly financial results to differ between fiscal years as demand for our products and related shipment volumes can shift between quarters. Such shifts in the demand for our products and related shipment volumes may result in a negative or positive impact on our net sales and other operating results for a particular period.

Our shipment volumes generally precede and overlap the key selling seasons of our channel partners in order to better allow our channel partners to align field inventory levels with the anticipated retail demand from end-customers. As a result, our shipment volumes have historically been the highest in our fiscal second quarter, and retail demand for our products is generally highest in our fiscal third quarter. Typically, our accounts receivable balances increase in the first half of our fiscal year as a result of higher shipment volumes and extended payment terms made available to our customers. Accounts receivable balances typically decrease in the second half of our fiscal year when payments are received. Our financing requirements are subject to variations due to seasonal changes in working capital levels, which typically increase in the first half of our fiscal year and decrease in the second half of our fiscal year. Seasonal cash requirements of our business are financed from a combination of cash flows from operations, cash on hand, and borrowings under our revolving credit facility, as applicable.

Shipments of our Residential segment products tend to be more seasonal than our Professional segment products, with shipments of lawn and garden products occurring primarily between February and June, depending upon seasonal weather conditions and product demand. Shipments of snow thrower products occur primarily between July and January, depending upon pre-season demand, in-season snowfalls, and product availability. Opposite seasons in global markets in which we sell our Residential products somewhat moderate this seasonality of our Residential segment product sales.

Seasonality of Professional segment product sales also exists but is slightly tempered because the selling season in the Southern U.S. and our markets in the Southern hemisphere generally continue for a longer portion of the year than in Northern regions of the world. Our BOSS and Ventrac brands offer a portfolio of counter-seasonal snow and ice management products in our Professional segment with our shipments of snow and ice management products occurring primarily between April and December, which can result in variability of shipment volumes depending upon pre-season demand, in-season snowfalls, and product availability. Additionally, our rental, specialty, and underground construction business is generally less seasonal than certain of our Professional segment businesses primarily due to the strong presence of certain of the underlying brands in the Southern U.S. markets and the inherent nature of the underground construction market being less impacted by seasonal factors.

From time to time, seasonal weather conditions in particular geographic regions or markets, specifically severe wet or dry conditions, as well as significant weather events such as fires, hurricanes, tornados, drought, rainfall, unseasonably warm winter months, or other weather events, including those exacerbated by global climate change, may adversely or positively affect sales, demand, and field inventory levels of some of our products. In addition, weather conditions in key regions can cause disruption in our seasonality trends and supply chain, which may impact our ability to procure the commodities, components, parts, and accessories needed to manufacture our products to meet the needs of our customers, and such disruptions may adversely or positively affect sales, demand, and field inventory levels of some of our products. For example, persistent hot and dry weather patterns or excessive snowfall across key regions may impact the rate at which inventory needs to be replenished either negatively or positively.

We market and sell the majority of our products through more than 150 distributors worldwide, as well as a large number of equipment dealers, irrigation dealers and distributors, mass retailers, hardware retailers, equipment rental centers, and home centers, as well as online and direct to end-users in more than 125 countries. Our distribution networks are intended to assure quality of sales and market presence, as well as to provide effective after-purchase service and support. Overall, we believe that in the long-term we are not dependent on any single customer. While the loss of any substantial customer could have a material adverse short-term impact on our business, we believe that our diverse distribution channels and customer base should reduce the long-term impact of any such loss.

Professional segment products are sold to distributors and dealers primarily for resale to golf courses, sports fields, contractors, government customers, and homeowners who prefer professional solutions, and in some markets for resale to dealers. We sell some Professional segment products directly to government customers and municipalities and rental companies, as well as to end-users in certain markets. Select irrigation and lighting products are sold to professional irrigation and lighting distributors and dealers, and certain professional-grade retail irrigation products are sold to home centers. Products for the rental, specialty, and underground construction markets are sold to dealers and rental companies, as well as direct to end-users in certain markets. Landscape contractor turf products are also sold to dealers. Snow and ice management products are primarily sold to distributors and dealers for resale to contractors.

Residential segment products, such as walk power mowers, zero-turn riding mowers, and snow throwers, are generally sold to home centers, mass retailers, dealers, and hardware retailers, as well as online and direct to end-users. In certain markets, these

same products are sold to distributors for resale to hardware retailers and dealers. Yard tools and garden equipment products are primarily sold to home centers, mass retailers, and hardware retailers.

We operate one wholly-owned domestic distribution company. Our primary purpose in owning a domestic distributorship is to improve operations and test and deploy new strategies and business practices that could be replicated by our independent distributors, as well as facilitating ownership transfers.

Our current marketing strategy is to maintain distinct brands and brand identification for Toro, Ditch Witch, eXmark, Spartan, BOSS, Ventrac, American Augers, Trencor, Subsite, HammerHead, Radius, Perrot, Hayter, Unique Lighting Systems, Irritrol, and Lawn-Boy products. Across our brands, we market our Professional and Residential segment products during the appropriate seasons through multiple channels, including digital and online media, radio, print, direct mail, email, television, and social media. Most of our advertising and marketing efforts emphasize our brands, products, features, and other valuable trademarks. Advertising is purchased by us, through our agency partners, as well as through cooperative programs with distributors, dealers, and retailers.

We have agreements with third-party financing companies to provide financing options to end-customers throughout the world. The purpose of these agreements is to provide end-users of our products alternative financing options when purchasing our products.

Additionally, we continue to provide financing in the form of open account terms directly to home centers and mass retailers, general line irrigation dealers, certain domestic and international distributors and dealers, ag-irrigation dealers and distributors, government customers, and rental companies.

Our order backlog represents unfulfilled customer orders at a point in time. The dollar value of our order backlog is equal to the gross sales value that we expect to bill to the customer and is not reduced for expected variable consideration related to certain of our sales promotions and incentives programs. Order backlog is one of many indicators of business conditions within the markets and industries that we operate; however, our order backlog is considered more representative of business conditions than an indicator of our expectation of our future net sales because the dollar value of our order backlog is a gross amount that has not yet been reduced for the variable consideration associated with certain of our sales promotions and incentives programs and because backlog can fluctuate for a number of reasons, including the seasonality of our business, product mix, pricing actions, manufacturing and shipping schedules, cancellation and rescheduling of orders by our customers, and the timing of when orders are originally placed by customers and when we are able to fulfill such orders.

Our global business operations result in us competing with many U.S. and non-U.S. companies across our various markets, industries, and product offerings. These competitors and the degree of competition vary widely by industry, product line, end market, geographic scope and/or geographic location, including some competitors that have substantially larger operations and financial resources than we do and some that have smaller operations offering various capabilities to customers. We also experience a certain level of competition among our own brands within certain industries and end markets. Because of the diversity of our product portfolios and markets, our businesses typically have a different set of competitors in each geographic area and end market in which they participate. Accordingly, estimating the number of competitors or precise market share is challenging; however, we believe that we are a principal competitor in most of our industries and markets.

The principal competitive factors in our markets are product innovation; quality and reliability; pricing and sales programs; product support and customer service; warranty; brand and reputation; channel relationships, shelf space, and product availability; and financing options. We believe we offer total solutions and full service packages with high quality products that have the latest technology and design innovations. In addition, by selling our products through a network of distributors, dealers, mass retailers, hardware retailers, and home centers, as well as online and direct to end-users, users are offered comprehensive service support during and after the warranty period. We believe that we have a competitive advantage because we manufacture a broad range of product lines, we are committed to product innovation and customer service, we have a strong history in, and focus on, the markets in which our businesses operate, and our distribution channels position us well to compete in various markets.

Our Residential segment products generally face a higher volume of competition than our Professional segment products given the relatively low barriers to entry resulting in numerous other manufacturers selling products that compete directly with our products. Internationally, our Residential segment products face more competition than in the U.S. because many foreign competitors design, manufacture, market, and sell products in their respective countries. We experience this competition primarily in Europe. In addition, fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar affect the price of our products in foreign markets, thereby impacting their competitiveness. We provide pricing support to foreign customers, invoice in local currency, and execute foreign currency derivative hedging instruments, as appropriate, to remain competitive in international markets.

As part of our guiding principles, we believe our success is deeply rooted in caring relationships built on trust and integrity. We believe these relationships are the foundation of our market leadership in innovation and solutions that make outdoor environments beautiful, productive and sustainable. We are committed to fostering a meaningful and enriching culture and engaging employee experience. We believe our commitment to employee wellness and environmental stewardship create a sense of community, allowing employees to take pride in their jobs and live the TTC values.

We believe our commitment to our human capital resources is key to:

Our Purpose: To help our customers enrich the beauty, productivity and sustainability of the land.

Our Vision: To be the most trusted leader in solutions for the outdoor environment. Every day. Everywhere.

Our Mission: To deliver superior innovation and to deliver superior customer care.

Our employees are guided further by our global Code of Conduct, which provides a framework for our actions and is the foundation of our partnership with TTC stakeholders—customers, suppliers, shareholders, communities, employees and others. Our goal is to foster a culture of trust and respect for all stakeholders and create a productive, supportive and thriving work environment for all TTC employees.

During fiscal 2024, we employed an average of 11,464 employees. The total number of employees as of October 31, 2024 was 11,108.

As of October 31, 2024, approximately 10.5 percent of our employees were represented by a union under a collective bargaining agreement. Our collective bargaining agreements typically are for terms of three to five years, and from time to time, our collective bargaining agreements expire and come up for renegotiation. Our four collective bargaining agreements expire in October 2025, March 2026, May 2026, and October 2026. We consider our employee relations to be good and currently do not expect any significant difficulties in renewing these agreements. We have not experienced any strikes or work stoppages in the past three years.

The safety of our employees is paramount to us. We provide mandatory safety trainings each month in our production facilities, which are designed to focus on empowering our employees with the knowledge and tools they need to make safe choices and to mitigate risks. Supervisors also complete safety management courses. In addition to traditional training, we use safety scorecards, standardized signage, and visual management throughout our facilities. Safety best practices are also regularly reviewed by management and TTC's Board of Directors, and featured in our employee newsletters and town halls.

We provide all employees with the opportunity to share their opinions and feedback on our culture through an engagement survey. Results of the survey are measured and analyzed to enhance the employee experience, promote employee retention, drive change and leverage the overall success of our organization.

We strive to prepare our teams and talent to deliver on the company's commitments to excellence by providing all employees a wide range of professional development opportunities, both formal and informal, at all stages in their careers. Our formal career development offerings include apprenticeships, job training, mentoring and coaching, leadership development, tuition reimbursement, a diverse curriculum of learning programs, leadership development experiences, vocational training and external partnerships across the globe. One of our unique leadership development programs is our Leadership in Motion program, a learning experience for nominated current and future TTC leaders to enhance leadership skills and collaborate with TTC colleagues in a cross-functional setting. The global program expands employee networks, provides visibility within the company, and builds capabilities needed for TTC’s future. In small groups, participants work on a challenge critical to the company, such as technological innovation, communications, diversifying the workforce and talent retention. Over three months, they learn as a team, use newly gained skills and ultimately present recommendations related to their challenge to our Enterprise Leadership Team. Insights, themes and recommendations from cohort teams have contributed to actions in many areas for the company.

The health and wellness of our employees are critical to our success. We provide our employees with access to a variety of innovative, flexible and convenient health and wellness programs, which include but are not limited to, 24/7 call-in service access to a licensed physician, on-site nurses at some of our manufacturing sites to monitor employee health, safety, and wellness on a daily basis, various mobile apps that provide physical and mental well-being support. Such programs are designed to support employees’ physical and mental health by providing tools and resources to help them improve or maintain their health status and encourage engagement in healthy behaviors.

Our culture, rooted in excellence, integrity, and belonging, promotes a safe and welcoming environment where all employees can be their authentic self, both at work and beyond. We strive to nurture an inclusive community where everyone thrives – our colleagues, customers, partners, and communities. Our team members are encouraged to leverage their unique strengths and experiences to address challenges and drive innovation. We celebrate the diverse cultures and backgrounds of those who enrich our world daily. Together, we strive to foster a company culture and industry reputation that embodies collaboration and a genuine sense of belonging for all.

We conduct compensation market benchmarking on a regular basis to provide competitive pay to attract and retain superior talent. In addition to annual base salaries, our total rewards, which vary by country/region, can include annual incentive opportunities, stock-based compensation awards, a 401(k) plan with employee matching opportunities, discretionary profit-sharing contribution to employee retirement plan accounts, healthcare and insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, family leave, family care resources, flexible work schedules, adoption and surrogacy assistance, employee assistance programs, tuition assistance, and on-site services, such as health centers and fitness centers, among many others.

At the heart of TTC is our commitment to people, and we believe that a satisfying life comes from contributing to, and engaging with, the communities where we live and work. Community support is core to our culture and our efforts reflect a dedication to action and engagement that enriches the lives, communities, industries and land that we serve. Our community efforts center on four areas: Employees, Community, Industry and "Land. Water. Thrive." Through employee volunteerism and donations, corporate giving, and in-kind product donations, we enhance and beautify outdoor spaces while also supporting the shared value of our partner communities and organization.

