AdvanSix Inc. 10-Q

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations, which we refer to as our “MD&A,” should be read in conjunction with the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto contained elsewhere in this Form 10-Q, as well as the MD&A section included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on February 19, 2021 (the “2020 Form 10-K”). Certain information contained in the discussion and analysis set forth below includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors that can affect our performance in both the near- and long-term, including those set forth in, and incorporated by reference in Item 1A of Part II of this Form 10-Q as such factors may be revised or supplemented in subsequent filings with the SEC, as well as those discussed in the section entitled “Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” below. Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this Form 10-Q including, without limitation, statements in this MD&A regarding our financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). When used in this Form 10-Q, words such as "expect," “anticipate,” "estimate," "outlook," "project," "strategy," "intend," "plan," "target," "goal," "may," "will," "should," and “believe,” and other variations or similar terminology and expressions identify forward-looking statements. Although we believe forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict, which may cause the actual results or performance of the Company to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general economic and financial conditions in the U.S. and globally, including the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and any resurgences; the scope and duration of the pandemic and pace of recovery; the timing of the distribution and the efficacy of vaccines or treatments for COVID-19 that are currently available or may be available in the future; the severity of newly identified strains of COVID-19; governmental, business and individuals’ actions in response to the pandemic, including our business continuity and cash optimization plans that have been, and may in the future be, implemented; the impact of social and economic restrictions and other containment measures taken to combat virus transmission; the effect on our customers’ demand for our products and our suppliers’ ability to manufacture and deliver our raw materials, including implications of reduced refinery utilization in the U.S.; our ability to sell and provide our goods and services, including as a result of travel and other COVID-19-related restrictions; the ability of our customers to pay for our products; and any closures of our and our customers’ offices and facilities; risks associated with increased phishing, compromised business emails and other cybersecurity attacks and disruptions to our technology infrastructure; risks associated with employees working remotely or operating with a reduced workforce; risks associated with our indebtedness including compliance with financial and restrictive covenants, and our ability to access capital on reasonable terms, at a reasonable cost, or at all, due to economic conditions resulting from COVID-19 or otherwise; the impact of scheduled turnarounds and significant unplanned downtime and interruptions of production or logistics operations as a result of mechanical issues or other unanticipated events such as fires, severe weather conditions, natural disasters and pandemics including the COVID-19 pandemic; price fluctuations, cost increases and supply of raw materials; our operations and growth projects requiring substantial capital; growth rates and cyclicality of the industries we serve including global changes in supply and demand; failure to develop and commercialize new products or technologies; loss of significant customer relationships; adverse trade and tax policies; extensive environmental, health and safety laws that apply to our operations; hazards associated with chemical manufacturing, storage and transportation; litigation associated with chemical manufacturing and our business operations generally; inability to acquire and integrate businesses, assets, products or technologies; protection of our intellectual property and proprietary information; prolonged work stoppages as a result of labor difficulties or otherwise; cybersecurity, data privacy incidents and disruptions to our technology infrastructure; failure to maintain effective internal controls; disruptions in transportation and logistics; our inability to achieve some or all of the anticipated benefits of our spin-off including uncertainty regarding qualification for expected tax treatment; fluctuations in our stock price; and changes in laws or regulations applicable to our business. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors including those noted above and those detailed in Item 1A of Part I and elsewhere in our 2020 Form 10-K, and subsequent reports filed with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. We do not undertake to update or revise any of our forward-looking statements. 17 Business Overview AdvanSix plays a critical role in global supply chains, innovating and delivering essential products for our customers in a wide variety of end markets and applications that touch people’s lives, such as building and construction, fertilizers, plastics, solvents, packaging, paints, coatings, adhesives and electronics. Our reliable and sustainable supply of quality products emerges from the vertically integrated value chain of our three U.S.