American Woodmark (AMWD) 10-Q2024 Q3 Quarterly report

 

AMERICAN WOODMARK CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the nine-month period ended January 31, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2024 ("fiscal 2024"). The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2023 ("fiscal 2023") filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

In accordance with accounting standards, when evaluating goodwill, an entity has the option first to assess qualitative factors to determine whether events and circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that goodwill is impaired. If after such assessment an entity concludes that it is more likely than not that the asset is not impaired, then the entity is not required to take further action. However, if an entity concludes otherwise, then it is required to determine the fair value of the asset using a quantitative impairment test, and if impaired, the associated assets must be written down by the amount that the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit. There were no impairment charges related to goodwill for the three- and nine-month periods ended January 31, 2024 and 2023.

Intangible assets consist of customer relationship intangibles. The Company amortizes the cost of intangible assets over their estimated useful lives, six years, unless such lives are deemed indefinite. The Company reviews its intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. There were no impairment charges related to intangible assets for the three- and nine-month periods ended January 31, 2024 and 2023.

The Company uses interest rate swap contracts to manage interest rate exposures. The Company records derivatives in the condensed consolidated balance sheets at fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), and subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. If a derivative is deemed to be ineffective, the change in fair value of the derivative is recognized directly in earnings.

The Company also manages risks through the use of foreign exchange forward contracts. The Company recognizes its outstanding forward contracts in the condensed consolidated balance sheets at their fair values. The Company does not designate the forward contracts as accounting hedges. The changes in the fair value of the forward contracts are recorded in other expense (income), net in the condensed consolidated statements of income.

There were no potentially dilutive securities for the three-month periods ended January 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and the nine-month period ended January 31, 2023, which were excluded from the calculation of net earnings per diluted share. Potentially dilutive securities of 40,170 for the nine-month period ended January 31, 2024 were excluded from the calculation of net earnings per diluted share as the effect would be anti-dilutive.

The Company has various stock-based compensation plans. During the nine-months ended January 31, 2024, the Board of Directors of the Company approved grants of service-based restricted stock units ("RSUs") to non-employee directors. These service-based RSUs (i) vest daily through the end of the one-year vesting period as long as the recipient continuously remains a member of the Board and (ii) entitle the recipient to receive one share of the Company's common stock per unit vested. The Board of Directors also approved grants of service-based RSUs, performance-based RSUs and non-statutory stock options to key employees. The performance-based RSUs entitle the recipients to receive one share of the Company's common stock per unit granted if applicable performance conditions are met and the recipient remains continuously employed with the Company until the units cliff vest at the end of the three year vesting period. The service-based RSUs to key employees entitle the recipients to receive one share of the Company's common stock per unit granted if they remain continuously employed with the Company until the units vest. The employee stock options cliff vest at the end of a three-year period and have a ten-year contractual term. Prior to June 2023, all of the Company's RSUs granted to employees cliff-vest three years from the grant date. Beginning in June 2023, service-based RSUs granted to employees vest one-third on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date. The fair value of the Company's RSU awards is expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the RSUs to the extent the Company believes it is probable the related performance criteria, if any, will be met.

The following table summarizes the Company's stock-based compensations grants for the nine-months ended January 31, 2024:

For the three- and nine-month periods ended January 31, 2024 and 2023, stock-based compensation expense was allocated as follows: 

During the nine months ended January 31, 2024, the Company also approved grants of 12,199 cash-settled performance-based restricted stock tracking units ("RSTUs") and 6,571 cash-settled service-based RSTUs for more junior level employees. Each performance-based RSTU entitles the recipient to receive a payment in cash equal to the fair market value of one share of the Company's common stock as of the payment date if applicable performance conditions are met and the recipient remains continuously employed with the Company until the units vest. The service-based RSTUs entitle the recipients to receive a payment in cash equal to the fair market value of one share of the Company's common stock as of the payment date if they remain continuously employed with the Company until the units vest. Prior to June 2023, all of the Company's RSTUs granted to employees cliff-vest three years from the grant date. Beginning in June 2023, service-based RSTUs granted to employees vest one-third on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date. The fair value of each cash-settled RSTU award is remeasured at the end of each reporting period and the liability is adjusted, and related expense recorded, based on the new fair value. The expense recognized for the three- and nine-month periods ended January 31, 2024 and 2023, and the liability as of January 31, 2024 and April 30, 2023, related to RSTUs is not significant.

Amortization and depreciation expense on property, plant and equipment amounted to $10.6 million and $9.3 million for the three-months ended January 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively and $30.0 million and $28.7 million for the nine-months ended January 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Accumulated amortization on finance leases included in the above table amounted to $31.6 million and $31.9 million as of January 31, 2024 and April 30, 2023, respectively.