Our employees around the world volunteer with local charitable and civic organizations to complete beautification, preservation, water conservation, community health, and housing and youth enrichment projects, including supporting the beautification and preservation of outdoor environments, water conservation, community health, housing and youth enrichment. To help our employees make a meaningful impact on organizations that are important to them and us, we provide eligible employees in the U.S. up to 20 hours paid time off to volunteer.

As part of our "Land. Water. Thrive." effort, we provide immersion experiences for our employees to work with smallholder farmers in developing countries to improve land productivity and agricultural water practices while also strengthening our employees’ empathy and customer-focused approach to problem solving.

We are committed to upholding human rights in all respects of our global operations under The Toro Company Human Rights Policy. We believe that we have a responsibility to ensure that human rights are understood and observed in every location in which we operate. We strive to foster safe, inclusive and respectful workplaces wherever we do business, including prohibiting all forms of child labor and forced labor including indentured labor, bonded labor, military labor, slave labor and any form of human trafficking. We expect our business partners and suppliers to comply with local labor and employment laws wherever they operate. We encourage each other to seek guidance on our Code of Conduct or other issues without fear of retaliation of any kind. Employees may anonymously report concerns, misconduct or suspected violation of the Code through our confidential web-based reporting tool or over the telephone through our Ethics helpline.

Our business, operations, facilities, and products are subject to numerous international, federal, state, and other governmental laws, rules, and regulations relating to, among others, climate change; emissions to air, including Tier 4 or similar engine emission regulations; discharges to water; restrictions placed on water usage and water availability; product and associated packaging; use of certain chemicals; restricted substances, including "conflict minerals" disclosure rules; recycling and waste disposal; import and export compliance, including country of origin certification requirements; worker and product user health and safety; energy efficiency; product life-cycles; outdoor noise laws; and the generation, use, handling, labeling, collection, management, storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous substances, wastes, and other regulated materials. For example:

Compliance with existing laws, rules, and regulations has not historically had a material impact on our capital expenditures, earnings or global competitive position. With respect to acquired properties and businesses, we conduct due diligence regarding potential exposure to environmental liabilities and overall regulatory compliance but cannot be certain that we have identified or will identify all adverse environmental conditions or non-compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. We are also involved in the evaluation and environmental clean-up of a limited number of properties currently and previously owned. We do not expect that these matters will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

The Toro Company was incorporated in Minnesota in 1935 as a successor to a business founded in 1914 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1983. Our executive offices are located at 8111 Lyndale Avenue South, Bloomington, Minnesota, 55420-1196, and our telephone number is (952) 888-8801.

The following are material risk factors known to us that could materially adversely affect our business, reputation, operating results, industry, financial position, or future financial or operational performance. The risks described below are not the only risks we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business, reputation, operating results, industry, financial position, or future financial or operational performance.

This summary is not complete and should be read in conjunction with the more detailed risk factors set forth below.

Adverse economic conditions and outlook in the U.S. and in other countries in which we conduct business have and could continue to impact our net sales and earnings. These adverse economic conditions include, but are not limited to, business closures, slowdowns, suspensions or delays of production and commercial activity; recessionary conditions; slow or negative economic growth rates; slowdowns or reductions in levels of interest in the game of golf or golf course activity, development, renovation, and improvement; golf course closures; reduced governmental or municipal spending; reduced levels of home ownership, construction, and sales; home foreclosures; negative consumer confidence; reduced consumer spending levels; increased or prolonged high unemployment rates; higher costs, longer lead times, and reduced availability of commodities, components, parts, and accessories, including as a result of transportation-related costs, inflation, changing prices, foreign currency fluctuations, tariffs, and/or duties; inflationary or deflationary pressures; reduced infrastructure spending; the impact of U.S. federal debt, state debt, and sovereign debt defaults and austerity measures by certain European countries; reduced credit availability or unfavorable credit terms for our distributors, dealers, and end-user customers; higher short-term, mortgage, and other interest rates; government shutdowns; and general economic and political conditions and expectations. In the past, some of these factors have caused and may continue to cause our distributors, dealers, and end-user customers to reduce spending and delay or forego purchases of our products, which has had an adverse effect on our net sales and earnings.

One of our strategies is to develop innovative, customer-valued and high-quality products to generate revenue and earnings growth. In the past, our sales from new products, which we define as those introduced in the current and previous two fiscal years, have represented a significant portion of our net sales and are expected to continue to represent a significant portion of our future net sales. We may not be able to compete as effectively and ultimately satisfy the needs and preferences of our customers, unless we can continue to enhance existing products and develop new and innovative products, including by incorporating new, emerging, and/or disruptive technologies that may become preferred by our customers. For example, we have the transition risk of developing and marketing electric and alternative fuel products to meet market demands for less greenhouse gas intensive products.

Product development, improvement, and introductions require significant financial and technological resources, talent, research, planning, design, development, engineering, and testing at the technological, product, and manufacturing process levels, and we may not be able to timely develop and introduce new products, technologies or product improvements. New and innovative competitive products may beat our products to market; be higher quality or more reliable; be more effective, have more features, and/or be less expensive than our products; incorporate new, emerging, and/or disruptive technologies; obtain better market acceptance; or render our products obsolete. Any new products that we develop may not receive market acceptance or otherwise generate any meaningful net sales or profits for us relative to our expectations based on, among other things, investments in manufacturing capacity and commitments to fund advertising, sales incentive and promotion programs, and research and development.

Global supply chain disruptions, natural disasters, antidumping and countervailing duty petitions regarding certain engines imported into the U.S. from China, and other tariffs have, to various and differing degrees, impacted the availability of

commodities, components, parts, and accessories used in our products. In addition, while most of our commodities, components, parts, or accessories are generally commercially available from a number of sources, certain items are sourced from single suppliers, which has limited, and could continue to limit, the availability of commodities, components, parts, and accessories when such suppliers are unable to meet our production requirements and we are unable to source such items from an alternative supplier in a timely manner to meet our production needs. This occurred at times during the past couple of years. Any continued or new disruption or shortages in the availability of commodities, components, parts, or accessories, including as a result of labor staffing, workforce shortage, or other challenges that our suppliers may experience as a result of financial hardship, pandemics and/or epidemics, natural disasters, and adverse weather, the frequency and intensity of which may be exacerbated by climate change, or other events, our inability to timely or otherwise obtain substitutes for such items, or any deterioration in our relationships with, the financial viability or quality of, or the personnel relationships at, our suppliers, could adversely affect our business and operating results.

Weather conditions in particular geographic regions have adversely impacted, and will likely in the future, adversely affect the sales, demand, and field inventory levels and seasonality trends of some of our products. Weather conditions also have disrupted our own manufacturing and distribution facilities and our supply chain, which has impacted our ability to manufacture product to fulfill customer demand, and such disruptions may occur in the future. For example, drought or unusually wet conditions have had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on sales of certain Residential and Professional mowing equipment products. Unusually rainy weather or severe drought conditions that result in watering bans, or otherwise, have had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on sales of our irrigation products, and lower snowfall accumulations in key markets have had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on sales of our Residential snow thrower products and products of our Professional snow and ice management business. Similarly, adverse weather conditions in one season may negatively impact customer purchasing patterns and net sales for some of our products in another season. For example, lower snowfall accumulations may result in lower winter season revenues for landscape contractor professionals, causing such customers to forego or postpone spring purchases of our mowing equipment products.

Further, our facilities and other operations and those of our channel customers and suppliers have incurred losses and experienced disruptions as a result of certain weather conditions and such losses or disruption may continue due to additional natural disasters, inclement weather, and/or climate change-related events, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, typhoons, drought, fire, other extreme weather conditions, and other natural disasters and events that occur as a result of such events, such as water or other natural resource shortages, rising sea levels, power outages or shortages, or telecommunications failures. Our insurance coverage with respect to natural disasters and other disruptions is limited and is subject to deductibles and coverage limits. Such coverage may not be adequate or may not continue to be available at commercially reasonable rates and terms. The occurrence of any such events could negatively impact our business and operating results.

Global climate change may exacerbate the frequency and intensity of unfavorable weather conditions, such as fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, drought, water shortages, rainfall, unseasonably warm winter months, or other weather events, many of which have increased in severity in recent years, in geographic areas where our products are manufactured, distributed, sold, and used and where our supply chains are located, and our sales and operating results may be affected to a greater degree than we have previously experienced. Such weather conditions could pose physical risks to our facilities and critical infrastructure in the U.S. and abroad, disrupt the operation of our supply chain and third-party vendors, and may impact our operational results. Additionally, increased frequency and intensity of weather events due to climate change could lead to lost sales as customers prioritize basic needs.

Our Professional segment includes a variety of products that are sold by distributors or dealers, or directly to government customers, rental companies, professional and other users, including homeowners, engaged in maintaining and creating properties and landscapes, such as golf courses, sports fields, residential and commercial properties and landscapes, and governmental and municipal properties. Any one or a combination of the following factors, among others, have in the past resulted and could in the future result in a decrease in spending and demand for our products, resulting in an adverse effect on our Professional segment net sales and earnings:

The elimination, reduction, or changes in the placement of shelf space assigned to our Residential segment products at mass retailers and home centers have in the past adversely affected and, in the future, could adversely affect our Residential segment net sales. Our Residential segment net sales also depend upon the buying patterns of consumers and changes to buying patterns could result in reduced sales. In addition, as consumers purchase products at home centers and mass retailers that typically offer broader and lower price points than dealers, demand for and sales of our Residential segment products purchased at mass retailers and home centers, as compared to dealers and hardware retailers, have increased, adversely affecting our margins. We believe that our diverse distribution channels and customer base should reduce the long-term impact on us if we were to lose any substantial customer, but the loss of any such customer, a significant reduction in sales to such customers, our inability to maintain adequate product placement at mass retailers and home centers or our inability to respond to future changes in buying patterns of consumers or new distribution channels could have a material adverse impact on our business and operating results. Furthermore, our quarterly or annual results have in the past and could in the future be impacted as a result of the timing of significant sales or promotional events for our Residential products.

Our Professional segment products generally have higher profit margins than our Residential segment products. Accordingly, our financial performance, including our profit margins and net earnings, have been and will continue to be impacted depending on the mix of products we sell during a given period. For example, if we experience lower sales of our Professional segment products that generally carry higher profit margins than our Residential segment products, our financial performance, including profit margins and net earnings, have been and could continue to be negatively impacted. Similarly, within each reportable segment, if we experience lower sales of products that generally carry higher profit margins, our financial performance, including profit margins and net earnings, have been and could continue to be negatively impacted.

Our products are sold in highly competitive markets throughout the world and as a result, we compete with many U.S. and non-U.S. companies across our various markets, industries, and product offerings. These competitors and the degree of competition vary widely by industry, product line, end market, geographic scope and/or geographic location. The principal competitive factors in our industries and markets include product innovation; quality and reliability; pricing and sales promotion and incentive programs; product support and customer service; warranty; brand awareness; reputation; distribution, shelf space, and product placement and availability; and financing options. Some of our competitors have substantially larger operations and greater financial resources than us, and some have smaller operations offering various and/or more specialized capabilities to customers, and they may be able to adapt more quickly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer preferences, or devote greater or more specialized resources to the development, promotion, and sale of their products or disruptive new products or technologies than we can. In addition, competition could increase if new companies enter the market, existing competitors combine or consolidate their operations or if existing competitors expand their product lines or intensify efforts within existing product lines. Our current products, products and technologies under development, and our ability to develop new and improved products and technologies may be insufficient to enable us to compete effectively with our competitors.

Our Residential segment products generally face a higher volume of competition than our Professional segment products given the low barriers to entry resulting in numerous other manufacturers selling products that compete directly with our products. Internationally, our Residential segment products typically face more competition than in the U.S. because many foreign competitors design, manufacture, market, and sell products in their respective countries. In addition, fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar may affect the price of our products in foreign markets, thereby impacting their competitiveness. Competitors may move manufacturing operations to low cost countries for significant cost and price reductions, and we may not be able to compete, which could harm our business and operating results.

We purchase commodities, components, parts, and accessories for use in our manufacturing process and end-products or to be sold as stand-alone end-products, such as steel, aluminum, petroleum and natural gas-based resins, linerboard, copper, lead, rubber, engines, transmissions, transaxles, hydraulics, electrification components, and other commodities, components, parts

and accessories. Increased costs and/or inflation, increased tariff, duties, or other charges as a result of changes to U.S. or international trade policies or trade agreements, trade regulation and/or industry activity, or antidumping and countervailing duty petitions on certain products imported from foreign countries, including certain engines imported into the U.S. from China, or the inability of suppliers to continue operations or otherwise remain in business, have affected our profit margins, operating results and businesses and could continue to result in declines in our profit margins, operating results and businesses. Historically, we have mitigated commodity, component, parts, or accessories cost increases, in part, by increasing prices on some of our products and executing on our strategic productivity initiatives, which include, but are not limited to, collaborating with suppliers, reviewing alternative sourcing options, substituting materials, utilizing Lean methods, and engaging in internal cost reduction efforts, all as appropriate. However, during the past couple of years, we experienced higher material, manufacturing, and freight costs, which adversely affected our margins, and we may not be able to fully offset increased commodity, component, parts, or accessories costs in the future. Further, if our price increases are not accepted by our customers and the market, our net sales, profit margins, earnings, and market share could be adversely affected.

