Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis is intended to assist the reader in understandin g our results of operations and financial condition. Management’s Discussion and Analysis is provided as a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, our audited consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data ".
Background
The Company has one reportable segment, Industrial Tools & Service ("IT&S"), and an Other operating segment, which does not meet the criteria to be considered a reportable segment. The IT&S segment is primarily engaged in the design, manufacture and distribution of branded hydraulic and mechanical tools, as well as providing services and tool rental to the industrial, maintenance, infrastructure, oil & gas, alternative energy and other markets. Financial information related to the Company's reportable segment is included in Note 15, "Business Segment, Geographic and Customer Information" in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Business Update
Our businesses provide an array of products and services across multiple markets and geographies which results in significant diversification. The IT&S segment and the Company are well-positioned to drive shareholder value through a sustainable business strategy built on well-established brands, broad global distribution and end markets, clear focus on the core tools and services business and disciplined capital deployment.
Our Business Model
Our long-term goal is to create sustainable returns for our shareholders through above-market growth in our core business, expanding our margins, generating strong cash flow and being disciplined in the deployment of our capital. We intend to grow through execution of our organic growth strategy, focused on key vertical markets that benefit from long-term macro trends, driving customer driven innovation, expansion of our digital ecosystem to acquire and engage customers, and expansion in emerging markets such as Asia Pacific. In addition to organic growth, we also focus on margin expansion through operational efficiency techniques, including lean, continuous improvement and 80/20, to drive productivity and lower costs, as well as optimizing our selling, general and administrative expenses through consolidation and shared service implementation. We also apply these techniques and pricing actions to offset commodity increases and inflationary pricing. Finally, cash flow generation is critical to achieving our financial and long-term strategic objectives. We believe driving profitable growth and margin expansion will result in cash flow generation, which we seek to supplement through minimizing primary working capital. We intend to allocate the cash flow that results from the execution of our strategy in a disciplined way toward investment in our businesses, maintaining our strong balance sheet, disciplined M&A and opportunistically returning capital to shareholders. We anticipate the compounding effect of reinvesting in our business will fuel further growth and profitable returns.
General Business Update
In March 2022, the Company announced the start of its ASCEND transformation program (“ASCEND”). ASCEND’s key initiatives include accelerating organic growth strategies, improving operational excellence and production efficiency by utilizing a Lean approach, and driving greater efficiency and productivity in selling, general and administrative expense by better leveraging resources to create a more efficient and agile organization. In support of the ASCEND initiatives, we anticipate investing approximately $70-$75 million over the life of the program, which is expected to be fully implemented by the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, with the expected annual operating profit improvement from the program in the range of $50-$60 million. Through the end of fiscal 2023, we invested approximately $60 million as part of the program, with operating profit improving by approximately $54 million in fiscal 2023 compared to the prior fiscal year.
In June 2022, the Company approved a restructuring plan in connection with the initiatives identified as part of the ASCEND transformation program (see Note 3, “ASCEND Transformation Program” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements) to drive greater efficiency and productivity in global selling, general and administrative resources. The total costs of this plan were then estimated at $6 to $10 million, constituting predominately severance and other employee-related costs to be incurred as cash expenditures and impacting both IT&S and Corporate. On September 23, 2022, the Company approved an updated restructuring plan. The costs of this updated plan (which includes the amounts for the plan approved in June 2022) are estimated at $10 to $15 million. These costs are expected to be incurred over the expected duration of the transformation program, ending in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024. For fiscal 2024, we expect to incur $10 to $15 million of ASCEND transformation program costs, this range is inclusive of $3 to $5 million of restructuring costs.
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Commencing in February 2022, in response to the armed conflict in Ukraine, many countries, including the member countries of NATO initiated a variety of sanctions and export controls targeting Russia and associated entities. Approximately 1% of our historical annual sales are to customers and distributors associated with Russia and we had approximately $0.5 million of receivables associated with those customers and distributors as of February 28, 2022. The sanctions currently in place limit our ability to provide goods to those customers and distributors and banking sanctions effectively negate our ability to collect those receivables; as such, we recorded a full allowance for doubtful accounts against those receivables as of February 28, 2022 and indefinitely suspended doing business in Russia. We will continue to monitor the situation with Russia to assess when and if we are able to resume business with those customers and distributors, including collection of the outstanding receivables. We also continue to monitor and manage the ancillary impact of the Russia crisis on our business, which is primarily related to supply chain, increased commodity and energy costs, foreign exchange rate volatility and dealer confidence particularly in Europe.