Customer relationship intangibles are amortized over the estimated useful lives on a straight-line basis over six years. Amortization expense for the three-month periods ended January 31, 2024 and 2023 was $7.6 million and $11.4 million, respectively and $30.4 million and $34.2 million, respectively, for each of the nine-month periods ended January 31, 2024 and 2023.

The Company estimates outstanding warranty costs based on the historical relationship between warranty claims and revenues. The warranty accrual is reviewed monthly to verify that it properly reflects the remaining obligation based on the anticipated expenditures over the balance of the obligation period. Adjustments are made when actual warranty claim experience differs from estimates. Warranty claims are generally made within two months of the original shipment date.

 

The following is a reconciliation of the Company's warranty liability, which is included in other accrued expenses on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets: 

Level 1- Investments with quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. The Company's cash equivalents are invested in money market funds, mutual funds, and certificates of deposit. The Company's mutual fund investment assets represent contributions made and invested on behalf of the Company's former executive officers in a supplementary employee retirement plan.

Level 2- Investments with observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as: quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3- Investments with unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. The Company has no Level 3 assets or liabilities measured on a recurring basis.

The Company's financial instruments include cash and equivalents, marketable securities, and other investments; accounts receivable and accounts payable; interest rate swap and foreign exchange forward contracts; and short- and long-term debt. The carrying values of cash and equivalents, accounts receivable and payable, and short-term debt on the condensed consolidated balance sheets approximate their fair value due to the short maturities of these items. The interest rate swap and foreign exchange forward contracts were marked to market and therefore represent fair value. The fair values of these contracts are determined based on inputs that are readily available in public markets or can be derived from information available in publicly quoted markets. The following table summarizes the fair value of assets that are recorded in the Company's consolidated financial statements as of January 31, 2024 and April 30, 2023 at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):

As of January 31, 2024 and April 30, 2023, $206.3 million and $206.3 million, respectively, was outstanding on the Term Loan Facility. As of January 31, 2024 and April 30, 2023, $163.8 million and $163.8 million, respectively, was outstanding under the Revolving Facility.

Outstanding letters of credit under the Revolving Facility were $13.3 million as of January 31, 2024, leaving approximately $322.9 million in available capacity under the Revolving Facility as of January 31, 2024. The outstanding balances noted above approximate fair value as the facilities have a floating interest rate.

The A&R Credit Agreement includes certain additional covenants, including negative covenants that restrict the ability of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness, create additional liens on its assets, make certain

investments, dispose of its assets, or engage in a merger or other similar transaction, or engage in transactions with affiliates, subject, in each case, to the various exceptions and conditions described in the A&R Credit Agreement. The negative covenants further restrict the ability of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries to make certain restricted payments, including, in the case of the Company, the payment of dividends and the repurchase of common stock, in certain limited circumstances.

As of January 31, 2024, the Company was in compliance with all covenants included in the A&R Credit Agreement.

The Company's obligations under the A&R Credit Agreement are guaranteed by the Company's domestic subsidiaries, and the obligations of the Company and its domestic subsidiaries under the A&R Credit Agreement and their guarantees, respectively, are secured by a pledge of substantially all of their respective personal property.

The Company enters into interest rate swap contracts to manage variability in the amount of known or expected cash payments related to portions of its variable rate debt. On May 28, 2021, the Company entered into four interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional amount of $200 million to hedge part of the variable rate interest payments under the Term Loan Facility. The interest rate swaps became effective on May 28, 2021 and will terminate on May 30, 2025. The interest rate swaps economically convert a portion of the variable rate debt to fixed rate debt. The Company receives floating interest payments monthly based on one-month SOFR and pays a fixed rate of 0.53% to the counterparty.

The interest rate swaps are designated as cash flow hedges. Changes in fair value are recorded to other comprehensive income. The risk management objective in using interest rate swaps is to add stability to interest expense and to manage the Company's exposure to interest rate movements. Interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges involve the receipt of variable amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the contract agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount. Realized gains or losses in connection with required interest payments on interest rate swaps are recorded in earnings, as a component of interest expense, net to offset variability in interest expense associated with the underlying debt's cash flows.