Production downtime and/or the inability to produce products at our facilities, and those of our suppliers, or other disruptions have occurred, and could continue to occur, as a result of several factors, including supply chain challenges, labor shortages, natural disasters, inclement weather, man-made disasters or other external events, such as terrorist acts or acts of war, pandemics and/or epidemics, boycotts and sanctions, widespread criminal activities, or protests and/or social unrest, or other events, at or in proximity to any of our facilities or in our manufacturing or other operations, or those of our channel customers, mass retailers or home centers where our products are sold, or suppliers. A work slowdown, strike, or similar action could occur at any one of our facilities, or the facilities of our channel customers and suppliers, and such facilities could fail to renew or enter into new collective bargaining agreements or may have to enter into a new collective bargaining agreement at a facility not currently covered by an agreement. Furthermore, we shift production between our manufacturing facilities from time to time, and open new manufacturing and/or distribution facilities, to align production capacity with production goals. Such events and disruptions could make it difficult or impossible to manufacture or to deliver products to our customers, produce or maintain sufficient inventory of our products, receive commodities, components, parts or accessories from our suppliers, or perform critical functions, which could adversely affect our business globally or in certain regions. Such events also may result in shortages of commodities, components, parts, or accessories; higher fuel, transportation, and commodity costs; and delays in shipments to our channel customers.

Our labor needs, and those of our suppliers and channel partners, fluctuate throughout the year and by region. During periods of peak manufacturing activity it is often necessary to sharply increase the number of production staff by utilizing new hires and temporary labor. Production staff hired during such periods of peak manufacturing activity may not have the same level of training, competency, experience, or commitment as regular production employees. In addition, due to limited workforce populations in areas around the locations where we, or our suppliers and channel partners, manufacture products or conduct business, or other factors, we, or our suppliers and channel partners, may not have a sufficient pool of individuals with the right skills and experience available to fulfill labor requirements on a cost-effective basis or otherwise.

If we, or our suppliers and channel partners, are unable to hire, train, and/or retain a labor force to adequately staff manufacturing operations, perform service or warranty work, or other necessary activities, we could experience disruptions in our manufacturing and other processes, which have in the past adversely impacted, and could continue to adversely impact, our business, operating results, and reputation.

Our ability to manage our inventory levels to meet our customers' demand for our products and fulfill existing and future sales order backlog is important for our business. Our production levels and inventory management goals for our products are based on estimates of demand for our products, considering production capacity, timing of shipments, existing sales order backlog, and field inventory levels. Managing inventory levels during an uncertain macroeconomic environment is particularly difficult as a result of demand volatility; changes to production operations, locations and schedule; and supply chain challenges limiting our ability to source an adequate supply of commodities, components, parts, and accessories to meet our production requirements. These factors have resulted in, and could continue to result in, manufacturing inefficiencies and related unfavorable manufacturing variances that have negatively impacted, and could continue to impact, our financial results. Our net sales, margins, net earnings, and/or working capital are negatively impacted when we underestimate or overestimate channel or retail demand for our products, we are not able to manufacture product to fulfill customer demand and existing and future sales order backlog, and/or we do not produce or maintain appropriate inventory levels. Furthermore, such impacts hinder our ability

to meet customer demand, result in the loss of customers, and could cause us to incur charges associated with inventory valuation adjustments for excess and obsolete inventories.

We are subject to risks relating to the inventory management decisions and operational and sourcing practices of our distribution network. Our channel customers carry inventories of our products as part of their ongoing operations and adjust those inventories based on their assessments of future needs, including anticipated end-customer demand. Such adjustments have impacted our inventory management and working capital goals as well as operating results, and such adjustments may impact us in the future.

If we fail to maintain an effective network of channel partners, including distributors, dealers, mass retailers, and home centers, for our products, we may not have adequate market coverage for the optimal level of sales of our products. Additionally, our channel customers may not commit the necessary resources to market and sell our products as we would expect, and/or they may not be successful in marketing and ultimately selling our products. Any weak demand for, or quality issues with, our products may cause our channel customers to reduce or terminate their relationships with us or adversely affect our ability to engage new dealers and distributors or maintain or obtain shelf space at mass retailers and home centers. Changes in the ownership or control of our channel customers could also adversely affect our relationships with them. If we are not able to maintain effective distribution channels, if our channel customers are not successful in marketing and selling our products, or if we experience a significant reduction or cancellation or change in the size and timing of orders from our channel customers, our sales could decline and have an adverse effect on our business and operating results.

In addition, if adverse economic conditions, business conditions or other events cause a decline in sales by our channel customers or weakens their financial condition, our net sales and earnings could be adversely affected. Such situation could adversely affect the ability of such customers to pay amounts owed, which could require us to repurchase financed product.

We are a party to various floor plan arrangements in order to provide reliable, competitive floor plan financing to certain of our distributors and dealers primarily in the U.S. and Canada to support their businesses and improve our working capital for our other strategic purposes. As a result, we depend on such arrangements for our inventory financing programs. The availability of financing from our floor plan arrangements is affected by many factors, including, among others, the overall credit markets, the credit worthiness of our dealers and distributors, and regulations that may affect such financing providers. Any material changes in the availability or terms of credit offered to our customers by our floor plan financing providers, challenges or delays in transferring new distributors and dealers from any business we might acquire or otherwise to our available financing platforms, any termination or disruption of our floor plan arrangements, or any delay in securing replacement credit sources could adversely affect our sales and operating results.

We have many information systems and other software that are critical to our business and certain of our products, some of which are managed by third parties. These information systems and software are used to record, process, summarize, transmit, and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities, including, among other things, our accounting and financial functions; our manufacturing and supply chain processes; managing personal data or other data relating to our customers, suppliers, and employees; and the data related to our research and development efforts. We may be unable to enhance our existing information systems and software or implement new information systems or software when necessary; may experience unanticipated delays, complications, or expenses in implementing, integrating, and operating our systems; and/or require substantial expenditures or interruptions in operations in connection with any system changes we might pursue, including as may be necessary during the integration of acquisitions. The failure of our information systems or software or those of our business partners or third-party service providers to perform properly, or difficulties encountered in the development of or transfer over to new systems or the modification or upgrade of existing systems, could disrupt our business and harm our reputation, which may result in decreased sales, increased overhead costs, excess or obsolete inventory, and product shortages, causing our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results to suffer. As we continue to develop internet-connected products and other new, emerging, and/or disruptive technologies, similar risks may also be present in the systems, technology, and software installed within such products.

Additionally, we take steps to secure our information systems and software and any access provided by our business partners or third-party service providers, including our computer systems, intranet and internet sites, email and other telecommunications and data networks. However, the security measures we have implemented may not be effective and our systems may be

vulnerable to theft, loss, damage, and interruption from a number of potential sources and events, including unauthorized access or security breaches, data privacy breaches, natural or man-made disasters, cyber attacks, computer viruses, malware, phishing, denial of service attacks, power loss, or other disruptive events. Information technology security threats have been increasing in frequency and sophistication. Cyber attacks may be random, coordinated, or targeted, including sophisticated computer crime threats. These threats pose a risk to the security of our systems and networks including those that may be used by our products, and those of our business partners and third-party service providers, and to the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of our data or data of our customers, suppliers or employees. Our business, reputation, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected if a significant cyber event or other event, disrupts or shuts down our operations; our confidential, proprietary information or data of our customers, suppliers, or employees is stolen or disclosed; our intranet and internet sites are compromised; data is manipulated or destroyed; we incur costs, are required to pay fines or face other regulatory enforcement actions, or our customers lose confidence in our ability to adequately protect their information in connection with stolen or disclosed customer, employee, or other confidential or sensitive information; we must dedicate significant resources to system repairs or increase cyber security protection; or we otherwise incur significant litigation or other costs. As a result of the SEC rule on cybersecurity disclosure, we are required to disclose, on a current basis pursuant to new Item 1.05 of SEC Form 8-K, any cybersecurity incident that we determine to be material and describe the material aspects of the nature, scope, and timing of the incident, as well as the material impact or reasonably likely material impact of the incident on us, including our financial condition and results of operations. We will also be required to describe, on a periodic basis, our processes, if any, for the assessment, identification, and management of material risks from cybersecurity threats, and describe whether any risks from cybersecurity threats have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition, our board’s oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats and management’s role in assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. We have incurred significant costs in an effort to detect and prevent security breaches and incidents, and we may face increased costs and requirements to expend substantial resources in the event of an actual or perceived security breach or incident and to comply with the SEC cybersecurity rule.

Our insurance policies may not be adequate to compensate us for the potential losses arising from any such disruption or failure. In addition, such insurance may not be available to us in the future on economically reasonable terms, or at all. Further, our insurance may not cover all claims made against us and could have high deductibles in any event, and defending a suit, regardless of its merit, could be costly and divert management attention.

We may incorporate traditional and generative artificial intelligence (AI) solutions into our information systems, products, offerings, services and features, and these solutions may become important in our operations over time. The ever-increasing use and evolution of technology, including cloud-based computing and AI, creates opportunities for the potential loss or misuse of personal data that forms part of any data set and was collected, used, stored, or transferred to run our business, and unintentional dissemination or intentional destruction of confidential information stored in our or our third party providers' systems, portable media or storage devices, which may result in significantly increased business and security costs, a damaged reputation, administrative penalties, or costs related to defending legal claims. If the content, analyses, or recommendations that AI programs assist in producing are or are alleged to be deficient, inaccurate, or biased, our business, financial condition, and results of operations and our reputation may be adversely affected. AI programs may be costly and require significant expertise to develop, may be difficult to set up and manage, and require periodic upgrades. There is also a risk that we may not have access to the technology and qualified AI personnel resources to adequately incorporate ongoing advancements into our AI initiatives, including access to the licensing of key intellectual property from third parties. Our competitors or other third parties may incorporate AI into their products more quickly or more successfully than us, which could impair our ability to compete effectively and adversely affect our results of operations. Our competition may have access to greater financial and technological resources, giving them a competitive advantage in recruiting, motivating, and retaining sought-after AI professionals. AI also presents emerging ethical issues and if our use of AI becomes controversial, we may experience brand or reputational harm, competitive harm, or legal liability. The rapid evolution of AI, including potential government regulation of AI, will require significant resources to develop, test and maintain our platform, offerings, services, and features to help us implement AI ethically in order to minimize unintended, harmful impact.

In addition, our information technology systems require an ongoing commitment of significant resources to maintain, protect, and enhance existing systems and develop new systems. This enables us to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology, evolving legal and regulatory standards, the increasing need to protect employee and customer information, changes in the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to data and information systems, and the information technology needs associated with our evolving products. There can be no assurance that our efforts (including, but not limited to, consolidating, protecting, upgrading, and expanding our systems and capabilities, continuing to build security into the design of our products, and developing new systems to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology, including, but not limited to, generative AI platforms) will be successful or that additional systems issues will not arise in the future. For additional information regarding the company's cybersecurity risk management, strategy, and governance, refer to Item 1C. Cybersecurity.

International markets have been, and will continue to be, a strategic focus area for revenue growth, both organically and through acquisitions. We currently manufacture our products and maintain sales offices in the U.S. and other countries for sale throughout the world. Our net sales outside the U.S. were 20.1 percent, 20.8 percent, and 19.5 percent of our total consolidated net sales for fiscal years 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively. We believe many opportunities exist in the international markets, and over time, we intend for international net sales to comprise a larger percentage of our total consolidated net sales; however, expanding our existing international operations and entering into additional international markets requires significant management attention and financial resources. Several factors, including the implications of withdrawal by the U.S. from, or revisions to, international trade agreements, foreign trade or other policy changes between the U.S. and other countries, weakened international economic conditions, the impact of sovereign debt defaults by certain European countries, and current wars and related sanctions and other geopolitical tensions could adversely affect our international net sales.

Many of the countries in which we manufacture or sell our products, or in which we otherwise have a presence are, to some degree, subject to political, economic, and/or social instability. As a result, our international operations expose us and our representatives, agents, and channel customers to risks inherent in operating in foreign jurisdictions. These risks include:

Our international operations may not produce desired levels of net sales or, among other things, the factors listed above may harm our business and operating results. Any material decrease in our international sales or profitability could also adversely impact our operating results.

We are continually renovating and, where appropriate or necessary, expanding our facilities, primarily driven by the growth of our business and the need to expand our manufacturing capacity. We have historically financed, and expect to continue to finance, such efforts with cash on hand and cash from operating activities. Expanding and renovating our facilities could disrupt our business operations, and such effects could include but are not limited to potential interruption in manufacturing processes, delivery of raw materials, shipping finished goods, and data flow; unforeseen construction, scheduling, engineering, environmental, or geological problems; and unanticipated cost increases.

One of our strategies is to drive growth in our businesses and expand our global presence through targeted acquisitions and alliances, strong customer relations, and new joint ventures, investments, and partnerships that add value and complement our existing brands and product portfolio. For example, in September 2023, we announced a strategic partnership with Lowe's.

Our continued ability to grow through acquisitions will depend, in part, on the availability of suitable target candidates at acceptable prices, terms, and conditions; our ability to compete effectively for acquisition candidates; and the availability of capital and personnel resources to complete such acquisitions and operate and integrate the acquired business effectively. Any acquisition, alliance, joint venture, investment, or partnership could impair our business, financial condition, reputation, and operating results. For instance, the benefits of an acquisition, or new alliance, joint venture, investment, or partnership may take more time than expected to achieve, or may not develop at all. Acquisitions, alliances, joint ventures, investments, and partnerships may involve a number of risks, the occurrence of which could adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results, including:

For example, during the third quarter of fiscal 2023, we recorded non-cash impairment charges of $18.0 million related to the indefinite-lived Spartan® trade name intangible asset and $133.3 million related to Intimidator goodwill. These impairment charges resulted in a $36.7 million income tax benefit (deferred tax asset) associated with the remaining tax deductible basis in goodwill and other intangible assets.