-based manufacturing facilities. AdvanSix strives to deliver best-in-class customer experiences and differentiated products in the industries of nylon solutions, chemical intermediates, and plant nutrients, guided by our core values of Safety, Integrity, Accountability and Respect. Our four key product lines are as follows: • Nylon – We sell our Nylon 6 resin globally, primarily under the Aegis® brand name. Nylon 6, is a polymer resin which is a synthetic material used by our customers to produce fibers, filaments, engineered plastics and films that, in turn, are used in such end-products as carpets, automotive and electric components, sports apparel, food packaging and other industrial applications. In addition, our Nylon 6 resin is used to produce nylon films which we sell to our customers primarily under the Capran® brand name. • Caprolactam – Caprolactam is the key monomer used in the production of Nylon 6 resin. We internally polymerize caprolactam into Aegis® Nylon 6 Resins, and we also market and sell the caprolactam that is not consumed internally to customers who use it to manufacture polymer resins to produce nylon fibers, films and other nylon products. Our Hopewell manufacturing facility is one of the world’s largest single-site producers of caprolactam as of March 31, 2021. • Chemical Intermediates – We manufacture, market and sell a number of other chemical products that are derived from the chemical processes within our integrated supply chain. Most significant is acetone which is used by our customers in the production of adhesives, paints, coatings, solvents, herbicides and engineered plastic resins. Other intermediate chemicals that we manufacture, market and sell include phenol, alpha-methylstyrene (“AMS”), cyclohexanone, oximes (methyl ethyl ketoxime, acetaldehyde oxime and 2-pentanone oxime), cyclohexanol, sulfuric acid, ammonia and carbon dioxide. • Ammonium Sulfate – Our ammonium sulfate is used by customers as a fertilizer containing nitrogen and sulfur, two key plant nutrients. Ammonium sulfate fertilizer is derived from the integrated operations at the Hopewell manufacturing facility. Because of our Hopewell facility’s size, scale and technology design, we are the world’s largest single-site producer of ammonium sulfate fertilizer as of March 31, 2021. We market and sell ammonium sulfate primarily to North American and South American distributors, farm cooperatives and retailers to fertilize crops. Global demand for Nylon 6 resin spans a variety of end-uses such as textiles, engineered plastics, industrial filament, food and industrial films, and carpet. The market growth typically tracks global GDP growth over the long-term but varies by end-use. Generally, prices for Nylon 6 resin and caprolactam reflect supply and demand in the marketplace as well as the value of the basic raw materials used in the production of caprolactam, consisting primarily of benzene and, depending on the manufacturing process utilized, natural gas and sulfur. The global prices for nylon resin typically track a spread over the price of caprolactam, which in turn tracks as a spread over benzene because the key feedstock materials for caprolactam, phenol or cyclohexane, are derived from benzene. This price spread has historically experienced cyclicality as a result of global changes in supply and demand. Nylon 6 resin prices track the cyclicality of caprolactam prices, although prices set above the spread are achievable when nylon resin manufacturers, like AdvanSix, formulate and produce differentiated nylon resin products. Our differentiated Nylon 6 products are typically valued at a higher level than commodity resin products. We believe that Nylon 6 end-market growth will continue to generally track global GDP over the long-term. Applications such as engineered plastics and packaging have potential to grow at faster rates given certain macrotrends. Additionally, one of our strategies is to continue developing higher-value, differentiated Nylon 6 products, such as our wire and cable and co-polymer offerings, in current and new customer applications. Global prices for ammonium sulfate fertilizer are influenced by several factors including the price of urea, which is the most widely used source of nitrogen-based fertilizer in the world. Other global factors driving ammonium sulfate fertilizer demand are general agriculture trends, including planted acres and the price of crops. Our ammonium sulfate product is positioned with the added value proposition of sulfur nutrition to increase yields of key crops. In addition, due to its nutrient density, the typical ammonium sulfate product delivers pound for pound the most readily available sulfur and nitrogen to crops than other fertilizers. We recently expanded our offering to directly supply packaged ammonium sulfate to customers, primarily in North and South America, and diversified and optimized our offerings to include spray-grade adjuvant to support crop protection, as well as other specialty fertilizers and products for industrial use. 18 We produce ammonium sulfate fertilizer continuously throughout the year as part of our manufacturing process, but quarterly sales experience seasonality based on the timing and length of the growing seasons in North and South America. North America ammonium sulfate prices are typically strongest during second quarter fertilizer application and then typically decline seasonally with new season fill in the third quarter. Due to the ammonium sulfate fertilizer sales cycle, we occasionally build up higher inventory balances because our production is continuous and not tied to seasonal demand for fertilizers. Sales of most of our other products have generally been subject to minimal, or no, seasonality. We seek to run our production facilities on a nearly continuous basis for maximum efficiency as several of our intermediate products are key feedstock materials for other products in our integrated manufacturing chain. While our integration, scale and range of product offerings make us one of the most efficient manufacturers in our industry, these attributes also expose us to increased risk associated with material disruptions at any one of our production facilities or logistics operations which could impact the overall manufacturing supply chain. Further, although we believe that our sources of supply for our raw materials, including cumene, natural gas and sulfur, are generally robust, it is difficult to predict the impact that shortages, increased costs and related supply chain logistics considerations may have in the future. In order to mitigate the risk of unplanned interruptions, we schedule several planned plant turnarounds each year to conduct routine and major maintenance across our facilities. We also utilize maintenance excellence and mechanical integrity programs, targeted buffer inventory of intermediate chemicals necessary for our manufacturing process, and co-producer swap arrangements, which are intended to mitigate the extent of any production losses as a result of planned and unplanned downtime; however, the mitigation of all or part of any such production