For the three- and nine-month periods ended January 31, 2024, unrealized gains (losses), net of deferred taxes, of ($0.8) million and $2.7 million, respectively, were recorded in other comprehensive income, and $2.0 million and $5.6 million, respectively, of realized gains, net of deferred taxes, were reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense, net due to interest received from and payments made to the swap counterparties. For the three- and nine-month periods ended January 31, 2023, unrealized gains (losses), net of deferred taxes, of ($1.3) million and $3.7 million, respectively, were recorded in other comprehensive income, and $1.3 million and $2.3 million, respectively, of realized gains, net of deferred taxes, were reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest expense, net due to interest received from and payments made to the swap counterparties. As of January 31, 2024, the Company anticipates reclassifying approximately $8.1 million of net hedging gains from accumulated other comprehensive income into earnings during the next 12 months to offset the variability of the hedged items during this period.

The fair value of the derivative instruments are included in other assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

At January 31, 2024, the Company held forward contracts maturing from February 2024 to April 2024 to purchase 117.0 million Mexican pesos at an exchange rate of 18.91 Mexican pesos to one U.S. dollar. Additionally, the Company entered into a contingent forward contract with maturities from May 2024 to April 2025 to purchase 660.0 million Mexican pesos at an exchange rate of 18.91 Mexican pesos to one U.S. dollar. This contingent forward contract gives the bank the option to cancel these forward contracts in April 2024. Additionally, the Company entered into a target accrual redemption forward agreement to purchase Mexican Pesos across 48 defined fixings. These fixings allow for U.S. dollars to be converted into Pesos at a rate of 18.60 Pesos to one U.S. Dollar. Cumulative profit is capped at an aggregate of approximately $0.6 million over the shorter of the life of the contract fixings or the utilization of the cap. An asset of $0.2 million is recorded in prepaid expenses and other on the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

The effective income tax rates for the three- and nine-month periods ended January 31, 2024 was 25.4% and 23.8%, respectively, compared with 25.0% and 25.1% in the comparable period in the prior fiscal year. The effective rates were higher than the 21.0% U.S. statutory rate for all periods presented primarily due to state income taxes.

The Company disaggregates revenue from contracts with customers into major sales distribution channels as these categories depict the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows that are affected by economic factors. The following table disaggregates our consolidated revenue by major sales distribution channels for the three- and nine-months ended January 31, 2024 and 2023:

Credit is extended to customers based on an evaluation of each customer's financial condition and generally collateral is not required. The Company's customers operate in the new home construction and home remodeling markets. 

 

The Company maintains an allowance for expected credit losses based upon management's evaluation and judgment of potential net loss. The allowance is estimated based upon historical experience, the effects of current developments and economic conditions, and each customer's current and anticipated financial condition. Estimates and assumptions are periodically reviewed and updated. Any resulting adjustments to the allowance are reflected in current operating results.

As of January 31, 2024, the Company's two largest customers, Customers A and B, represented 33.5% and 18.6% of the Company's gross customer receivables, respectively. As of January 31, 2023, Customers A and B represented 39.9% and 16.4% of the Company's gross customer receivables, respectively.

The following table summarizes the percentage of net sales attributable to the Company's two largest customers for the three- and nine-months ended January 31, 2024 and 2023:

The Company is involved in suits and claims in the normal course of business, including without limitation product liability and general liability claims, and claims pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. On at least a quarterly basis, the Company consults with its legal counsel to ascertain the reasonable likelihood that such claims may result in a loss. As required by FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 450, "Contingencies," the Company categorizes the various suits and claims into three categories according to their likelihood for resulting in potential loss: those that are probable,

those that are reasonably possible, and those that are deemed to be remote. Where losses are deemed to be probable and estimable, accruals are made. Where losses are deemed to be reasonably possible, a range of loss estimates is determined and considered for disclosure. In determining these loss range estimates, the Company considers known values of similar claims and consults with outside counsel.

Except as described below, the Company believes that the aggregate range of loss stemming from the various suits and asserted and unasserted claims that were deemed to be either probable or reasonably possible was not material as of January 31, 2024.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes, both of which are included in Part I, Item 1 of this report. The Company's critical accounting policies are included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2023.

This report contains statements concerning the Company's expectations, plans, objectives, future financial performance, and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In most cases, the reader can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "forecast," "expect," "believe," "should," "could," "would," "plan," "may," "intend," "estimate," "prospect," "goal," "will," "predict," "potential," or other similar words. Forward-looking statements contained in this report, including elsewhere in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," are based on current expectations and our actual results may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. In addition, the Company participates in an industry that is subject to rapidly changing conditions and there are numerous factors that could cause the Company to experience a decline in sales and/or earnings or deterioration in financial condition. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements made in this report include but are not limited to:

Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements is contained in this report, including elsewhere in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and also in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2023, filed with the SEC, including under Item 1A, "Risk Factors," Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and Item 7A, "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk." While the Company believes that these risks are manageable and will not adversely impact the long-term performance of the Company, these risks could, under certain circumstances, have a material adverse impact on its operating results and financial condition.