In addition, we need effective internal controls to provide reliable and accurate financial reports and to effectively prevent fraud. Integrating acquired businesses may make our systems and controls more complex and difficult to manage. We devote significant resources and time to comply with the internal control over financial reporting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. However, we cannot be certain that these measures will ensure that we design, implement, and maintain adequate control over our financial processes and reporting in the future, particularly in the context of acquisitions of other businesses, regardless of whether such acquired business was previously privately or publicly held. Any difficulties in the assimilation of acquired businesses into our internal control framework could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our financial reporting obligations.

Also, some acquisitions may require the consent of the lenders under our credit agreements. We cannot predict whether such approvals would be forthcoming or the terms on which the lenders would approve such acquisitions. These risks, among others, could be heightened if we complete a large acquisition or other business venture or multiple transactions within a relatively short period of time.

From time to time, we may divest of all or a portion of certain businesses and/or facilities, joint venture or minority equity investment interests, subsidiaries, distributorships, or product categories. Divestitures involve risk, including, potential increased expense associated with the divestitures, and potential issues with the acquirers, customers or suppliers of the divested business, or products. Occasionally, we may wind down certain business activities and/or facilities, product lines, and/or perform other organizational restructuring projects in an effort to reduce costs and streamline operations. Such activities involve risks as they may divert management's attention from our core businesses, increase expenses on a short‑term basis and lead to potential issues with employees, customers, or suppliers. If we do not complete these activities in a timely manner, or do not realize anticipated cost savings, synergies and efficiencies, business disruption occurs during or following such activities, or we incur unanticipated charges, this may negatively impact our business, financial condition, operating results, and cash flows.

In connection with our acquisitions and other business combinations, applicable accounting standards require the net tangible and intangible assets of the acquired business to be recorded on our consolidated balance sheet at their fair values as of the date of acquisition and any excess in the purchase price paid by us over the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets of any acquired business to be recorded as goodwill. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, but are tested at least annually for impairment or more frequently as events and circumstances dictate. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is generally an operating segment or underlying business component. Indefinite-lived intangible

assets are tested for impairment at the individual indefinite-lived intangible asset or asset group level, as appropriate. Finite-lived intangible assets other than goodwill considered long-lived assets for impairment testing purposes, are tested for impairment as events and circumstances dictate, and are required to be amortized over their estimated useful lives and this amortization expense may be significant to our ongoing financial results.

If we determine that the anticipated future cash flows from our reporting units, indefinite-lived intangible assets or asset groups, or long-lived asset groups may be less than their respective carrying values, our goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, and/or long-lived assets may be deemed to be impaired. If this occurs, applicable accounting rules may require us to write down the value of the goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, and/or long-lived assets on our balance sheet to reflect the extent of any such impairment. Any such write-down of goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, and/or long-lived assets would generally be recognized as a non-cash expense in our Consolidated Statements of Earnings for the accounting period during which any such write down occurs.

For example, during the third quarter of fiscal 2023, we recorded non-cash impairment charges of $18.0 million related to the indefinite-lived Spartan trade name intangible asset and $133.3 million related to Intimidator goodwill. These impairment charges resulted in a $36.7 million income tax benefit (deferred tax asset) associated with the remaining tax deductible basis in goodwill and other intangible assets. As of October 31, 2024, we had goodwill of $450.3 million, which is maintained in various reporting units, and indefinite-lived intangible assets of $271.6 million, which together comprise 20.1 percent of our total assets as of October 31, 2024. Any future impairment charges could be significant and could adversely affect our future consolidated operating results and financial condition.

Because the functional currency of most of our foreign operations is the applicable local currency, but our financial reporting currency is the U.S. dollar, we are required to translate the assets, liabilities, expenses, and revenues of our foreign operations into U.S. dollars at the applicable exchange rate in preparing our Consolidated Financial Statements. Accordingly, we face foreign currency exchange rate risk arising from transactions in the normal course of business, such as sales and loans to wholly owned subsidiaries, sales to third-party customers, purchases from suppliers, and bank lines of credit with creditors denominated in foreign currencies.

Foreign currency exchange rates have affected our net sales, net earnings, and operating results in the past and could affect them in the future, in some cases materially. Currency exchange rate fluctuations may also affect the comparative prices between products we sell and products our foreign competitors sell in the same market, which may decrease demand for our products. Substantial exchange rate fluctuations as a result of the strengthening of the U.S. dollar or otherwise, may have an adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition, and cash flows, as well as the comparability of our Consolidated Financial Statements between reporting periods. While we actively manage our foreign currency market risk in the normal course of business by entering into various derivative instruments to hedge against such risk, these derivative instruments involve risks and may not effectively limit our underlying exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations or minimize our net earnings and cash volatility associated with foreign currency exchange rate changes. Further, the failure of one or more counterparties to our foreign currency exchange rate contracts to fulfill their obligations to us could adversely affect our operating results.

Our credit arrangements, including our revolving credit facility, term loan and senior notes, and the indentures governing our senior notes and debentures, include a number of financial and operating restrictions. For example, our credit arrangements contain financial covenants that, among other things, require us to maintain a maximum leverage ratio. Our credit arrangements and/or indentures also contain provisions that restrict our ability, subject to specified exceptions, to, among other things, create liens or other encumbrances on our assets; dispose of assets; engage in mergers or consolidations; and pay dividends that are significantly higher than those currently being paid, make other distributions to our shareholders, or redeem shares of our common stock. These provisions may limit our ability to conduct our business, take advantage of business opportunities, and respond to changing business, market, and economic conditions. They may also competitively disadvantage us relative to other companies that may be subject to fewer, if any, restrictions or may otherwise adversely affect our business.

Potential important opportunities or transactions, such as significant acquisitions, may require the consent of our lenders, which consent may be withheld or granted subject to conditions that may affect the attractiveness or viability of the transaction. Additionally, market deterioration or other factors could jeopardize the counterparty obligations of one or more of the banks participating in our revolving credit facility, which could have an adverse effect on our business if we are not able to replace such revolving credit facility or find other sources of liquidity on acceptable terms.

We cannot assure that we will be able to comply with all of the terms of our credit arrangements and indentures, particularly the financial covenants. Our ability to comply with such terms depends on the success of our business and our operating results, as well as various risks, uncertainties, and events beyond our control. If we fail to comply with any covenant required by our credit arrangements following any applicable cure periods, the banks could terminate their commitments unless we could negotiate a covenant waiver. The banks could condition such waiver on terms that may be unfavorable to us. In addition, any amounts outstanding pursuant to our credit arrangements and indentures could become due and payable if we were unable to obtain a covenant waiver or refinance our debt under such arrangements.

Our credit ratings are important to our cost and availability of capital. The major rating agencies routinely evaluate our credit profile and assign credit ratings to us. This evaluation is based on a number of factors, which include financial strength, business and financial risk, transparency with rating agencies, and timeliness of financial reporting. Further leveraging our capital structure could result in a downgrade to our credit ratings. For instance, if our credit rating falls below investment grade and/or our leverage ratio rises above 1.50, the interest rate we currently pay on outstanding debt under our revolving credit facility could increase. As such, failure to maintain investment grade credit ratings could adversely affect our cost of funding and our liquidity by limiting the access to capital markets or the availability of funding from a variety of lenders.

In preparing the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), we must make decisions that impact our results of operations and/or financial condition, including selecting the appropriate accounting and/or tax principles to be applied and the assumptions on which to base accounting and tax estimates. In reaching such decisions, we apply judgments based on our understanding and analysis of the relevant circumstances, historical experience, and actuarial and other independent external third-party specialist valuations, all as appropriate. As a result, actual amounts could differ from those estimated at the time the Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared.

In addition, various authoritative accounting or regulatory entities, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and the SEC may amend, expand, and/or eliminate the financial accounting or reporting standards or tax positions that govern the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements or could reverse their previous interpretations or positions on how various financial accounting and/or reporting standards or tax positions should be applied. We disclose the impact of accounting pronouncements that have been issued but not yet adopted within our annual and quarterly reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, respectively. However, we do not provide an assessment of proposed accounting pronouncements, as such proposals are subject to change through the exposure process and therefore, we cannot meaningfully assess their effects on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Future changes to accounting or tax standards could modify the accounting or tax policies and procedures that we currently use to prepare our Consolidated Financial Statements. Such changes may be difficult to predict and implement and could impact how we prepare and report our Consolidated Financial Statements, results of operations, and financial condition.

We hold patents and trademarks relating to various aspects of our products and business and believe that proprietary technical know-how is important to our business. The loss of such intellectual property could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results. Proprietary rights relating to our products are protected from unauthorized use by third parties only to the extent that they are covered by valid and enforceable patents or are maintained in confidence as trade secrets. We cannot be certain that we will be issued any patents from any pending or future patent applications owned by or licensed to us, or that the claims allowed under any issued patents will be sufficiently broad to protect our technology. Without enforceable patent protection, we may be vulnerable to competitors who attempt to copy our products or gain access to our trade secrets and know-how. We also cannot be certain that our products or technologies have not infringed or will not infringe the valid proprietary rights of others. Others may initiate litigation to challenge the validity of our patents, allege that we infringe their

patents, or use their resources to design comparable products that do not infringe our patents. Additionally, we may initiate proceedings to protect our proprietary rights. Any litigation, whether initiated by us or others, may cause us to incur substantial costs and possible damages. If the outcome of any such litigation is unfavorable to us, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected. We could also be forced to develop an alternative that could be costly and time-consuming, or acquire a license, which we might not be able to do on terms favorable to us, or at all.

We rely on trade secrets and proprietary know-how that we seek to protect, in part, by confidentiality agreements with our employees, suppliers, consultants, and others. These agreements may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. Even if these confidentiality agreements are not breached, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently developed by competitors.

We are subject to numerous international, federal, state, municipal and other governmental laws, rules, policies, regulations, and orders ("Laws") relating to, among other things; climate change; emissions to air, including engine emission requirements; discharges to water; restrictions placed on water usage and water availability; product and associated packaging; use of certain chemicals; restricted substances, including "conflict minerals" disclosure rules; import and export compliance, including country of origin certification requirements; worker and product user health and safety; energy efficiency; product life-cycles; outdoor noise laws; the generation, use, handling, labeling, collection, management, storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous substances, wastes, and other regulated materials; and the registration of certain technologies with various government agencies throughout the world and operation of those technologies within the limits imposed by those agencies, including but not limited to radio frequency, broadband or other wireless technologies and technologies within the airspace of commercial airplanes, such as unmanned aerial systems. In addition, Laws may adversely affect our operating results, including, (i) to address health and safety requirements, (ii) taxation and tax policy changes, tax rate changes, new tax laws, or revised tax law interpretations or guidance, which individually or in combination may cause our effective tax rate to increase or result in tax charges, (iii) changes to, or adoption of new, healthcare laws or regulations, or (iv) changes to U.S. or international trade policies or agreements, or trade regulation and/or industry activity, including antidumping and countervailing duty petitions on certain products imported from foreign countries, including certain engines imported in the U.S. from China, that could result in additional tariffs, duties or other charges on commodities, components, parts or accessories that we import and/or use in our products.

Although we believe that we are in substantial compliance with currently applicable Laws, we are unable to predict the ultimate impact of adopted or future Laws on our company, business, properties, or products. Any of these Laws may cause us to incur significant expenses to achieve or maintain compliance, require us to modify our products, adversely affect the price of, or demand for, some of our products or manufacturing processes, and ultimately affect the way we conduct our operations. Failure to comply with any of these Laws could harm our reputation and/or lead to fines and other penalties, including restrictions on the importation of our products into, and the sale of our products in, one or more jurisdictions. In addition, our competitors may adopt strategies with respect to compliance with any such Laws that differ significantly from ours. This may change customer preferences and our markets in unanticipated ways which may adversely affect market demand for our products and our net sales and financial results. Other Laws impacting our supply chain, such as the United Kingdom Modern Slavery Act, or data privacy requirements, such as the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, the California Consumer Privacy Act, and other emerging domestic and global data privacy and cybersecurity laws, may have similar consequences.

We are currently subject to rules limiting exhaust and other emissions and other climate-related rules and regulations in certain jurisdictions where we operate. Concern over climate change has resulted in, and could continue to result in, new legal or regulatory requirements designed to reduce or mitigate the effects of greenhouse gases. An example of such legislation is California's AB 1346, requires that most new sales of small off-road engines, such as those installed in certain of our products, including leaf blowers and lawnmowers, sold in the state of California on or after January 1, 2024 must be zero-emission. We may become subject to additional legislation, regulations, or accords regarding climate change, and compliance with any new rules could be difficult and costly as a result of increased energy, environmental, and other costs and capital expenditures to comply with any such legislation, regulation, or accord or could otherwise decrease demand for our products.