impact cannot be assured. Recent Developments COVID-19 In March 2020, the World Health Organization categorized the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a global pandemic with numerous countries around the world declaring national emergencies, including the United States. Since early 2020, COVID-19 has continued to spread rapidly, with most countries and territories worldwide having confirmed cases, and with certain jurisdictions experiencing resurgences. The spread resulted in authorities implementing numerous measures to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter-in-place orders and business shutdowns. The pandemic and these containment measures have had a substantial impact on businesses around the world and on global, regional and national economies, including disruptions to supply chains, reduced demand, production and sales across most industries, declines and volatility within global financial markets, and decreased workforces causing increased unemployment. The continuously evolving nature of this pandemic and the pace of recovery may continue to have an impact on the United States and global economies. As previously disclosed, the Company experienced a material impact on its second quarter 2020 results of operations associated with lower demand, particularly in nylon, caprolactam and phenol, and a decrease in overall sales volume related to global markets and the economic impact of COVID-19. During the second half of 2020, and through the first quarter of 2021, demand improved to pre-COVID-19 levels with states, regions and countries in various phases of re-opening and continued administration of vaccines for COVID-19, although there is no assurance demand recovery will continue given the potential for surges in infection rates and newly identified strains of COVID-19. The Company will continue to monitor developments and execute our operational and safety mitigation plans as previously disclosed. As the situation surrounding COVID-19 remains fluid and unpredictable, the Company cannot reasonably estimate with any degree of certainty the future impact COVID-19 may have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position, and liquidity. Results of Operations (Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted) Sales Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2020 Sales $ 376,383 $ 302,713 % change compared with prior year period 24.3% 19 The change in sales compared to the prior year period is attributable to the following: Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 Volume 8.4% Price 15.9% 24.3% Sales increased in the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to the prior year period by $73.7 million (approximately 24%) due primarily to (i) higher formula-based pass through pricing (approximately 11%) as a result of net cost increases in benzene and propylene (inputs to Cumene which is a key feedstock to our products), (ii) net favorable market-based pricing (approximately 5%) reflecting strength in chemical intermediates, particularly acetone and (iii) higher sales volume across all product lines led by caprolactam (approximately 8%). Costs of Goods Sold Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2020 Costs of goods sold $ 317,899 $ 272,008 % change compared with prior year period 16.9% Gross Margin percentage 15.5% 10.1% Costs of goods sold increased in the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to the prior year period by $45.9 million (approximately 17%) due primarily to (i) increased prices of raw materials (approximately 11%), (ii) higher sales volumes as discussed above (approximately 3%) and (iii) an unfavorable non-cash LIFO inventory reserve adjustment (approximately 2%). Gross margin percentage increased by approximately 5% in the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to the prior year period due primarily to higher market pricing (approximately 4%) driven by chemical intermediates, particularly acetone, and increased sales volume across all product lines (approximately 4%), partially offset by an unfavorable non-cash LIFO inventory reserve adjustment (approximately 2%). Selling, General and Administrative Expenses Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2020 Selling, general and administrative expenses $ 19,308 $ 16,740 Percentage of Sales 5.1% 5.5% Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $2.6 million in the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to the prior year period due primarily to increased incentive and stock-based compensation costs. Income Tax Expense Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2020 Income tax expense $ 9,271 $ 3,664 Effective tax rate 24.8% 29.9% As noted in Note 10. "Income Taxes", the Company filed a Federal net operating loss (NOL) carryback claim under the CARES Act in July 2020 which generated a refund of previously paid taxes in the amount of $12.3 million. The refund was received in the first quarter of 2021. 20 The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was higher compared to the U.S. federal statutory rate, due primarily to state taxes and executive compensation deduction limitations, partially offset by tax credits. The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was higher compared to the U.S. federal statutory rate, due primarily to state taxes, executive compensation deduction limitations, tax deficiencies on the vesting of equity compensation and the loss of 2018 foreign-derived intangible income tax benefits related to the Federal NOL carryback claim, partially offset by tax credits. The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was lower than the prior year period due primarily to higher tax deficiencies on the vesting of equity compensation in the prior year period and the loss of 2018 foreign derived intangible income tax benefits resulting from the Federal NOL carryback under the CARES Act. Net Income Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2020 Net income $ 28,131 $ 8,576 As a result of the factors described above, Net income was $28.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 as compared to $8.6 million in the corresponding prior year period. Non-GAAP Measures (Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted) The following tables set forth the non-GAAP financial measures of EBITDA and EBITDA Margin. EBITDA is defined as Net income before Interest, Income taxes and Depreciation and amortization. EBITDA Margin is equal to EBITDA divided by Sales. The following tables also present each of these measures as further adjusted. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information as they are used by the Company’s management to evaluate the Company’s operating performance, enhance a reader’s understanding of the financial performance of the Company, and facilitate a better comparison among fiscal periods and performance relative to its competitors, as the non-GAAP measures exclude items that are not considered core to the Company’s operations. These non-GAAP results are presented for supplemental informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for the financial information presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures should be read only in conjunction with the comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures. The Company's non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to other companies' non-GAAP measures. The following is a reconciliation between the non-GAAP financial measures of EBITDA and EBITDA Margin to their most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure: Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2020 Net income $ 28,131 $ 8,576 Interest expense, net 1,544 1,959 Income tax expense 9,271 3,664 Depreciation and amortization 16,104 14,432 EBITDA (non-GAAP) 55,050 28,631 Sales $ 376,383 $ 302,713 EBITDA Margin (non-GAAP) 14.6% 9.5% 21 Liquidity and Capital Resources (Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted) Liquidity We believe that cash balances and operating cash flows, together with available capacity under our credit agreement, will provide adequate funds to support our current short-term operating objectives as well as our longer-term strategic plans, subject to the risks and uncertainties outlined below, in our "Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" above, and in the risk factors previously disclosed in our 2020 Form 10-K. Our principal source of liquidity is our cash flow generated from operating activities, which is expected to provide us with the ability to meet the majority of our short-term funding requirements. Our cash flows are affected by capital requirements and production volume, which may be materially impacted by unanticipated events such as unplanned downtime, material disruptions at our production facilities as well as the prices of our raw materials and general economic and industry trends, as well as customer demand, which in the second quarter of 2020, was materially impacted by the circumstances surrounding COVID-19. The Company applies a proactive and disciplined approach to working capital management to optimize cash flow and to enable capital allocation options in support of the Company’s strategy. We utilize supply chain financing and trade receivables discount arrangements with third-party financial institutions which optimize terms and conditions related to accounts receivable and accounts payable in order to enhance liquidity and enable us to efficiently manage our working capital needs. Although we continue to optimize supply chain financing and trade receivable programs in the ordinary course, our utilization of these arrangements, both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, has not had a material impact on our liquidity. In addition, we monitor the third-party depository institutions that hold our cash and cash equivalents. Our emphasis is primarily on the safety of principal and secondarily on maximizing yield on those funds. We diversify our cash and cash equivalents among counterparties to minimize exposure to any one of these entities. On a recurring basis, our primary future cash needs will be centered on operating activities, working capital, and capital expenditures reflecting disciplined capital deployment and following the completion of several high-return growth and cost savings investments. Capital expenditures are deployed for various ongoing investments and initiatives to improve reliability, yield and quality, expand production capacity and comply with HSE regulations. While the COVID-19 pandemic has created and continues to create significant volatility in funding markets, we believe that our future cash from operations, together with cash on hand and our access to credit and capital markets, will provide adequate resources to fund our expected operating and financing needs and obligations. Our ability to fund our capital needs, however, will depend on our ongoing ability to generate cash from operations and access to credit and capital markets, both of which are subject to the risk factors previously disclosed in our 2020 Form 10-K, as well as general economic, financial, competitive, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. As of the end of the first quarter of 2021, the Company had approximately $14 million of cash on hand with approximately $178 million of additional capacity available under the revolving credit facility. The Company’s Consolidated Leverage Ratio financial covenant of its credit facility allows it to net up to $75 million of cash with debt. The Second Amendment to the credit facility also provided leverage ratio covenant flexibility through 2021. Capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $70 million to $80 million in 2021 compared to $83 million in 2020, reflecting disciplined capital deployment and following the completion of several high-return growth and cost savings investments. As noted in Note 10. "Income Taxes," the Company filed a Federal net operating loss (NOL) carryback claim under the CARES Act in July 2020 which generated a refund of previously paid taxes in the amount of $12.3 million received in the first quarter of 2021. Additionally, the Company deferred approximately $6.5 million of social security taxes in 2020 under the CARES Act in which 50% is due by December 31, 2021 and the remainder is due by December 31, 2022. We assumed from Honeywell all health, safety and environmental (“HSE”) liabilities and compliance obligations related to the past and future operations of our current business, as well as all HSE liabilities associated with our three current manufacturing locations and the other locations used in our current operations including any cleanup or other liabilities related to any contamination that may have occurred at such locations in the past. Honeywell retained all HSE liabilities related to former business locations or the operation of our former businesses. Although we have ongoing environmental remedial obligations at certain of our facilities, in the past three years, the associated remediation costs have not been material, and we do not expect our known remediation costs to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position and results of operations. We expect that our primary cash requirements for the remainder of 2021 will be to fund costs associated with ongoing operations, capital expenditures, and amounts related to other contractual obligations. 