Any forward-looking statement that the Company makes in this report speaks only as of the date of this report. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or cautionary factors as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

American Woodmark Corporation manufactures and distributes kitchen, bath, and home organization products for the remodeling and new home construction markets. Its products are sold on a national basis directly to home centers and builders and through a network of independent dealers and distributors. As of January 31, 2024, the Company operated 18 manufacturing facilities in the United States and Mexico, eight primary service centers, and one distribution center located throughout the United States.

The three-month period ended January 31, 2024 was the Company's third quarter of its fiscal year that ends on April 30, 2024 ("fiscal 2024").

The Company was impacted by the following macro-economic trends during the third quarter of fiscal 2024:

The Company believes there is no single indicator that directly correlates with cabinet remodeling market activity. For this reason, the Company considers other factors in addition to those discussed above as indicators of overall market activity including credit availability, home owner equity, and housing affordability.

 

The Company earned net income of $21.2 million, or 5.0% of net sales, for the third quarter of fiscal 2024, compared with $14.7 million, or 3.1% of net sales, in the same period of the prior year, and earned net income of $89.4 million, or 6.4% of net sales, for the first nine months of fiscal 2024, compared with $63.6 million, or 4.0% of net sales, in the same period of the prior year.

Builder sales decreased 11.0% in the third quarter of fiscal 2024 and 9.5% during the first nine months of fiscal 2024 compared to the same periods of fiscal 2023. The Company believes that fluctuations in single-family housing starts and completions are the best indicator of new construction cabinet activity. Assuming a sixty to ninety day lag between housing starts and the installation of cabinetry, single-family housing starts increased 20.2% during the third quarter of fiscal 2024 over the comparable prior year period, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In comparison, housing completions decreased 8.5% during the third quarter of fiscal 2024 over the comparable prior year period, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

in the first nine months of fiscal 2024, compared with 5.7% for the same period of fiscal 2023. The increase in general and administrative expenses during the third quarter and for the first nine months of fiscal 2024 was driven primarily by higher incentive and profit sharing costs for employees and lower net sales.

A reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP is set forth below.

Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide an additional means of analyzing the current period's results against the corresponding prior period's results. However, these non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the Company's reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP measures and should be read only in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.

We use EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA margin in evaluating the performance of our business, and we use each in the preparation of our annual operating budgets and as indicators of business performance and profitability. We believe EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA margin allow us to readily view operating trends, perform analytical comparisons and identify strategies to improve operating performance.

We define EBITDA as net income (loss) adjusted to exclude (1) income tax expense (benefit), (2) interest expense, net, (3) depreciation and amortization expense, and (4) amortization of customer relationship intangibles and trademarks. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA adjusted to exclude (1) expenses related to the acquisition of RSI Home Products, Inc. ("RSI acquisition") and the subsequent restructuring charges that the Company incurred related to the acquisition, (2) non-recurring restructuring charges, (3) net gain/loss on debt forgiveness, (4) stock-based compensation expense, (5) gain/loss on asset disposals, (6) change in fair value of foreign exchange forward contracts, and (7) pension settlement charges. We believe Adjusted EBITDA, when presented in conjunction with comparable GAAP measures, is useful for investors because management uses Adjusted EBITDA in evaluating the performance of our business.

We define Adjusted EBITDA margin as Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of net sales.

We use Adjusted EPS per diluted share in evaluating the performance of our business and profitability. Management believes that this measure provides useful information to investors by offering additional ways of viewing the Company's results by providing an indication of performance and profitability excluding the impact of unusual and/or non-cash items. We define Adjusted EPS per diluted share as diluted earnings per share excluding the per share impact of (1) expenses related to the RSI acquisition and the subsequent restructuring charges that the Company incurred related to the RSI acquisition, (2) non-recurring restructuring charges, (3) the amortization of customer relationship intangibles and trademarks, (4) net gain/loss on debt forgiveness, (5) pension settlement charges, and (6) the tax benefit of RSI acquisition expenses and subsequent restructuring charges, the net gain on debt forgiveness and modification and the amortization of customer relationship intangibles and trademarks. The amortization of intangible assets is driven by the RSI acquisition and will recur in future periods. Management has determined that excluding amortization of intangible assets from our definition of Adjusted EPS per diluted share will better help it evaluate the performance of our business and profitability and we have also received similar feedback from some of our investors.

(1) Acquisition and restructuring related expenses are comprised of expenses related to the RSI acquisition and the subsequent restructuring charges that the Company incurred related to the acquisition.