During the year ended August 31, 2022, the Company recorded through bad debt expense (included in "Selling, general and administrative expenses" in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings) a reserve of $13 million to fully reserve for the outstanding accounts receivable balance for an agent in our Middle East/North Africa/Caspian ("MENAC") region. The allowance for doubtful accounts for this particular agent remains unchanged during fiscal 2023 and represents management's best estimate of the probable amount of collection and considers various factors with respect to this matter, including, but not limited to, (i) the lack of payment by the agent since the fiscal quarter ended February 28, 2021, (ii) our due diligence on balances due to the agent from its end customers related to sales of our services and products and the known markup on those sales from the agent to end customers, (iii) the status of ongoing negotiations with the agent to secure payments and (iv) legal recourse available to us to secure payment. Actual collections from the agent may differ from the Company's estimate. We have completely ceased our relationship with this agent and have transitioned to serving our regional customers through recently created direct operations within the region.
On October 31, 2019, the Company completed the sale of its former EC&S segment to wholly owned subsidiaries of BRWS Parent LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and affiliate of One Rock Capital Partners II, LP, for a purchase price of approximately $216 million (inclusive of final working capital adjustments), with approximately $3 million which was due in four equal quarterly installments, the last of which was received in the first quarter of fiscal 2021. The EC&S segment is treated as discontinued operations in our financial statements for all periods.
On July 11, 2023, the Company completed the sale of the Cortland Industrial business, for net proceeds of $20.1 million. The Company recorded a net gain of $6.2 million, see additional discussion in Note 5, "Discontinued Operations and Other Divestiture Activities" in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.
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Historical Financial Data
The following table and corresponding year-over-year analysis sets forth our results of continuing operations (dollars in millions, except per share amounts):
Year Ended August 31,
2023 2022 2021
Statements of Earnings Data: (1)
Net sales $ 598 100 % $ 571 100 % $ 529 100 %
Cost of products sold 303 51 % 306 54 % 286 54 %
Gross profit 295 49 % 265 46 % 243 46 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses 205 34 % 217 38 % 175 33 %
Amortization of intangible assets 5 1 % 7 1 % 8 2 %
Restructuring charges 7 1 % 8 1 % 3 1 %
Impairment & divestiture (benefit) charges (6) (1) % 2 — % 6 1 %
Operating profit 84 14 % 31 5 % 51 10 %
Financing costs, net 12 2 % 4 1 % 5 1 %
Other expense, net 3 1 % 2 — % 2 — %
Earnings before income tax expense 69 12 % 24 4 % 44 8 %
Income tax expense 15 3 % 4 1 % 4 1 %
Net earnings $ 54 9 % $ 20 3 % $ 40 8 %
Other Financial Data: (1)
Depreciation $ 11 $ 12 $ 13
Capital expenditures 9 8 12
(1) Results are from continuing operations and exclude the financial results of previously divested businesses reported as discontinued operations. Except per share amounts, the summation of the individual components may not equal the total due to rounding.
Fiscal 2023 compared to Fiscal 2022
C onsolidated net sales for fiscal 2023 were $598 million, 5% higher than the prior-year sales of $571 million. The impact of foreign currency rates unfavorably impacted fiscal 2023 sales by approximately $11 million or 2% and the divestiture of the Cortland Industrial business during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 unfavorably impacted sales by approximately $6 million or 1%, management refers to sales adjusted for these items as "core sales". Product sales growth was 8% with foreign currency and the divestiture of the Cortland Industrial business both unfavorably impacting sales by $9 million or 3% and $6 million or 1%, respectively. The product sales growth was primarily due to pricing actions, with some volume contribution. Service sales declined 8%, unfavorably impacted by $2 million or 1% of foreign currency and our reduced activity in the MENAC region following implementation of an 80/20 analysis that drove a more selective process for quoting projects, with a focus on more differentiated solutions.