Due to uncertainty in the regulatory and legislative processes and the negotiation and adoption of international climate change accords, as well as the scope of such requirements and initiatives, we cannot currently determine the effect any such legislation, regulation, or accord may have on our products and operations. Additionally, inconsistency of regulations in the states and countries in which we operate may affect the costs of compliance with such requirements. If such laws or regulations are more stringent than current legal or regulatory requirements, we may be subject to curtailment or reduced access to resources or experience increased compliance burdens and costs to meet the regulatory obligations, which may adversely affect our business and operating results.

Additionally, various other legislative proposals, if enacted, could put us in a competitively advantaged or disadvantaged position and affect customer demand for our products. For example, any fiscal-stimulus or other legislation that inordinately impacts the lawn and garden, outdoor power equipment, or irrigation industries generally by promoting the purchase of certain types of products that we sell, such as through customer rebate or other incentive programs, could impact us positively or negatively, depending on whether we manufacture products that meet the specified legislative criteria, including in areas such as fuel efficiency, alternative energy or water usage. Such legislation may also cause customers to perceive our product offerings to be more or less attractive than our competitors' product offerings. We cannot currently predict whether any such legislation will be enacted, the specific terms and conditions of such legislation, such legislation's impact on the competitive landscape within our markets, or how, if at all, any such legislation might ultimately affect customer demand for our products or our operating results.

Because we own and lease real property, various environmental laws may impose liability on us for the costs of cleaning up and responding to hazardous substances that may have been released on our property, including releases unknown to us. These environmental laws and regulations could also require us to pay for environmental remediation and response costs at third-party locations where we disposed of or recycled hazardous substances. We are currently involved in the evaluation and clean-up of a limited number of properties we either currently or previously owned. Although we do not expect that these current matters will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or operating results, our future costs of complying with the various environmental requirements, as they now exist or may be altered in the future, could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.

The manufacture, sale, and use of our products expose us to significant risks associated with product quality issues and product liability claims and other litigation from time to time. If a product liability claim, other claim or series of claims is brought against us for liabilities exceeding our insurance coverage, and it is ultimately determined that we are liable, our business could suffer. While we believe that we appropriately instruct and warn our customers on the proper usage of our products, we cannot ensure that they will implement our instructions accurately or completely. If our products are defective or used incorrectly by our customers, injury may result and this could give rise to product quality issues and/or product liability claims against us, which could result in losses or damages or adversely affect our brand reputation and the marketability of our products, which may negatively impact our business and operating results.

Product defects can occur through our own product development, design, and manufacturing processes or through our reliance on third-parties for certain component design and manufacturing activities. Some of our products or product improvements were developed or modified relatively recently and defects or risks that we have not yet identified, such as quality issues or unanticipated use of our products, may give rise to warranty or other quality claims and/or product liability claims. Additionally, we could experience a material design, testing, or manufacturing failure in our products, a quality system failure, failures in our products and other challenges that are associated with our inability to properly manage changes in the suppliers and components that we use in our products, insufficient testing procedures, other safety issues, or heightened regulatory scrutiny that could warrant a recall of some of our products. A recall of some of our products could also result in increased product liability claims. Unforeseen product quality and/or product liability problems in the development and production of new and existing products could also result in loss of market share, decreased demand, reduced sales, rework costs, and higher warranty expense.

We are also subject to other litigation from time to time that could adversely affect our business, reputation, operating results or financial condition.

The U.S. FCPA and similar worldwide anti-corruption laws generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making certain improper payments for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. The continued expansion of our international operations could increase the risk of violations of these laws. Significant violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could harm our reputation, disrupt our business, and result in significant fines and penalties that could have a material adverse effect on our operating results or financial condition.

We generally provide financial projections such as our expected revenue growth and adjusted diluted earnings per share. These financial projections are based on management’s assumptions and expectations at the time made. Failure to achieve our financial projections could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.

We have set certain aspirations and goals related to ESG matters, such as goals to increase battery and hybrid product sales, plans to reduce certain GHG emissions over time, and goals to increase the number of women and racial and ethnic minorities in leadership positions. We also set goals and objectives for the timing of certain accomplishments, initiatives and milestones regarding our business or operating results, including without limitation our "Amplifying Maximum Productivity" or AMP initiative, which is a multi-year productivity initiative intended to result in annualized cost savings of more than $100 million by fiscal 2027, driven by sustainable supply-base, design-to-value, route-to-market, and operational efficiency transformation. Whether we achieve our goals and objectives of such initiatives can vary due to several factors, including the risk factors described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. It is possible that we may be unsuccessful in the achievement of our goals, on a timely basis or at all. A delay, failure or perceived failure or delay to achieve such goals and objectives in the time periods that we anticipate, or at all, could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition, and the public perception of our business.

Our ability to meet our strategic objectives and otherwise profitably grow our business will depend to a significant extent on the continued contributions of our leadership team and our ability to identify, attract, engage, develop, and retain other highly qualified employees worldwide. Competition for these individuals is intense, and we may not succeed in identifying, attracting, or retaining qualified employees. Our executive management team and board of directors have undergone significant changes during the past three years. Losing executive officers or other key employees, failure to identify, attract, or retain qualified leaders in the future, ineffective executive officer or other employee transitions, delays or the inability to hire necessary and qualified office or production employees due to employment conditions or otherwise, or any employee work slowdowns, strikes, or similar actions could make it difficult for us to conduct and manage our business and meet key objectives, which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

To protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our critical systems and information, our enterprise risk management framework considers cybersecurity risk alongside other company risks, as part of our overall risk assessment process. We leverage an industry leading framework, the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework, which organizes cybersecurity risks into five categories: identify, protect, detect, respond and recover. We assess our maturity against that framework in partnership with an independent firm on at least an annual basis.

We assess and manage our cybersecurity risk using various mechanisms, starting with threat intelligence, which provides us a necessary viewpoint to help us identify trends, understand how certain attacks may affect us, and prepare for evolutions in threat actor behavior that may require changes to our security posture. We monitor emerging trends and regulations related to information security, and implement appropriate changes, as needed, to our cybersecurity risk management program.

To drive readiness, we perform periodic adversarial testing of our cybersecurity posture through penetration testing, using both internal resources and external expertise, as well as table-top and “red team” exercises to understand where processes or controls may be insufficient based on adversarial techniques. We have also implemented technical security controls, maintenance of certain backup and protective systems, physical and system securities measures, and data security protocols.

We maintain established information security policies and processes; deploy regular network and endpoint software updates on all company-managed systems and workstations to detect and prevent, among others, viruses, malicious code, unauthorized access, and phishing attempts; maintain a disaster recovery plan, and perform at least two disaster recovery exercises annually to validate and optimize our recovery efforts in event of a cybersecurity incident; and regularly engage third-party cybersecurity experts to conduct vulnerability assessments and penetration testing on our information networks, systems, and applications.

Our internal audit team performs regular assessments of our program and selected components. We also leverage retrospectives from previous cybersecurity incidents to understand weaknesses and to improve our security controls. We assess our critical suppliers regularly for cybersecurity risk and prescribe remediation activities when necessary. As a part of a collaborative defense approach, we regularly participate in multiple cybersecurity forums to share threat intelligence, best practices, and points of caution.

We train our employees through annual security training, phishing simulations, and regular communications about timely cybersecurity topics and threats. We have a documented and well-tested cybersecurity incident response plan that guides us in responding, containing, and eradicating cybersecurity threats that have breached our preventative controls. Examples of relevant processes include steps for: assessing the severity of a cybersecurity threat; identifying the source of a cybersecurity threat, including whether the cybersecurity threat is associated with a third-party service provider; implementing cybersecurity countermeasures and mitigation strategies; and remediating and escalating cybersecurity incidents using cross-functional expertise. Our cybersecurity risk management program also includes risk-based processes related to overseeing and identifying cybersecurity risks associated with the use of third-party providers, including processes related to: conducting cybersecurity assessments of third-party service providers, including cybersecurity obligations in contract with third-party service providers; and receiving and responding to notification of cybersecurity incidents of third-party service providers. We regularly practice technical recovery.

Cybersecurity risks related to third-party IT providers and solutions are managed as part of our vendor security protocol that includes vendors, software, and cloud-based service providers. We partner with our vendors to minimize the customer data needed to provide services and ensure compliance with regulations. Vendors are reviewed annually to identify any changes to services, data requirements, and associated security and protections. Where applicable, vendors are contractually bound to protect customer data and support enforcement of all regulatory requirements. We proactively evaluate the cybersecurity risk of third-party IT providers and solutions by utilizing a repository of risk assessments and an external monitoring solution that includes threat intelligence to better inform us during contracting and vendor selection processes. When third-party risks are identified, we require those third-parties to agree by contract to implement appropriate security controls or refrain from doing business with them. Security issues are documented, tracked, and periodic monitoring is conducted for third-parties in order to mitigate risk.

The Company also contractually requires suppliers, vendors and other third-parties with access to its information technology systems, sensitive business data or personal information to implement and maintain appropriate security controls and contractually restricts their ability to use the Company’s data, including personal information, for purposes other than to provide services to the Company, except as required by law.

Our cybersecurity program is led by the Senior Manager of our Enterprise IT Security Risk and Compliance team, who reports to the Managing Director of Enterprise IT. The Senior Manager has over 30 years of IT experience, with over 20 years specializing in cybersecurity. He has strategic and operational responsibility for all aspects of the company’s cybersecurity program, including how cyber risks are identified and assessed and how the company prepares for, detects, responds, and recovers from cyber threats. Quarterly cybersecurity program updates and as-needed reporting on cybersecurity incidents are provided to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and General Counsel.

The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors provides oversight for our cybersecurity program. The Audit Committee receives regular updates from management on the effectiveness of our cybersecurity program, reviews plans on how management will continually advance the program, and receives updates on special topics that help the committee provide effective oversight of the program.

Despite our best efforts, we cannot guarantee that our security measures will prevent all potential cybersecurity incidents or breaches. Like most companies, our systems are continually subjected to sophisticated and evolving cybersecurity threats, such as phishing, ransomware, social engineering, and advanced persistent threats. However, to date, we have not been subject to any incidents or successful cyber-attacks that materially impacted our operations or financial condition. Vulnerabilities could lead to significant additional expenses and an adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. The Company has invested in developing and acquiring cybersecurity capabilities allowing us to monitor threats and manage incident response. We have also developed internal policies to mitigate cybersecurity incidents, including providing clear guidelines for incident classification and response. We recognize the importance of continued monitoring and improvement of our cybersecurity program, and will continue to invest in our security controls, incident response capabilities, and third-party vendor management protocols. Additional information on cybersecurity risks we face is included in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors," which should be read in conjunction with the information in this section.

Our global business operations require the use of various facilities and other properties for manufacturing, distribution, warehousing, engineering and product testing, sales and marketing, and other corporate activities. We generally consider our current facilities to be in good operating condition, suitable for their respective uses, and adequate for our current and future business needs as our business is presently conducted. However, as a matter of course, we review our facilities from time to time as we continue to optimize our global business operations and footprint and may determine that certain of our facilities should be expanded or exited, sold, or utilized in another manner.

Our significant facilities are listed below by location, ownership, and function as of October 31, 2024:

Not applicable.

The list below identifies those persons designated by our Board of Directors as executive officers of the company. The list sets forth each such person's age and position with the company as of December 11, 2024, as well as other positions held by the executive for at least the last five years. There are no family relationships between any director, executive officer, or person nominated to become a director or executive officer of the company. There are no arrangements or understandings between any executive officer and any other person pursuant to which such executive officer was selected as an officer of the company.

Our common stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol "TTC." As of October 31, 2024 and 2023, we had 175,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share, authorized, and 101,472,125 and 103,843,485 shares of common stock outstanding, respectively. In each quarter of fiscal 2024, our Board of Directors declared a common stock cash dividend of $0.36 per share, which was a 5.9 percent increase over our common stock cash dividend of $0.34 per share paid in each quarter of fiscal 2023. As announced on December 10, 2024, our Board of Directors increased our fiscal 2025 first quarter common stock cash dividend by 5.6 percent to $0.38 per share. Future common stock cash dividends will depend upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors. Restrictions on our ability to pay dividends are disclosed in Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

As of October 31, 2024 and 2023, we had 1,000,000 voting shares and 850,000 non-voting shares of preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share, authorized, none of which were outstanding.

As of December 11, 2024, we had 2,372 shareholders of record.

Periodically, the company's Board of Directors authorizes the repurchase of shares of the company's common stock in open-market or privately negotiated transactions under the company's Board authorized share repurchase program ("share repurchase program"). The share repurchase program has no expiration date but may be terminated by the company's Board of Directors at any time. Shares of the company's common stock surrendered by employees to satisfy minimum tax withholding obligations upon vesting of certain stock-based compensation awards are not a part of the share repurchase program. The following table sets forth information with respect to shares of our common stock purchased by the company during each of the three fiscal months in our fourth quarter ended October 31, 2024:

The following stock performance graph and table depict the cumulative total shareholder return (assuming reinvestment of dividends) on $100 invested in each of TTC common stock, the S&P 500 Index, and the S&P 500 Industrial Machinery Index for the five-year period from October 31, 2019 through October 31, 2024. The total returns on TTC common stock depicted in the stock performance graph and table are not necessarily indicative of future performance.

