Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Market risk is the potential loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices, such as interest rates. We are exposed to various market risks, including commodity prices for raw materials, foreign currency exchange rates, and changes in interest rates. We may enter into financial instrument transactions, which attempt to manage and reduce the impact of such changes. We do not enter into derivatives or other financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
Our costs are affected by inflation in the U.S. economy and, to a lesser extent, in non-U.S. economies including those of Europe, Canada, Mexico, South America, and Asia-Pacific. Generally, as we experience fluctuations in our costs, we reflect these increases in costs as price increases to our customers with the goal of being margin neutral. Currently, as a result of supply chain challenges, we are experiencing higher raw material costs. Further, increases in U.S. employee benefits costs such as health insurance and workers compensation insurance have exceeded general inflation levels. In the future, we may be further affected by inflation that we may not be able to pass these increased costs on as price increases to our customers. However, we have been successful in the past, and we expect to be successful in the future, in instituting price increases to pass on these material cost increases. The Company is exposed to trade tariffs with China. The Company monitors the impact of tariffs and actively works to mitigate this impact through material productivity actions and pricing strategies.
We have been, and may continue in future periods to be, materially and adversely impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to global macroeconomic effects, the COVID-19 pandemic and any other related adverse public health developments have caused, and are expected to continue to cause, disruption to both our domestic and international operations and sales activities. The continued operation of our facilities is subject to local laws and regulations. While all of our facilities have been deemed essential under applicable law, there is no guarantee this will continue. Although we have thus far had no significant operating disruptions due to the pandemic, like all companies, the apparent increased contagiousness of the Omicron variant and subsequent variants poses risk to the availability of our workforce. Our third-party manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, sub-contractors and customers have been, and may in the future continue to be, disrupted by worker absenteeism, quarantines and restrictions on their employees’ ability to work, office and factory closures, disruptions to ports and other shipping infrastructure, border closures, and other travel or health-related restrictions. Depending on the magnitude of such effects on our manufacturing operations or the operations of our suppliers, third-party distributors, or sub-contractors, our supply chain, manufacturing and product shipments have been, and in the future may continue to be, delayed, which could adversely affect our business, operations, and customer relationships. In addition, COVID-19 or other disease outbreaks have in the short-run and may over the longer term adversely affect the economies and financial markets of many countries and have caused inflationary pressures in the U.S. and elsewhere, which could result in an economic downturn that could affect demand for our products and impact our operating results. There can be no assurance that any decrease in sales resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic will be offset by increased sales in subsequent periods. Although the magnitude of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations remains uncertain, the continued spread of the COVID-19 or the occurrence of other epidemics and the imposition of related public health measures and travel and business restrictions has, and may in the future continue to, adversely impact our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flows.
In fiscal 2022, 41% of our net sales were from manufacturing plants and sales offices in foreign jurisdictions. We manufacture our products in the United States, China, Germany, United Kingdom, Hungary, Mexico, and Malaysia and sell our products in over 100 countries. Our results of operations could be affected by factors such as changes in foreign currency rates or weak economic conditions in foreign markets. With our fiscal year 2017 acquisition of STAHL, we have an increased presence in the United Arab Emirates, with total assets of approximately $4,800,000. Our operating results are exposed to fluctuations between the U.S. Dollar and the Canadian Dollar, European currencies, the South African Rand, the Mexican Peso, the Brazilian Real, and the Chinese Yuan. For example, when the U.S. dollar weakens against the Euro, the value of our net sales and net income denominated in Euros increases when translated into U.S. dollars for inclusion in our consolidated results. We are also exposed to foreign currency fluctuations in relation to purchases denominated in foreign currencies. Our foreign currency risk is mitigated since the majority of our foreign operations’ net sales and the related expense transactions are denominated in the same currency, which reduces the impact of a significant change in foreign exchange rates on net income. For example, a 10% change in the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to our most significant foreign currency exposures would have had an impact of approximately $4,200,000 on our income from operations. In addition, the majority of our export sale transactions are denominated in U.S. dollars. We believe that our exposure to the Russia and Ukraine conflict is not significant, as our entity in Russia had income from operations of $400,000 in fiscal year 2022 and had total assets of approximately $1,000,000 as of March 31, 2022.
The Company has a cross currency swap agreement that is designated as a cash flow hedge to hedge changes in the value of an intercompany loan to a foreign subsidiary due to changes in foreign exchange rates. This intercompany loan is related to the acquisition of STAHL. As of March 31, 2022, the notional amount of this derivative was $137,650,000, and the contract matures on March 31, 2028. During fiscal 2022, the Company modified the cross currency swap by extending it to fiscal year 2028, matching the intercompany loan. The Company has concluded that the transaction to modify the cross currency swap, as
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well as the modified swap, maintained hedge accounting. The modified cross currency swap is considered to have an other than insignificant financing element. As such, its cash flows are classified within financing activities in the Statement of Cash Flows. From its March 31, 2022 balance of AOCL, the Company expects to reclassify approximately $128,000 out of AOCL, and into foreign currency exchange loss (gain), during the next 12 months based on the contractual payments due under this intercompany loan.
The Company has foreign currency forward agreements that are designated as cash flow hedges to hedge a portion of forecasted inventory purchases denominated in foreign currencies. As of March 31, 2022, the notional amount of these derivatives was $6,959,000, and all contracts mature by March 31, 2023. From its March 31, 2022 balance of AOCL, the Company expects to reclassify approximately $191,000 out of AOCL during the next 12 months based on the expected sales of the goods purchased.
The Company's policy is to maintain a capital structure that is comprised of 50-70% of fixed rate long-term debt and 30-50% of variable rate long-term debt. The Company has three interest rate swap agreements in which the Company receives interest at a variable rate and pays interest at a fixed rate. The third interest rate swap agreement was entered into in fiscal year 2022 as a result of the additional debt from the Dorner and Garvey acquisitions. These interest rate swap agreements are designated as cash flow hedges to hedge changes in interest expense due to changes in the variable interest rate of the senior secured term loan. The amortizing interest rate swaps mature by February 28, 2025 and had a total notional amount of $300,747,000 as of March 31, 2022. The effective portion of the changes in fair values of the interest rate swaps is reported in AOCL and will be reclassified to interest expense over the life of the swap agreements. From its March 31, 2022 balance of AOCL, the Company expects to reclassify approximately $389,000 out of AOCL, and into interest expense, during the next 12 months.
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