Gross profit as a percentage of sales was approximately 49% in fiscal 2023, 3% higher than fiscal 2022. The increased gross profit is primarily attributed to the pricing actions, with some volume contribution noted above and production efficiencies implemented as part of the ASCEND transformation program partially offset by additional costs associated with the ASCEND transformation program.
Operating profit for fiscal 2023 was $84 million, approximately $53 million higher than the prior fiscal year of $31 million. Operating profit was impacted by the increased gross profit noted above, as well as a reduction of Selling, general & administrative ("SG&A") expense of $12 million compared to the prior year. The SG&A decrease was primarily due to personnel savings from the actions taken in the ASCEND transformation program, as well as prior-year charges including MENAC agent specific reserve ($13 million) and leadership transition charges ($7 million), reduction of business review charges related to external support for the deep dive holistic business review ($3 million). These reductions were partially offset by increased incentive compensation expense and expense from the ASCEND transformation program ($21 million) compared to the prior year. Restructuring charges in fiscal 2023 decreased by $1 million to $7 million compared to fiscal 2022. Impairment and divestitures charges (benefit) improved by $9 million due to the gain on sale recorded from the Cortland Industrial divestiture in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023.
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Fiscal 2022 compared to Fiscal 2021
Consolidated net sales from continuing operations in fiscal 2022 were $571 million, 8% higher than the prior-year sales of $529 million. The impact from foreign currency rates unfavorably impacted sales by roughly $15 million or 3%. Sales growth was from product pricing actions that the Company took beginning in late fiscal 2021 and during fiscal 2022 in response to significant inflationary pressures on commodities, freight and energy costs coupled with year-over-year product volume growth largely in the first half of fiscal 2022, as prior year fiscal 2021 fir st half sales were still impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, were the primary drivers of the increase in net sales.
Gross profit as a percentage of net sales in fiscal 2022 of 46% remained relatively flat with fiscal 2021, with improved gross profit margins on product sales primarily due to the aforementioned pricing actions outweighing the impact of inflation and improved productivity in our manufacturing facilities being offset by lower service gross profit margins due to lower service utilization as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the mix of service work performed year-over-year.
Operating profit was $20 million lower in fiscal 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021 predominantly due to $42 million of incremental SG&A expenses offset by a $22 million increase in gross profit, as described above. The increase in SG&A was due to ASCEND transformation program charges of $14 million related primarily to the use of external services for the support in the design, development and execution of the program; discrete bad debt charges of approximately $14 million associated with the significant delinquency in payments from a MENAC region agent and for Russian customers and distributors; incremental leadership transition charges of $8 million; charges of $3 million related to external support for the deep-dive holistic business review prior to the launch of the ASCEND program; and roughly $3 million of higher travel and entertainment costs tied to more commercial and leadership travel as we exited the COVID-19 pandemic. Restructuring charges increased $6 million as compared to the prior period as a result of charges to streamline and flatten the organizational structure ($3 million), as well as ASCEND-related restructuring expenses ($3 million).
Segment Results
IT&S Segment
The IT&S segment is a global supplier of branded hydraulic and mechanical tools and services to a broad array of end markets, including infrastructure, industrial maintenance, repair, and operations, oil & gas, mining, alternative and renewable energy, and civil construction markets. Its primary products include branded tools, cylinders, pumps, hydraulic torque wrenches, highly engineered heavy lifting technology solutions and other tools (Product product line). The segment provides maintenance and manpower services to meet customer-specific needs and rental capabilities for certain of our products (Service & Rental product line). The following table sets forth the results of operations for the IT&S segment (dollars in millions):
Year Ended August 31,
2023 2022 2021
Net Sales $ 555 $ 527 $ 493
Operating Profit 136 79 82
Operating Profit % 24.5 % 14.9 % 16.6 %
Fiscal 2023 compared to Fiscal 2022
Fiscal 2023 net sales were $555 million, an increase of 5% or $28 million from fiscal 2022 sales of $527 million, with foreign currency rates unfavorably impacting sales by approximately $11 million or 3%. The increase in sales was predominately driven by growth in the product business primarily due to pricing actions, with some volume contribution, which were partially offset by the decline in the service business due to the implementation of 80/20 analysis and a more selective process for quoting projects in the MENAC region, with a focus on more differentiated solutions in the MENAC region.