This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") is intended to provide a reader of our Consolidated Financial Statements with a narrative from the perspective of management on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and certain other factors that may affect our future results. Our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements are included in Part II, Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and all references in this MD&A to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements can be found in Part II, Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, the comparisons presented in this MD&A refer to the year-over-year comparison of changes in our financial condition and results of operations as of and for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2024 and 2023. Discussion of fiscal 2022 items and the year-over-year comparison of changes in our financial condition and results of operations as of and for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2023 and 2022 can be found in Part II, Item 7, "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023. Statements that are not historical are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors," and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from any future performance suggested throughout this MD&A.

Our MD&A is presented as follows:

Throughout this MD&A, we have provided financial and liquidity measures that are not calculated or presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP ("non-GAAP financial measures," "adjusted" before specified financial measures, and "non-GAAP liquidity measures"), as information supplemental and in addition to the most directly comparable financial measures presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures, when considered in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, provide investors with useful supplemental financial information to better understand our core operational performance and cash flows. These non-GAAP financial measures, however, should not be considered superior to, as a substitute for, or as an alternative to, and should be considered in conjunction with, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable reported U.S. GAAP financial measures are included in the section titled "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."

Our fiscal 2024 results included the following items of significance that are provided in summary format here and described in greater detail throughout the "Results of Operations," "Business Segments," and "Financial Position" sections:

We continued our history of paying quarterly cash dividends throughout fiscal 2024 and increased our fiscal 2024 quarterly cash dividend by 5.9 percent to $0.36 per share compared to $0.34 per share paid in fiscal 2023. We also repurchased shares of our common stock under our share repurchase program, thereby reducing our total shares outstanding. As a result of the combination of quarterly cash dividends and share repurchases, we returned $395.0 million of cash to our shareholders during fiscal 2024. As of October 31, 2024, we had a strong liquidity profile with available liquidity of $1,096.8 million, consisting of cash and cash equivalents of $199.5 million and availability under our revolving credit facility of $897.3 million.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2024, we launched a significant productivity initiative named AMP, which is a multi-year initiative intended to result in annualized cost savings of more than $100 million by fiscal 2027, driven by sustainable supply-base, design-to-value, route-to-market, and operational efficiency transformation. We expect to reinvest a portion of the savings from this initiative to drive further innovation and growth. We have recognized $3.8 million of cost savings as of October 31, 2024, which amounts to an estimated $14.5 million of annualized cost savings. Refer to the section titled "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for information about the productivity initiative charges incurred to generate these savings.

Consolidated net sales in fiscal 2024 were $4,583.8 million compared to $4,553.2 million in fiscal 2023, an increase of 0.7 percent. This net sales increase was primarily driven by higher shipments of Residential segment products, partially offset by lower shipments of Professional segment products.

Net sales in international markets were $923.0 million for fiscal 2024 compared to $947.7 million in fiscal 2023, a decrease of 2.6 percent. The international net sales decrease was primarily driven by lower shipments of Residential segment products, partially offset by higher shipments of Professional segment products. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates resulted in a decrease in our net sales of $4.1 million in fiscal 2024.

The following table summarizes our results of operations as a percentage of our consolidated net sales:

We recorded non-cash impairment charges of $151.3 million within our Professional segment in fiscal 2023. No impairment charges were recognized in fiscal 2024.

Interest expense primarily consists of interest costs incurred on outstanding borrowings related to our fixed and variable interest rate debt arrangements, as well as amortization of the debt issuance costs associated with our debt arrangements. Interest expense for fiscal 2024 increased $3.2 million compared to fiscal 2023. This increase was primarily driven by higher average interest rates, partially offset by lower average outstanding borrowings, in each case during fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023.

Other income, net for fiscal 2024 was $41.4 million compared to $28.5 million in fiscal 2023, an increase of $12.9 million. This increase in other income, net was primarily due to net gains on divestitures in fiscal 2024 and higher income from our Red Iron joint venture in fiscal 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023.

The effective tax rate for fiscal 2024 was 18.3 percent compared to 17.7 percent in fiscal 2023. The increase in the effective tax rate for fiscal 2024 was primarily due to the impact of non-cash impairment charges in the prior year and lower tax benefits recorded as excess tax deductions for stock compensation in the current year, partially offset by a more favorable geographic mix of earnings in the current year. The adjusted effective tax rate for fiscal 2024 was 18.8 percent, compared to an adjusted effective tax rate of 20.4 percent in fiscal 2023. The decrease in the adjusted effective tax rate was primarily due to a more favorable geographic mix of earnings.

Fiscal 2024 net earnings were $418.9 million compared to $329.7 million in fiscal 2023, an increase of 27.1 percent. Fiscal 2024 diluted net earnings per share were $4.01, an increase of 28.1 percent from $3.13 per diluted share in fiscal 2023. The increase in net earnings per diluted share for fiscal 2024 was primarily due to the non-cash impairment charges in the prior year and higher Residential segment earnings in the current year, partially offset by lower Professional segment earnings and higher corporate expenses in the current year. Adjusted net earnings for fiscal 2024 were $435.2 million, or $4.17 per diluted share, compared to $443.5 million, or $4.21 per diluted share, in fiscal 2023.

Professional segment net sales represented 77.6 percent and 80.7 percent of consolidated net sales for fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively. The following table presents our Professional segment's net sales, earnings, and earnings margin (dollars in millions):

Net sales for our Professional segment in fiscal 2024 decreased 3.2 percent compared to fiscal 2023. This decrease was primarily driven by lower shipments of lawn care equipment, snow and ice management products, and compact utility loaders, partially offset by higher shipments of golf and grounds and underground construction products.

Professional segment earnings increased 25.5 percent in fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023, and Professional segment earnings margin increased to 18.0 percent from 13.9 percent. The increase in Professional segment earnings margin for fiscal 2024 was primarily driven by the non-cash impairment charges in the prior year, productivity improvements, and product mix, partially offset by higher material and manufacturing costs and lower net sales volume.

Residential segment net sales represented 21.8 percent and 18.8 percent of consolidated net sales for fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively. The following table presents our Residential segment's net sales, earnings, and earnings margin (dollars in millions):

Net sales for our Residential segment in fiscal 2024 increased by 16.9 percent compared to fiscal 2023. This increase was primarily driven by higher shipments of lawn care products to our mass channel, partially offset by lower shipments of snow products.

Residential segment earnings increased 13.8 percent in fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023, and Residential segment earnings margin decreased to 7.9 percent from 8.1 percent. This Residential segment earnings margin decrease was primarily driven by product mix and higher material and manufacturing costs, partially offset by productivity improvements and net sales leverage.

Net sales for our Other activities consist of sales from a wholly-owned domestic distribution company less intercompany sales from our Professional and Residential business segments to the wholly-owned domestic distribution company. Net sales for our Other activities represented 0.6 percent and 0.5 percent of consolidated net sales for fiscal 2024 and 2023, respectively.

The following table presents net sales and operating loss for our Other activities (dollars in millions):

Net sales for our Other activities includes sales from our wholly-owned domestic distribution company net of intersegment sales from the Professional and Residential segments to the distribution company. Net sales for our Other activities in fiscal 2024 increased $4.2 million compared to fiscal 2023.

Operating loss for our Other activities increased $27.0 million in fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023. This year-over-year operating loss increase was primarily driven by higher corporate expenses and higher interest expense.

Our ongoing goal is to maintain requisite inventory levels to meet our anticipated production requirements, avoid manufacturing delays, and meet the demand for our products, as well as working to ensure service parts availability for our customers. The following table highlights several key measures of our working capital performance (dollars in millions):

The following factors impacted our average net working capital during fiscal 2024 as compared to fiscal 2023:

We make ongoing capital investments in our property, plant, and equipment and believe that in periods of normalized supply chain conditions our historical capital investments in our manufacturing facilities and other capital assets will increase the production capacity and efficiencies of our operations to better enable us to meet the needs of our customers. Fiscal 2024 capital expenditures of $103.5 million were $46.0 million lower than our fiscal 2023 capital expenditures of $149.5 million.

Cash flows provided by/(used in) operating, investing, and financing activities during the past two fiscal years are shown in the following table (dollars in millions):

Our primary source of funds is cash generated from operations. In fiscal 2024, cash provided by operating activities increased $263.1 million from fiscal 2023. This increase was mainly due to net favorable fluctuations in working capital.

Acquisitions and capital expenditures are a significant use of our capital resources. These investments are intended to enable sales growth in new, existing, and expanding markets, help us meet product demand, and increase our manufacturing efficiencies and capacity. In fiscal 2024, cash used in investing activities decreased $98.0 million from fiscal 2023. This decrease was primarily driven by lower purchases of property, plant, and equipment, higher cash inflows from divestitures, and lower cash outflows for acquisitions, in each case during fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023.

In fiscal 2024, cash used in financing activities increased $357.6 million from fiscal 2023. This increase was mainly due to higher repurchases of common stock, changes in activity under the revolving credit facility, and debt repayments, in each case during fiscal 2024 compared to fiscal 2023.

As of October 31, 2024, we had available liquidity of $1,096.8 million, consisting of cash and cash equivalents of $199.5 million, of which $136.0 million was held by our foreign subsidiaries, and availability under our revolving credit facility of $897.3 million.

We expect that $47.1 million of cash and cash equivalents held by our foreign subsidiaries will be indefinitely reinvested. Should these cash and cash equivalents be distributed in the future in the form of dividends or otherwise, we may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, state income taxes, and/or additional federal taxes for currency fluctuations. As of October 31, 2024, the unrecognized deferred tax liabilities for temporary differences related to our investment in non-U.S. subsidiaries, and any withholding, state, or additional federal taxes upon any future repatriation, are not material and have not been recorded.

We believe our current liquidity position, including the funds available through existing, and potential future, financing arrangements and projected cash flows from operations will be sufficient to provide the necessary capital resources for our anticipated working capital needs, payroll, and other administrative costs, capital expenditures, lease payments, purchase commitments, contractual obligations, acquisitions, investments, establishment of new facilities, expansion and renovation of existing facilities, financing receivables from customers that are not financed with Red Iron or other third-party financial institutions, contingent consideration payments, debt repayments, interest payments, quarterly cash dividend payments, and common stock repurchases, all as applicable, for at least the next twelve months.

The following is a summary of our indebtedness (dollars in millions):

Interest payments required on our outstanding indebtedness, assuming no prepayments of indebtedness, for each of the succeeding fiscal years is as follows (dollars in millions):

Interest on variable rate debt was calculated using the interest rate as of October 31, 2024.

The following table details the components of our capital structure and debt-to-capitalization ratio (dollars in millions, except percentage data):

In each quarter of fiscal 2024, our Board of Directors declared a common stock cash dividend of $0.36 per share, which was a 5.9 percent increase over our common stock cash dividend of $0.34 per share paid each quarter in fiscal 2023. On December 10, 2024, our Board of Directors increased our fiscal 2025 first quarter common stock cash dividend by 5.6 percent to $0.38 per share. Future common stock cash dividends will depend upon our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors.

Our share repurchase program provides shares for use in connection with our stock-based compensation plans, among other uses, and has no expiration. The following table provides information with respect to repurchases of our common stock during the past two fiscal years (dollars in millions, except share and per share data):

As of October 31, 2024, 8,171,957 shares remained available for repurchase under our share repurchase program. We currently expect to continue share repurchases in fiscal 2025, depending on our cash balance, debt repayments, common stock price and other market conditions, our anticipated working capital needs, and/or other factors.

We are party to inventory financing arrangements with Red Iron, HCFC, and other third-party financial institutions (collectively, the "financial institutions") which provide inventory financing to certain dealers and distributors of certain of our products in the U.S. and internationally. These financing arrangements are structured as an advance in the form of a payment by the financial institutions to us on behalf of a distributor or dealer with respect to invoices financed by the financial institution. These payments extinguish the obligation of the dealer or distributor to make payment to us under the terms of the applicable invoice.

Under separate agreements between the financial institutions and the dealers and distributors, the financial institutions provide loans to the dealers and distributors for the advances paid by the financial institutions to us. Under these financing arrangements, down payments are not required, and depending on the finance program for each product line, finance charges are incurred by us, shared between us and the distributor and/or the dealer, or paid by the distributor or dealer. The financial institutions retain a security interest in the distributors' and dealers' financed inventories and such inventories are monitored regularly through audits. Financing terms to the distributors and dealers require payment as the inventory, which secures the indebtedness, is sold to end-users or when payment otherwise becomes due under the agreements between the financial institutions and the distributors and dealers, whichever occurs first. Rates are generally indexed to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"), or an alternative variable rate, plus a fixed percentage that differs based on whether the financing is for a distributor or dealer. Rates may also vary based on the product that is financed.

The net amount of receivables financed for dealers and distributors under the arrangements with HCFC and the other third-party financial institutions during fiscal 2024 and 2023 was $612.1 million and $545.4 million, respectively. As of October 31, 2024 and 2023, $272.2 million and $234.7 million, respectively, of receivables financed by HCFC and the other third-party financial institutions were outstanding.

We have entered into a limited inventory repurchase agreement with Red Iron and HCFC under which we have agreed to repurchase certain repossessed products, up to a maximum aggregate amount of $7.5 million in a calendar year.

We have also entered into inventory repurchase agreements with the other third-party financial institutions under which we have agreed to repurchase certain repossessed products. As of October 31, 2024 and 2023, we were contingently liable to repurchase up to a maximum amount of $29.5 million and $32.2 million of repossessed inventory, respectively.