(2) Non-recurring restructuring charges are comprised of expenses incurred related to the nationwide reduction-in-force implemented in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2023.

(3) In the normal course of business the Company is subject to risk from adverse fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. The Company manages these risks through the use of foreign exchange forward contracts. The changes in the fair value of the forward contracts are recorded in other (income) expense, net in the operating results.

A reconciliation of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin as projected for fiscal 2024 is not provided because we do not forecast net income (loss) as we cannot, without unreasonable effort, estimate or predict with certainty various components of net income (loss).

We have continued to deprioritize debt repayments, focus on investing back into the business and shares repurchases. Investments in property, plant and equipment for the first nine months of fiscal 2024 were $54.9 million compared to $17.1 million in the same period of the prior year. During the first nine months of fiscal 2024, we repurchased $71.8 million of the Company's common shares and have $105.4 million remaining authorization as of January 31, 2024. Lastly, we have our debt position at a leverage ratio we wanted to achieve and will be deprioritizing paying down debt during the remainder of fiscal 2024.

Additional risks and uncertainties that could affect the Company's results of operations and financial condition are discussed elsewhere in this report, including under "Forward-Looking Statements," and elsewhere in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2023, including under Item 1A. "Risk Factors," Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and Item 7A. "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk."

The Company's cash and cash equivalents totaled $97.8 million at January 31, 2024, representing a $56.1 million increase from its April 30, 2023 levels primarily due to $187.4 million cash provided by operations in the first nine months of fiscal 2024 compared with $110.8 million in the same period of the prior year, partially offset by $54.9 million in payments to acquire property, plant, and equipment, and $71.8 million of stock repurchases. The increase in the Company's cash from operating activities was driven primarily by an increase in net income and cash inflows from inventories, accounts payable, prepaid expenses and other assets, and accrued compensation and related expenses, partially offset by cash outflows from customer receivables, net, and income taxes. At January 31, 2024, total long-term debt (including current maturities) was $373.4 million. The Company's ratio of long-term debt to total capital was 29.3% at January 31, 2024, compared with 29.7% at April 30, 2023.

The Company's main source of liquidity is its cash and cash equivalents on hand and generally cash generated from its operating activities. The Company can also borrow amounts under the Revolving Facility.

The A&R Credit Agreement includes certain financial covenants that require the Company to maintain (i) a "Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio" of no less than 2.00 to 1.00 and (ii) a "Total Net Leverage Ratio" of no greater than 4.00 to 1.00, subject, in each case, to certain limited exceptions.

As of January 31, 2024 and April 30, 2023, the Company had no off-balance sheet arrangements.

The Company's investing activities primarily consist of investment in property, plant and equipment and promotional displays. Net cash used for investing activities was $55.7 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2024, compared with $19.3 million in the comparable period of fiscal 2023.

During the first nine months of fiscal 2024, net cash used by financing activities was $75.6 million, compared with $68.1 million in the comparable period of the prior fiscal year. The increase in cash used during the first nine months of fiscal 2024 was primarily driven by $71.8 million of common stock repurchases, offset by a decrease in net debt repayments of $2.0 million during the first nine months of fiscal 2024 compared to $67.3 million of net debt repayments in the same period of the prior fiscal year.

Cash flow from operations combined with accumulated cash and cash equivalents on hand are expected to be more than sufficient to support forecasted working capital requirements, service existing debt obligations and fund capital expenditures for the remainder of fiscal 2024.

Our business has been subject to seasonal influences, with higher sales typically realized in our first and fourth fiscal quarters. General economic forces and changes in our customer mix have reduced seasonal fluctuations in revenue over the past few years. The costs of the Company's products are subject to inflationary pressures and commodity price fluctuations. The Company has generally been able, over time, to recover the effects of inflation and commodity price fluctuations through sales price increases.

The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. There have been no significant changes to the Company's critical accounting policies as disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2023.

The costs of the Company's products are subject to inflationary pressures and commodity price fluctuations. The Company has generally been able, over time, to recover the effects of inflation and commodity price fluctuations through sales price increases although there may be a lag in the recovery.

The Company enters into foreign exchange forward contracts principally to offset currency fluctuations in transactions denominated in certain foreign currencies, thereby limiting our exposure to risk that would otherwise result from changes in exchange rates. The periods of the foreign exchange forward contracts correspond to the periods of the transactions denominated in foreign currencies.

The Company does not currently use commodity or similar financial instruments to manage its commodity price risks.

Senior management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures as of January 31, 2024. Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

Risk factors that may affect the Company's business, results of operations and financial condition are described in Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2023 and there have been no material changes from the risk factors disclosed. Additional risks are discussed elsewhere in this report, including in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Outlook."