Fiscal 2023 operating profit increased $57 million to $136 million. This increase was driven by the aforementioned pricing actions, with some volume contribution and a reduction in SG&A expenses. The reduction of SG&A expense was a result of $13 million of discrete bad debt charges in fiscal 2022 from our MENAC agent and personnel savings from ASCEND actions, which were partially offset by increased incentive compensation expense and higher costs for the ASCEND transformation program in fiscal 2023.
Fiscal 2022 compared to Fiscal 2021
Fiscal 2022 IT&S segment net sales increased by $34 million (7%) from fiscal 2021 to $527 million , which included a $15 million or 3% unfavorable impact on sales due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. The increase in sales was predominantly attributable to the continued global market recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in incremental product volume growth largely in the first half of fiscal 2022 coupled with the impact from pricing actions taken in late fiscal 2021 and during fiscal 2022 due to the significant inflation affecting commodity, freight and energy costs.
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Fiscal 2022 operating profit decreased $3 million (4%) from the prior year. The operating profit decrease was a result of a $14 million increase in SG&A expense primarily due to discrete bad debt charges of approximately $14 million associated with the significant delinquency in payments from a MENAC region agent and for Russian customers and distributors offset by a $15 million increase in gross profit due to pricing actions outweighing the impact of inflation and improved productivity in our manufacturing facilities being offset by lower service gross profit margins due to lower service utilization as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the mix of service work performed year over year.
Corporate
Corporate consists of selling, general and administrative costs and expenses, including executive, legal, finance, human resources, and information technology, that are not allocated to the segments based on their nature. Corporate expenses were $63 million in fiscal 2023 which is $14 million higher than the fiscal 2022 expenses of $49 million. This increase was primarily from ASCEND transformation program expenses ($15 million) and incentive compensation expense. Additional expense was offset by a decrease in leadership transition charges ($7 million) and external support for the deep dive-holistic business review ($3 million).
Corporate expenses were $49 million in fiscal 2022 compared to $20 million in fiscal 2021. The increase of $29 million is a result of th e ASCEND transformation program charges ( $13 million ), business review charges related to external support for the deep dive-holistic business review prior to the launch of ASCEND ( $3 million ), leadership transition & board search charges ( $8 million ) and an increase in restructuring charges to streamline and flatten the corporate structure ($1 million), as well as ASCEND-related restructuring expenses ($1 million).
Net financing costs were $12 million, $4 million and $5 million in fiscal years 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase in net financing costs in fiscal 2023 as compared to fiscal 2022 was due to the year-over-year increase in interest rates and debt mix during the year. The decrease in net financing costs in fiscal 2022 as compared to fiscal 2021 was due to the year-over-year increase in interest income due to greater short-term investment of excess cash in fiscal 2022.
Income Tax Expense
The Company's income tax expense is impacted by a number of factors, including, among others, the amount of taxable earnings generated in foreign jurisdictions with tax rates that are different than the U.S. federal statutory rate, permanent items, state tax rates, changes in tax laws, acquisitions and divestitures and the ability to utilize various tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards. Income tax expense also includes the impact of provision to tax return adjustments, changes in valuation allowances and reserve requirements for unrecognized tax benefits. Pre-tax earnings, income tax expense and effective income tax rate from continuing operations for the past three fiscal years were as follows (dollars in thousands):
Year Ended August 31,
2023 2022 2021
Earnings before income tax expense $ 68,898 $ 23,992 $ 43,975
Income tax expense 15,249 4,401 3,763
Effective income tax rate 22.1 % 18.3 % 8.6 %
The comparability of pre-tax earnings, income tax expense and the related effective income tax rates are impacted by impairment and other divestiture charges and benefits as well as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), which was enacted on March 27, 2020. Fiscal 2023 results included a $6 million impairment and divestiture benefit, whereas fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021 results included $2 million and $6 million of impairment and divestiture charges, respectively. A substantial portion of these charges (benefits) do not result in a tax expense or benefit. The fiscal 2023 tax provision included a tax benefit of $2 million related to global tax planning initiatives. The fiscal 2022 tax provision included a tax benefit of $3 million related to global tax planning initiatives resulting from certain prior-year business losses for which no benefits were previously recognized as compared to a $3 million and $4 million benefit in fiscal 2021 related to the lapse of statute of limitations on uncertain tax positions and the net operating loss carryback provision of the CARES Act, respectively.