22 The Company made cash contributions to the defined benefit pension plan of $1.2 million during the three months ended March 31, 2021. The Company currently plans to make pension plan contributions during 2021 sufficient to satisfy funding requirements under the AdvanSix Retirement Earnings Plan in an aggregate amount of approximately $9.0 million to $11.0 million. We anticipate making additional contributions in future years sufficient to satisfy pension funding requirements in those periods. On May 4, 2018, the Company announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) authorized a share repurchase program of up to $75 million of the Company’s common stock. On February 22, 2019, the Company announced that the Board authorized a share repurchase program of up to an additional $75 million of the Company’s common stock, which was in addition to the remaining capacity available under the May 2018 share repurchase program. Repurchases may be made from time to time on the open market, including through the use of trading plans intended to qualify under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act. The size and timing of these repurchases will depend on pricing, market and economic conditions, legal and contractual requirements and other factors. The repurchase program has no expiration date and may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. As of March 31, 2021, the Company had repurchased 3,609,283 shares of common stock, including 519,521 shares withheld to cover tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of awards, for an aggregate of $102.2 million at a weighted average market price of $28.30 per share. As of March 31, 2021, $59.6 million remained available for share repurchases under the current authorization. During the first quarter of 2021 and the period from April 1, 2021 through April 23, 2021, no additional shares were repurchased under the currently authorized repurchase program. Credit Agreement On September 30, 2016, the Company as the borrower, entered into a Credit Agreement with Bank of America, as administrative agent (the "Original Credit Agreement"), which was amended on February 21, 2018 pursuant to Amendment No. 1 to the Original Credit Agreement (the "First Amended and Restated Credit Agreement), and further amended on February 19, 2020 pursuant to, Amendment No. 2 to the First Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (after giving effect to the Second Amendment, the “Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement”). The Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement requires the Company to maintain a Consolidated Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) of (i) 3.50 to 1.00 or less for the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2020, (ii) 4.50 to 1.00 or less for the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2020, (iii) 4.25 to 1.00 or less for the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2020, (iv) 3.50 to 1.00 or less for the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2020, (v) 3.25 to 1.00 or less for the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2021 through and including the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2021, and (vi) 3.00 to 1.00 or less for the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2022 and each fiscal quarter thereafter (subject to the Company’s option to elect a Consolidated Leverage Ratio increase in connection with certain acquisitions). The Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio financial covenant requires the Company to maintain a Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) of not less than 3.00 to 1.00. If the Company does not comply with the covenants in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, the lenders may, subject to customary cure rights, require the immediate payment of all amounts outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility. The Company was in compliance with all related covenants at March 31, 2021. Borrowings under the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement bear interest at a rate equal to either the sum of a base rate plus a margin ranging from 0.50% to 2.00% or the sum of a Eurodollar rate plus a margin ranging from 1.50% to 3.00%, with either such margin varying according to the Company’s Consolidated Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement). The Company is also required to pay a commitment fee in respect of unused commitments under the credit facility, if any, at a rate ranging from 0.20% to 0.50% per annum depending on the Company’s Consolidated Leverage Ratio. The initial margin under the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement was 1.25% for base rate loans and 2.25% for Eurodollar rate loans and the applicable commitment fee rate was 0.35% per annum. In addition, the Second Amendment also amended certain administrative provisions associated with the LIBOR Successor Rate (as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement). The obligations under the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are secured by a pledge of assets and liens on substantially all of the assets of AdvanSix. The Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement contains customary covenants limiting the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to, among other things, pay cash dividends, incur debt or liens, redeem or repurchase stock of the Company, enter 23 into transactions with affiliates, make investments, make capital expenditures, merge or consolidate with others or