Our financial exposure under these inventory repurchase agreements is limited to the difference between the amount paid to Red Iron, HCFC or other third-party financing institutions for repurchases of inventory and the amount received upon subsequent resale of the repossessed product. We have repurchased immaterial amounts of inventory pursuant to such arrangements over the past three fiscal years. However, a decline in retail sales or financial difficulties of our distributors or dealers could cause this situation to change and thereby require us to repurchase financed product, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.

We have agreements with third-party financing companies to provide financing options to end-customers throughout the world. The purpose of these agreements is to provide end-users of our products alternative financing options when purchasing our products. We have no material contingent liabilities for residual value or credit collection risk under these agreements with third-party financing companies.

From time to time, we enter into agreements where we provide recourse to third-party finance companies in the event of default by the customer for financing payments to the third-party finance company. We may recover a portion of any required recourse payments incurred under these agreements from repossession and resale of the equipment collateralizing the receivables. Our maximum exposure for credit collection under those arrangements as of October 31, 2024 and 2023 was $2.9 million and $5.2 million, respectively.

Termination or any material change to the terms of our end-user financing arrangements, availability of credit for our customers, including any delay in securing replacement credit sources, or significant financed product repurchase requirements could have a material adverse impact on our future operating results.

We continue to provide financing in the form of open account terms directly to home centers and mass retailers, general line irrigation dealers, certain domestic and international distributors and dealers, ag-irrigation dealers and distributors, government customers, and rental companies.

We have provided in this Annual Report on Form 10-K certain non-GAAP financial measures, which are not calculated or presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, as information supplemental and in addition to the most directly comparable financial measures that are calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We use these non-GAAP financial measures in making operating decisions and assessing liquidity because we believe they provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our core operational performance and cash flows, as a measure of our liquidity, and provide us with a better understanding of how to allocate resources to both ongoing and prospective business initiatives. Additionally, these non-GAAP financial measures facilitate our internal comparisons to both our historical operating results and to our competitors' operating results by factoring out potential differences caused by charges and benefits not related to our regular, ongoing business, including, without limitation, certain non-cash, large, and/or unpredictable charges and benefits; acquisitions and dispositions; legal judgments, settlements, or other matters; and tax positions.

We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures, when considered in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, provide investors with useful supplemental financial information to better understand our core operational performance and cash flows. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered superior to, as a substitute for, or as an alternative to, and should be considered in conjunction with, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures. The non-GAAP financial measures may differ from similar measures used by other companies.

The following table provides a reconciliation of financial performance measures calculated and reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP to the most directly comparable non-GAAP financial performance measures for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2024 and 2023 (dollars in millions, except per share and percentage data):

We define free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property, plant, and equipment, net of proceeds from insurance claim. Free cash flow conversion percentage represents free cash flow as a percentage of net earnings. We consider free cash flow and free cash flow conversion percentage to be non-GAAP liquidity measures that provide useful information to management and investors about our ability to convert net earnings into cash resources that can be used to pursue opportunities to enhance shareholder value, fund ongoing and prospective business initiatives, and strengthen our Consolidated Balance Sheets, after reinvesting in necessary capital expenditures required to maintain and grow our business.

The following table provides a reconciliation of free cash flow and free cash flow conversion percentage to net cash provided by operating activities, which is the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2024 and October 31, 2023 (dollars in millions, except percentage data):

In preparing our Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, we must make decisions that impact the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures. Such decisions include the selection of the appropriate accounting principles to be applied and the assumptions on which to base accounting estimates. In reaching such decisions, we apply judgment based on our understanding and analysis of the relevant circumstances, historical experience, and actuarial and other independent external third-party specialist valuations, when applicable. As a result, actual amounts could differ from those estimated at the time the Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared.

Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Some of those significant accounting policies require us to make difficult, subjective, or complex judgments or estimates. An accounting estimate is considered to be critical if it meets both of the following criteria: (i) the estimate requires assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain and susceptible to change at the time the accounting estimate is made and different estimates reasonably could have been used and (ii) changes in the estimate may have a material impact on the presentation of our financial condition or results of operations. Our critical accounting policies and estimates include the following:

We recognize revenues based on the transaction price of the good or service sold to our customers, which is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for transferring product or rendering services pursuant to the terms of the contract with a customer. The amount of consideration we receive and the revenue we recognize varies with changes in the variable consideration associated with the estimated expense of certain of our sales promotions and incentives programs offered to customers that are determined to represent price concessions. The estimated expense of each sales promotion and incentive program is classified and recorded as a reduction from gross sales or as a component of SG&A expense within the Consolidated Statements of Earnings when revenue is recognized, depending on the nature of the respective program. Generally, the cost of a

program is recorded as a reduction from gross sales when revenue is recognized and thus is considered to be variable consideration if the expense is determined to represent a price concession because the program either: (i) results in an immediate reduction of the transaction price with no anticipated future costs or consideration to be provided to the customer or (ii) we anticipate a future cost based on historical or expected future business practice for which we do not receive a distinct good or service in exchange for the future consideration provided to the customer under the program. In other circumstances, the anticipated future cost of a program based on historical or expected future business practice is recorded as SG&A expense because we receive a distinct good or service in exchange for the future consideration provided to the customer under the program.

Examples of significant sales promotions and incentive programs that are considered to be variable consideration because the cost of the program is classified as a reduction from gross sales are as follows:

Examples of significant sales promotions and incentive programs that are not considered to be variable consideration because the cost of the program is classified as a component of SG&A expense are as follows:

Regardless of classification of the cost of the sales promotion and incentive program within the Consolidated Statements of Earnings, we record an accrual within the Consolidated Balance Sheets for the estimated future expense of certain of our sales promotion and incentive programs for which we anticipate a future cost based on historical or expected future business practice by using the expected value method and applying the portfolio approach practical expedient under the accounting standards codification guidance for revenue from contracts with customers. Under such approach, our determination of variable consideration associated with the estimated expense of certain of our sales promotions and incentives programs is primarily based on the terms of the sales arrangements and sales promotion and incentive programs with customers, historical payment and rebate claims experience, field inventory levels, quantity or mix of products purchased, projected sales volumes, types of programs offered, and expectations for the acceptance of sales promotion and incentive programs offered in the future or changes in other relevant trends.

Of our sales promotion and incentive programs that are considered to be variable consideration, our off-invoice discounts and financing programs are less subject to complex judgment or estimates as compared to our rebate programs, which are subject to a more significant level of estimation uncertainty as they require inputs and assumptions that are more susceptible to change or subjectivity. Specifically, our rebate programs are primarily sensitive to fluctuations in historical payment and rebate claims experience as compared to actual realized payment and rebate claims, field inventory levels, and projected wholesale and retail sales volumes and the quantity or mix of products.

Adjustments to sales promotions and incentive accruals are made from time to time as actual usage becomes known in order to properly estimate the amounts necessary to generate consumer demand based on market conditions as of the balance sheet date. As of October 31, 2024, we had recorded an accrual for sales promotion and incentive programs of $180.4 million within the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We believe that our accrual for sales promotion and incentive programs is adequate as of October 31, 2024 and historically has been adequate; however, due to the inherent uncertainty in the accrual estimation process, actual results may differ from these estimates if competitive factors dictate the need to enhance or modify sales promotion and incentive programs or if customer usage, product mix, or field inventory levels vary from historical trends.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, consistent with prior fiscal years, we performed our annual quantitative goodwill impairment assessment, which is a one-step process. In performing the quantitative analysis, we compare the carrying value of a reporting unit, including goodwill, to its fair value. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, goodwill of the reporting unit is not impaired. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment charge would be recognized for the amount by which the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds the its fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Based on the fourth quarter annual quantitative goodwill impairment analysis, we determined there was no impairment of goodwill for any of our reporting units as the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its respective carrying value, including goodwill. Further, the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its respective carrying value, including goodwill, in excess of 15 percent.

The fair value of each reporting unit under the quantitative goodwill impairment test was determined using a discounted cash flow model under the income approach which requires the use of significant judgment regarding the selection of various inputs and assumptions, including projected operating results and growth rates from the company's projection process, applicable tax rates, estimated capital expenditures and depreciation, estimated changes in working capital, terminal growth rates applied to projected operating results in the terminal period, and a weighted-average cost of capital ("WACC") rate. Actual future results may differ significantly from the assumptions used in our valuations resulting in future impairment losses and such losses could be material. As such estimates are sensitive to changes in the underlying inputs and assumptions, we performed sensitivity analyses to address this risk. The WACC rate could be increased by 140 basis points with no impairment indicated for any of our reporting units. Additionally, the terminal growth rate could be decreased by 210 basis points with no impairment indicated for any of our reporting units.

These inputs and assumptions, which are independently determined and vary for each reporting unit, are based on historical experience, our projections of future operating results and contemplate current and future business, industry, and economic conditions, as well as relevant observable market inputs and consideration of risk regarding future performance for purposes of determining the WACC and terminal growth rates. The WACC rate selected is commensurate with the risks and uncertainty inherent in the respective reporting unit and in our projected operating results and is calculated based on weighted average returns on debt and equity from guideline public companies. Therefore, changes in the market that are beyond our control and that impact our guideline public companies may have an adverse effect on our future calculations of the estimated fair values of our reporting units. Terminal growth rates are generally determined based on economic and industry growth expectations, while also considering the lifecycle stage of each respective reporting unit. Where available, and as appropriate, comparable EBITDA and revenue multiples are derived from the market prices of stocks of guideline public companies and are used to assist in developing an estimated business enterprise value of our reporting units under the market approach to corroborate our determination of the estimated fair values of our reporting units under the income approach. Identifying appropriate guideline public companies for purposes of computing estimated market multiples and selecting an appropriate WACC rate is subjective. We select guideline public companies that are engaged in the same or similar lines of business and that have reasonably similar qualitative factors as our reporting units, while also considering relevant quantitative factors such as profitability and market capitalization, where applicable. As a final corroboratory step, we reconcile the aggregate estimated fair value of our reporting units resulting from the income approach to our company's market capitalization.

While our annual impairment assessment performed in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 supported the carrying amount of our goodwill, we may be required to re-evaluate the carrying amounts in future periods utilizing different inputs and assumptions that reflect the then current market conditions and expectations regarding our operating performance, which may result in a future impairment that could be material.

Indefinite-lived intangible assets are initially recognized at their estimated fair values as a result of a business combination or asset acquisition. As of October 31, 2024, our indefinite-lived intangible asset balances, which consist of certain trade names, were $271.6 million. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, but are assessed for impairment at least annually during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year unless events or changes in circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred prior to the annual assessment. We assess indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment at the individual indefinite-lived intangible asset or asset group level, as appropriate.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, consistent with prior fiscal years, we performed our annual quantitative impairment assessment for indefinite-lived intangible assets by comparing the carrying amounts of each respective asset, or asset group, to its estimated fair value. If the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset, or asset group, is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to the excess. Based on our fourth quarter quantitative impairment analysis, we determined that our indefinite-lived intangible assets were not impaired as the estimated fair value of each of our indefinite-lived intangible assets exceeded its carrying value. Further, the fair value of each of our indefinite-lived intangible assets exceeded its carrying value in excess of 32 percent.

Fair value was determined using the relief-from-royalty method under the income approach which requires the use of significant judgment regarding the selection of various inputs and assumptions, including projected revenues from the company's projection process, assumed royalty rates that could be payable if the company did not own the intangible asset, terminal growth rates applied to projected revenues, applicable tax rates, and a discount rate. These inputs and assumptions contemplate business, industry, and overall economic conditions, as well as relevant market data for royalty rates of similar intangible assets. Actual future results may differ significantly from the assumptions used in our valuations resulting in future impairment losses and such losses could be material. As such estimates are sensitive to changes in the underlying inputs and assumptions, we performed sensitivity analyses to address this risk. The discount rate could be increased by 270 basis points with no impairment indicated for any of our indefinite-lived intangible assets. The royalty rate could be decreased by 70 basis points with no impairment indicated for any of our indefinite-lived intangible assets.

Determining the estimated fair values of our reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets, or asset groups, requires considerable judgment and such estimates are sensitive to changes in the underlying inputs and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that the inputs and assumptions made for purposes of our annual impairment assessments will prove to be an accurate prediction of the future. Certain events or circumstances that could reasonably be expected may negatively affect the underlying key inputs and assumptions and ultimately affect the estimated fair values of our reporting units and indefinite-lived intangible assets. Such events or circumstances could include a decrease in expected future operating results and the related cash flows; adverse economic, market, and industry conditions, including unfavorable impacts on our guideline public companies used in determining our WACC rate and the business enterprise value of our reporting units under the market approach; prolonged periods of unfavorable weather conditions; changes in regulatory conditions impacting our products and industries; a continued volatile supply chain environment and/or additional increases in the costs of commodities, component parts, and labor; lack of customer acceptance of new or innovative technologies; increased competition; and other factors.

While our annual impairment assessment performed in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 supported the carrying amount of our indefinite-lived intangible assets, we may be required to re-evaluate the carrying amounts in future periods utilizing different

inputs and assumptions that reflect the then current market conditions and expectations regarding our operating performance, which may result in a future impairment that could be material.