Both the fiscal 2023 and prior-year income tax provisions were impacted by the mix of earnings in foreign jurisdictions with income tax rates different than the U.S. federal income tax rate and income tax benefits from global tax planning initiatives. The fiscal 2023 effective tax rate was 22.1%, which is higher than the fiscal 2022 effective tax rate of 18.3% primarily due to one-time benefits in fiscal 2022. The fiscal 2023 effective tax rate was slightly higher than the statutory 21% primarily as a result of state income taxes and taxes in foreign jurisdictions with rates higher than the U.S. which were partially offset by one-time tax benefits related to global tax planning initiatives that will not repeat in future periods due to certain tax attributes that are no longer available.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
At August 31, 2023, cash and cash equivalents were $154 million, comprised of $148 million of cash held by foreign subsidiaries and $6 million held domestically. The following table summarizes the cash flow attributable to operating, investing and financing activities (in millions):
Year Ended August 31,
2023 2022 2021
Cash provided by operating activities $ 78 $ 52 $ 54
Cash provided by (used in) investing activities 11 (7) 13
Cash used in financing activities (53) (52) (82)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (2) (12) 2
Net increase (decrease) from cash and cash equivalents $ 34 $ (20) $ (12)
Cash flow provided by operations was $78 million for fiscal 2023 and $52 million for fiscal 2022. The $26 million increase in cash flow from operations was primarily the result of $34 million of higher earnings from continuing operations offset by increases in incentive compensation of $10 million. We had approximately $11 million of cash provided by investing activities from continuing operations due to the proceeds from the sale of the Cortland Industrial business in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 (see Note 5, "Discontinued Operations and Other Divestiture Activities" in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further detail on the divestiture), as year-over-year cash used for investing in capital expenditures was nearly flat. Cash used in financing activities was $53 million, nearly flat to prior year use of $52 million; however the mix of usage in each fiscal year was different. In fiscal 2023 we entered into a new debt agreement (see Note 7, "Debt" in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further details of the senior credit facility) resulting in a change of debt mix with the repayment of our outstanding revolver and proceeds received from the issuance of a term loan. In fiscal 2023 we had lower treasury share purchases than the prior year. During fiscal 2023 we paid $1 million on our term loan.
Cash flow provided by operations was $52 million and $54 million in fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease of $2 million in cash flow provided by operations was the result of $19 million lower net earnings from continuing operations offset by approximately $14 million of incremental receivable reserves to reconcile net earnings from continuing operations to net cash provided by operating activities. We used $7 million of cash in investing activities in fiscal 2022 as compared to $13 million cash provided by investing activities in fiscal 2021. The cash used in fiscal 2022 was primarily used for capital expenditures. The cash provided by investing activities in fiscal 2021 was largely generated due to the receipt of proceeds from the sale of our manufacturing facility in China ($22 million) and the death benefit for life insurance on legacy officers of the Company ($3 million), offset by approximately $12 million of capital expenditures. In fiscal 2022, our cash used in financing activities was primarily from the purchase of treasury shares of $75 million and the paydown of principal on our revolving credit facility of $60 million partially offset by the borrowing on the revolving credit facility of $85 million. The cash used in financing activities in fiscal 2021 was primarily for the paydown of $90 million of principal on our outstanding credit facility with cash provided by operating activities and excess cash on hand.