dispose of assets, as well as financial covenants that require the Company to maintain interest coverage and leverage ratios at levels specified in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement. These covenants may limit how we conduct our business, and in the event of certain defaults, our repayment obligations may be accelerated. We were in compliance with all of our covenants at March 31, 2021 and through the date of the filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The situation surrounding COVID-19 remains fluid and unpredictable, and the potential for a material impact on the Company increases the longer the social and economic restrictions remain in place or are reinstituted, which impacts the overall level of consumer and business activity in the United States and globally. For this reason, the Company cannot reasonably estimate with any degree of certainty the future impact COVID-19 may have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position, and liquidity. For further information regarding risk and the impact COVID-19 could have on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity, including our ability to comply with financial covenants in our credit facility and our access to, and cost of, capital, see "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of Part I of the 2020 Form 10-K. As of March 31, 2021, $178 million was available for use out of the total of $425 million under the Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2020, we had a balance of $275 million under the Revolving Credit Facility. During the three months ended March 31, 2021, we repaid an incremental net amount of $29 million to bring the balance under the Revolving Credit Facility to $246 million as of March 31, 2021. We expect that Cash provided by operating activities will fund future interest payments on the Company's outstanding indebtedness. Cash Flow Summary Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 2020 Cash provided by (used for): Operating activities $ 57,090 $ 19,719 Investing activities (23,931) (34,485) Financing activities (29,641) 38,470 Net change in cash and cash equivalents $ 3,518 $ 23,704 Cash provided by operating activities increased by $37.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 versus the prior year period due primarily to a $19.6 million increase in net income, a $19.6 million cash improvement from Taxes receivable (including a $12.3 million cash tax refund received in the first quarter of 2021), a $4.8 million favorable cash impact from working capital (comprised of Accounts receivables, Inventories, Accounts payable and Deferred income) year-over-year with a $6.7 million unfavorable cash impact from working capital for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to a $11.5 million unfavorable cash impact in the prior year period and a $1.7 million favorable impact from non-cash Depreciation and amortization expense. These favorable impacts were partially offset by a $9.0 million unfavorable cash impact from Deferred taxes and $2.0 million unfavorable cash impact from Accrued liabilities. Cash used for investing activities decreased by $10.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 versus the prior year period due to a decrease in cash paid for capital expenditures of approximately $19.9 million offset by cash paid for the acquisition of Commonwealth Industrial Services for approximately $9.5 million. Cash used for financing activities increased by $68.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 versus the prior year period due primarily to net repayments of $29.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to net borrowings of $40.0 million during the prior year period as described above. Capital Expenditures (Dollars in thousands, unless otherwise noted) Our operations are capital intensive, requiring ongoing investments that have consisted, and are expected to continue to consist, primarily of capital expenditures required to maintain and improve equipment reliability, expand production output, further improve mix, yield and cost position, and comply with environmental and safety regulations. The following table summarizes ongoing and expansion capital expenditures: 24 Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 Capital expenditures in Accounts payable at December 31, 2020 $ 6,178 Purchases of property, plant and equipment 10,964 Less: Capital expenditures in Accounts payable at March 31, 2021 (2,965) Cash paid for capital expenditures $ 14,177 For 2021, we expect our total capital expenditures to be approximately $70 million to $80 million compared to $83 million in 2020 reflecting disciplined capital deployment and following the completion of several high-return growth and cost savings investments. Capital expenditures are deployed for various ongoing investments and initiatives to improve reliability, yield and quality, expand production capacity and comply with HSE regulations. Critical Accounting Policies The preparation of our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP is based on the selection and application of accounting policies that require us to make significant estimates and assumptions about the effects of matters that are inherently uncertain. We consider these accounting policies to be critical to the understanding of our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. For a full description of our critical accounting policies, refer to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained in our 2020 Form 10-K. While there have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies, or the methodologies or assumptions we apply under them, we continue to monitor such methodologies and assumptions. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations As of March 31, 2021, the Company did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as described in Instruction 8 to Item 303(b) of Regulation S-K and did not have any material changes in the commitments or contractual obligations detailed in the Company's 2020 Form 10-K. The Company has not guaranteed any debt or commitments of other entities or entered into any options on non-financial assets. Recent Accounting Pronouncements See “Note 2. Recent Accounting Pronouncements” to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I. Item 1 of this Form 10-Q.