Our products are warranted to provide assurance that the product will function as expected and to ensure customer confidence in design, workmanship, and overall quality. Warranty coverage on our products is generally provided for specified periods of time and on select products' hours of usage, and generally covers parts, labor, and other expenses for non-maintenance repairs. Warranty coverage generally does not cover operator abuse or improper use. In addition to the standard warranties offered on our products, we also sell separately priced extended warranty coverage on select products for a prescribed period after the original warranty period expires.

At the time of sale, we recognize expense and record a warranty accrual by product line for estimated costs in connection with projected future warranty claims. Our estimate of the cost of future warranty claims is based primarily on the estimated number of products under warranty, historical average costs incurred to service warranty claims, the trend in the historical ratio of warranty claims to sales, and the historical length of time between the sale and resulting warranty claim. If applicable, historical claims experience may be adjusted for known product design improvements or for the impact of unusual product quality issues. We periodically assess the adequacy of our warranty accruals based on changes in our estimates and assumptions and record any necessary adjustments if the cost of actual claim experience differs from our estimate and indicates that adjustments to our warranty accrual are necessary. Factors that could have an impact on actual future claims and our warranty accrual include, but are not limited to, items such as performance of new products; product failure rates; factors impacting product usage, such as weather; changes in sales volumes and shifts in product mix; manufacturing quality and product design issues, including significant manufacturing or design defects not discovered until after the product is delivered to customers; the extent of customers affected by the product failure; higher or lower than expected service and component part costs to satisfactorily address the repair, and upon rare occasion, changes to the warranty coverage periods. Additionally, from time to time, we also establish warranty accruals for our estimate of the costs necessary to settle major rework campaigns on a product-specific basis during the period in which the circumstances giving rise to the major rework campaign become known and when the costs to satisfactorily address the situation are both probable and estimable. The warranty accrual for the cost of a major rework campaign is primarily based on an estimate of the cost to repair each affected unit and the number of affected units expected to be repaired.

We believe that our analysis of historical warranty claim trends and knowledge of potential manufacturing and/or product design improvements or issues provide sufficient information to establish a reasonable estimate for the cost of future warranty claims at the time of sale and our warranty accruals as of the date of our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We believe that our $150.2 million warranty accrual as of October 31, 2024 is adequate and historically has been adequate; however, due to the inherent uncertainty in the accrual estimation process, including projecting future warranty claims, costs associated with servicing future warranty claims, and unexpected major rework campaigns that may arise in the future, our actual warranty costs incurred may differ from our warranty accrual estimate. An unexpected increase in warranty claims and/or in the costs associated with servicing those claims would result in an increase in our warranty accruals and a decrease in our net earnings.

Approximately half of our inventories are valued at the lower of the cost of inventory or net realizable value, with cost determined by either the first-in, first-out or average cost method. Other inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market, with cost determined under the last-in, first-out method. As needed, we record an inventory valuation adjustment for excess, slow moving, and obsolete inventory that is equal to the excess of the cost of the inventory over the estimated net realizable value or market value for the inventory depending on inventory costing method. The inventory valuation adjustment to net realizable value or market value establishes a new cost basis of the inventory that cannot be subsequently reversed. Such inventory valuation adjustments for excess, obsolete, and slow moving inventory are not reduced or removed until the product is sold or disposed of.

In developing inventory valuation adjustments for excess, slow moving, and obsolete inventory, we are required to use judgment and make estimates of future sales demand and production requirements compared with current inventory levels. Our estimate of projected sales demand and production requirements is primarily based on actual orders received, historical demand, technological and product life cycle changes, product pricing, economic trends, and competitive factors, such as market and pricing trends for similar products. Although we believe our inventory valuation reserve for excess, slow-moving, and obsolete inventory is adequate at $47.8 million as of October 31, 2024, projecting sales demand and production requirements involves significant management judgment regarding future events. Future events that could significantly influence our judgments and related estimates include general economic conditions within the specific markets in which we operate, changes in demand for our products and customer preference, price fluctuations, and actions of our competitors, including the introduction of new products, technological advances, and pricing changes. Projected sales demand and production requirements can also be affected by the significant redesign of our existing products or the replacement of an existing product by an entirely new

generation of product. It is possible that an unfavorable adjustment to our inventory valuation reserve for excess, slow moving, and obsolete inventory may be required in the future if there is a change in any of the aforementioned factors that adversely impacts our estimates of future demand for our products and we do not modify our purchases or production schedule accordingly.

When applicable, we account for the acquisition of a business in accordance with the accounting standards codification guidance for business combinations, whereby the total consideration transferred is allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including amounts attributable to non-controlling interests, when applicable, based on their respective estimated fair values as of the date of acquisition. Goodwill represents the excess of consideration transferred over the estimated fair value of the net assets acquired in a business combination.

Assigning estimated fair values to the net assets acquired requires the use of significant estimates, judgments, inputs, and assumptions regarding the fair value of intangible assets that are separately identifiable from goodwill, inventory, and property, plant, and equipment. While the ultimate responsibility for determining estimated fair values of the acquired net assets resides with management, for material acquisitions we may retain the services of certified valuation specialists to assist with assigning estimated fair values to certain acquired assets and assumed liabilities, including intangible assets that are separately identifiable from goodwill, inventory, and property, plant, and equipment. Estimated fair values of acquired intangible assets that are separately identifiable from goodwill, inventory, and property, plant, and equipment are generally based on available historical information, future expectations, available market data, and assumptions determined to be reasonable but are inherently uncertain with respect to future events, including economic conditions, competition, technological obsolescence, the useful life of the acquired assets, and other factors. These significant estimates, judgments, inputs, and assumptions include, when applicable, the selection of an appropriate valuation method depending on the nature of the respective asset, such as the income approach, the market or sales comparison approach, or the cost approach; estimating future cash flows based on projected revenues and/or margins that we expect to generate subsequent to the acquisition; applying an appropriate discount rate to estimate the present value of those projected cash flows we expect to generate; selecting an appropriate terminal growth rate and/or royalty rate or estimating a customer attrition or technological obsolescence factor where necessary and appropriate given the nature of the respective asset; assigning an appropriate contributory asset charge where needed; determining an appropriate useful life and the related depreciation or amortization method for the respective asset; and assessing the accuracy and completeness of other historical financial metrics of the acquiree used as standalone inputs or as the basis for determining estimated projected inputs such as margins, customer attrition, and costs to hold and sell product.

In determining the estimated fair value of intangible assets that are separately identifiable from goodwill, we typically utilize the income approach, which discounts the projected future cash flows using a discount rate that appropriately reflects the risks associated with the projected cash flows. Generally, we estimate the fair value of acquired trade names using the relief from royalty method under the income approach, which is based on the hypothetical royalty stream that would be received if we were to license the acquired trade name. For most other acquired intangible assets, we estimate fair value using the excess earnings method under the income approach, which is typically applied when cash flows are not directly generated by the asset, but rather, by an operating group that includes the particular asset. In certain instances, particularly in relation to developed technology or patents, we may utilize the cost approach depending on the nature of the respective intangible asset and the recency of the development or procurement of such technology. The useful lives and amortization methods for the acquired intangible assets that are separately identifiable from goodwill are generally determined based on the period of expected cash flows used to measure the fair value of the acquired intangible assets and the nature of the use of the respective acquired intangible asset, adjusted as appropriate for entity-specific factors including legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic, and/or other factors such as customer attrition rates and product or order lifecycles that may limit the useful life of the respective acquired intangible asset. In determining the estimated fair value of acquired inventory, we typically utilize the cost approach for raw materials and the sales comparison approach for work in process, finished goods, and service parts. In determining the estimated fair value of acquired property, plant, and equipment, we typically utilize the sales comparison approach or the cost approach depending on the nature of the respective asset and the recency of the construction or procurement of such asset.

We may refine the estimated fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, if necessary, over a period not to exceed one year from the date of acquisition by taking into consideration new information about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known as of the date of acquisition, would have affected the estimated fair values ascribed to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The judgments made in determining the estimated fair value assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed, as well as the estimated useful life and depreciation or amortization method of each asset, can materially impact the net earnings of the periods subsequent to an acquisition through depreciation and amortization, and in certain instances through impairment charges, if the asset becomes impaired in the future. During the measurement period, any purchase price allocation changes that impact the carrying value of goodwill will affect any measurement of goodwill impairment taken during the measurement period, if applicable. If necessary, purchase price allocation revisions that occur

outside of the measurement period are recorded within cost of sales or selling, general and administrative expense within the Consolidated Statements of Earnings depending on the nature of the adjustment.

Market risk is the potential loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices. We are exposed to market risk stemming from changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates, and commodity costs. We are also exposed to equity market risk pertaining to the trading price of our common stock. Changes in these factors could cause fluctuations in our earnings and cash flows. See further discussion on these market risks below.

We are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk arising from transactions in the normal course of business, such as sales to third-party customers, sales and loans to wholly-owned foreign subsidiaries, costs associated with foreign plant operations, and purchases from suppliers. Our primary foreign currency exchange rate exposures are with the Euro, the Australian dollar, the Canadian dollar, the British pound, the Mexican peso, the Japanese yen, the Chinese renminbi, and the Romanian new leu against the U.S. dollar, as well as the Romanian new leu against the Euro. Because our products are manufactured or sourced primarily from the U.S. and Mexico, a stronger U.S. dollar and Mexican peso generally have a negative impact on our results from operations, while a weaker U.S. dollar and Mexican peso generally have a positive effect.

The foreign currency exchange contracts in the table below have maturity dates in fiscal 2025 through fiscal 2027. All items are non-trading and stated in U.S. dollars. As of October 31, 2024, the average contracted rate, notional amount, fair value, and the gain (loss) at fair value of outstanding derivative instruments were as follows (dollars in millions, except average contracted rate):

Our interest rate risk relates primarily to fluctuations in variable interest rates on our revolving credit facility and term loan credit agreements, as well as the potential increase in the fair value of our fixed-rate long-term debt resulting from a potential decrease in interest rates. We generally do not use interest rate swaps to mitigate the impact of fluctuations in interest rates. We have no earnings or cash flow exposure due to interest rate risks on our fixed-rate long-term debt obligations.

Our indebtedness as of October 31, 2024 included $524.2 million of gross fixed rate debt that is not subject to variable interest rate fluctuations and $400.0 million of gross variable rate debt under our term loan credit agreements and revolving credit

facility. As of October 31, 2024, the estimated fair value of gross long-term debt with fixed interest rates was $520.4 million compared to its carrying amount of $524.2 million. Interest rate risk for fixed-rate, long-term debt is estimated as the potential increase in the fair value of gross fixed rate debt, resulting from a hypothetical 10 percent decrease in interest rates, and amounts to $16.3 million. The estimated fair value of gross fixed rate debt is estimated by discounting the projected cash flows of our gross fixed rate debt using the current interest rate that could be obtained for similar amounts of debt and a similar financing term.

Most of the commodities, components, parts, and accessories used in our manufacturing process and end-products, or to be sold as standalone end-products, are exposed to commodity cost changes. These changes may be affected by several factors, including, for example, demand; inflation; deflation; changing prices; foreign currency fluctuations; tariffs; duties; trade regulatory actions; industry actions; the inability of suppliers to absorb incremental costs related to inefficiencies, continue operations or otherwise remain in business; financial difficulties; changes to international trade policies, agreements, and/or regulation; and competitor activity, including antidumping and countervailing duties on certain products imported from foreign countries, such as certain engines imported into the U.S. from China.

Our primary cost exposures for commodities, components, parts, and accessories used in our products are with steel, aluminum, petroleum and natural gas-based resins, linerboard, copper, lead, rubber, engines, transmissions, transaxles, hydraulics, electrification components, and others. Our largest spend categories for commodities, components, parts, and accessories are generally steel, engines, hydraulic components, transmissions, resin, aluminum, and electrification components, all of which we purchase from several suppliers around the world. We generally purchase commodities, components, parts, and accessories based upon market prices that are established with suppliers as part of the purchase process and generally attempt to obtain firm pricing from most of our suppliers for volumes consistent with planned production and estimates of wholesale and retail demand for our products.

In any given period, we strategically attempt to mitigate potential unfavorable impact as a result of changes to the cost of commodities, components, parts, and accessories that affect our product lines through our productivity initiatives; however, our productivity initiatives may not be as effective as anticipated depending on macroeconomic cost trends for commodities, components, parts, and accessories costs and/or other factors. Our productivity initiatives include, but are not limited to, collaborating with suppliers, reviewing alternative sourcing options, substituting materials, SKU rationalization, utilizing Lean methods, engaging in internal cost reduction efforts, and utilizing tariff exclusions and duty drawback mechanisms, all as appropriate. When appropriate, we may also increase prices on some of our products to offset changes in the cost of commodities, components, parts, and accessories. To the extent that commodity and component costs increase, and we do not have firm pricing from our suppliers, or our suppliers are not able to honor such prices, and/or our productivity initiatives and/or product price increases are less effective than anticipated and/or do not fully offset cost increases, we may experience a decline in our gross margins.

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining an adequate system of internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, for The Toro Company and its subsidiaries. This system of internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

The company's system of internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements, and even when determined to be effective, can only provide reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. In addition, projection of any evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting to future periods is subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors

The Toro Company:

The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

/s/ KPMG LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1928.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

December 18, 2024