During fiscal 2023, the Company refinanced its credit facility resulting in an updated senior credit facility (the "Senior Credit Facility") of $600 million, comprised of a $400 million revolving line of credit and a $200 million term loan, which will mature in September 2027. Prior to this, the Company's senior credit facility was comprised of a $400 million revolving line of credit and a $200 million term loan which were scheduled to mature in March 2024. The Senior Credit Facility contains restrictive covenants and financial covenants see Note 7, "Debt" in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further details of the Senior Credit Facility. The Company was in compliance with all covenants, including the financial covenants, under the Senior Credit facility at August 31, 2023. The unused credit line and amount available for borrowing under the revolving line of credit of the Senior Credit Facility was $382 million at August 31, 2023.
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We believe that the revolving credit facility under the Senior Credit Facility, combined with our existing cash on hand and anticipated operating cash flows, will be adequate to meet operating, debt service, acquisition and capital expenditure funding requirements for the foreseeable future.
Primary Working Capital Management
We use primary working capital as a percentage of sales as a key metric for working capital efficiency. We define this metric as the sum of net accounts receivable and net inventory less accounts payable, divided by the past three months' sales annualized. The following table shows the components of our primary working capital (dollars in millions):
August 31, 2023 August 31, 2022
$ PWC % $ PWC %
Accounts receivable, net $ 98 15 % $ 107 18 %
Inventory, net 75 12 % 84 13 %
Accounts payable (51) (8) % (73) (11) %
Net primary working capital $ 122 19 % $ 118 20 %
Total primary working capital was $122 million at August 31, 2023, which increased from $118 million at August 31, 2022. The primary working capital increase related to decreased accounts receivable from increased collections during fiscal 2023 and due to $9 million of lower inventory as we continue to work through SKU rationalization. This decrease as well as payment s related to our ASCEND transformation program was the driver of the $22 million decrease in accounts payable as of August 31, 2023 compared to August 31, 2022 .
Capital Expenditures
The majority of our manufacturing activities consist of assembly operations. We believe that our capital expenditure requirements are not as extensive as other industrial companies given the nature of our operations. Capital expenditures associated with continuing operations were $9 million, $8 million and $12 million in fiscal 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Commitments and Contingencies
Given our desire to allocate cash flow and revolver availability to fund growth initiatives, we have historically leased most of our facilities and some operating equipment. We lease certain facilities, computers, equipment and vehicles under various operating lease agreements, generally over periods ranging from one to twenty years. Under most arrangements, we pay the property taxes, insurance, maintenance and expenses related to the leased property. Many of our leases include provisions that enable us to renew the leases at contractually agreed rates or, less commonly, based upon market rental rates on the date of expiration of the initial leases.
We had outstanding letters of credit totaling $9 million and $11 million at August 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, the majority of which relate to commercial contracts and self-insured workers' compensation programs.
Additional detail regarding contingencies is included in Note 16, "Commitments and Contingencies" in the notes to the consolidated financial statements, which is incorporated by reference.
Contractual Obligations
Our predominant sources of contractual obligations include the payment of interest and principal on our outstanding line of credit, our operating lease portfolio, certain employee-related benefit plans and agreements with certain suppliers related to the procurement of inventory.
The timing of principal payments associated with our revolving line of credit are disclosed in Note 7, "Debt" in the notes to the consolidated financial statements. We pay interest monthly based on prevailing interest rates at the time and the balance outstanding on our revolving line of credit.
Our lease contracts are primarily for real estate leases, vehicle leases, IT and manufacturing leases, information technology services and telecommunications services. See Note 10, "Leases" in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for future minimum lease payments associated with our lease portfolio.
We have long-term obligations related to our deferred compensation, pension and postretirement plans that are summarized in Note 11, “Employee Benefit Plans” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.
As part of our global sourcing strategy, we have entered into agreements with certain suppliers that require the supplier to maintain minimum levels of inventory to support certain products for which we require a short lead time to fulfill customer orders. We have the ability to notify the supplier that they no longer need to maintain the minimum level of inventory should we discontinue manufacturing a product during the contract period; however, we must purchase the remaining minimum
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inventory levels the supplier was required to maintain within a defined period of time. These contracts allow for us to terminate with appropriate notice so long as we utilize the remaining inventory on hand at the supplier and there are no overall minimum volumes in these contracts other than what the supplier is required to maintain on hand at any given point in time.
Critical Accounting Estimates
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with US GAAP. This requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and related disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following estimates are considered by management to be the most critical in understanding judgments involved in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements and uncertainties that could impact our results of operations, financial position and cash flow.
Accounts receivable, net: Accounts receivable, net is recorded based on the contractual value of our accounts receivable, net of an estimated allowance for doubtful accounts representing management’s best estimate of the amount of receivables that are not probable of collection. Accounts receivable, net was $98 million as of August 31, 2023 , which is net of a $17 million allowance for doubtful accounts. Our customer base generally consists of financially reputable distributors, agents, OEMs, and other customers with whom we have long standing relationships, and historically we have not experienced significant write off of accounts receivables as a percentage of our annual net sales (accounts receivable written off as a percentage of net sales was less than 0.5% for each the years ended August 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectivel y). As of August 31, 2023, the Company was exposed to a concentration of credit risk with an agent as a result of its continued payment delinquency. During the year ended August 31, 2022, the Company recorded through bad debt expense (included in SG&A expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings) a reserve of $13 million for this agent based on the consideration of the factors listed below, which fully reserves for this agent's outstanding account receivable balance. The allowance for doubtful accounts for this particular agent remained unchanged as of August 31, 2023 and continues to represent management's best estimate of the amount probable of collection and considers various factors with respect to this matter, including, but not limited to, (i) the lack of payment by the agent since the fiscal quarter ended February 28, 2021, (ii) our due diligence on balances due to the agent from its end customers related to sales of our services and products and the known markup on those sales from the agent to end customer, (iii) the status of ongoing negotiations with the agent to secure payments and (iv) legal recourse available to secure payment. Actual collections from the agent may differ from the Company's estimate.
Inventories: Inventory cost is determined using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method for a portion of U.S. owned inventory (approximately 48% and 52% of total inventories at August 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively). If the LIFO method were not used, inventory balances would be higher than amounts presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheet by $18 million and $19 million at August 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We perform an analysis on historical sales usage of individual inventory items on hand and record a reserve to adjust inventory cost to net realizable value, if necessary. The inventory valuation assumptions used are based on historical experience. We believe that such estimates are made based on consistent and appropriate methods; however, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Goodw ill and Indefinite-lived intangibles:
Goodwill Impairment Review and Estimates: A considerable amount of management judgment is required in performing the impairment tests, principally in determining the fair value of each reporting unit and the indefinite-lived intangible assets. While we believe our judgments and ass umptions are reasonable, different assumptions could change the estimated fair values and, therefore, impairment charges could be required. Significant negative industry or economic trends, disruptions to the Company's business, loss of significant customers, inability to effectively integrate acquired businesses, unexpected significant changes or planned changes in use of the assets or in entity structure and divestitures may adversely impact the assumptions used in the valuations and ultimately result in future impairment charges.
In estimating the fair value of a reporting unit, we generally use a discounted cash flow model, which calculates fair value as the sum of the projected discounted cash flows over a discrete six-year period plus an estimated terminal value. Significant assumptions include forecasted revenues, operating profit margins, and discount rates applied to the future cash flows based on the respective reporting unit's estimated weighted average cost of capital. In certain circumstances, we also may review a market approach in which a trading multiple is applied to either forecasted EBITDA (earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) or anticipated proceeds of the reporting unit to arrive at the estimated fair value. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded. The estimated fair value represents the amount we believe a reporting unit could be bought or sold for in a current transaction between willing parties on an arms-length basis.
Fiscal 2023 Impairment Charges : The fiscal 2023 annual review of reporting units performed in the fourth quarter did not result in an impairment. All reporting units exceeded the carrying value by more than 65%.
Fiscal 2022 Impairment Charges : In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, in conjunction with our annual goodwill impairment assessment, we recorded a $1 million goodwill impairment charge associated with the Cortland Industrial reporting unit. All other reporting units exceeded the carrying value by more than 60%.
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Indefinite-lived intangibles (tradenames): Indefinite-lived intangible assets are also subject to annual impairment testing. On an annual basis or more frequently if a triggering event occurs, the fair value of indefinite-lived intangible assets, based on a relief of royalty valuation approach, are evaluated to determine if an impairment charge is required.
No impairment was recorded in fiscal 2023 and no material impairment was recorded in fiscal 2022 as a result of triggering events or the annual impairment review of indefinite-lived intangible assets.
A considerable amount of management judgment is required in performing impairment tests, principally in determining the fair value of each reporting unit and the indefinite-lived intangible assets. While we believe our judgments and assumptions are reasonable, different assumptions, could change the estimated fair values and, therefore, future additional impairment charges could be required. Prolonged weakening industry or economic trends, disruptions to our business, loss of significant customers, inability to effectively integrate acquired businesses, unexpected significant changes or planned changes in the use of the assets or in entity structure and divestitures may adversely impact the assumptions used in the valuations and ultimately result in future impairment charges.
Business Combinations and Purchase Accounting: Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting, and accordingly, the assets and liabilities of the acquired business are recorded at their respective fair values. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value is recorded as goodwill. Assigning fair market values to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of an acquisition requires knowledge of current market values and the values of assets in use, and often requires the application of judgment regarding estimates and assumptions. While the ultimate responsibility resides with management, for certain acquisitions we retain the services of certified valuation specialists to assist with assigning estimated values to certain acquired assets and assumed liabilities, including intangible assets and tangible long-lived assets. Acquired intangible assets, excluding goodwill, are valued using discounted cash flow methodology based on future cash flows specific to the type of intangible asset purchased. This methodology incorporates various estimates and assumptions, the most significant being projected revenue growth rates, profit margins and forecasted cash flows based on discount rates and terminal growth rates.
Defined Benefit Plans: We provide a variety of benefits to employees and former employees including, in some cases, pensions and postretirement health care. Plan assets and obligations are recorded based on an August 31 measurement date utilizing various actuarial assumptions such as discount rates, assumed rates of return on plan assets and health care cost trend rates. We determine the discount rate assumptions by referencing high-quality, long-term bond rates that are matched to the duration of our benefit obligations, with appropriate consideration of local market factors, participant demographics and benefit payment forecasts. At August 31, 2023 and 2022, the discount rates on domestic benefit plans were 5.4% and 4.8%, respectively. In estimating the expected return on plan assets, we consider historical returns, forward-looking considerations, inflation assumptions and the asset-allocation strategy in investing such assets. Domestic benefit plan assets consist primarily of participating units in mutual funds with equity based strategies, mutual funds with fixed income based strategies, and U.S treasury securities. The expected return on domestic benefit plan assets was 5.7% and 5.45% for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. A 25 basis point change in the assumptions for the discount rate or expected return on plan assets would not have materially changed the fiscal 2023 domestic benefit plan expense.
We review actuarial assumptions on an annual basis and make modifications based on current rates and trends, when appropriate. As required by US GAAP, the effects of any modifications are recorded currently or amortized over future periods. Based on information provided by independent actuaries and other relevant sources, we believe that the assumptions used are reasonable; however, changes in these assumptions could impact our financial position, results of operations or cash flow. See Note 11, “Employee Benefit Plans” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion.
Income Taxes: J udgment is required to determine the annual effective income tax rate, deferred tax assets and liabilities, reserves for unrecognized tax benefits and any valuation allowances recorded against net deferred tax assets. Our effective income tax rate is based on annual income, statutory tax rates, tax planning opportunities available in the various jurisdictions in which we operate and other adjustments. Our annual effective income tax rate includes the impact of discrete income tax matters including adjustments to reserves for uncertain tax positions and the benefits of various income tax planning activities. Tax regulations require items to be included in our tax returns at different times than these same items are reflected in our consolidated financial statements. As a result, the effective income tax rate in our consolidated financial statements differs from that reported in our tax returns. Some of these differences are permanent, such as expenses that are not tax deductible, while others are temporary differences, such as amortization and depreciation expenses.
Temporary differences create deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. We establish valuation allowances for our deferred tax assets when the amount of expected future taxable income is not large enough to utilize the entire deduction or credit. Relevant factors in determining the realizability of deferred tax assets include future taxable income, the expected timing of the reversal of temporary differences, tax planning strategies and the expiration dates of the various tax attributes.
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