Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
You should read the following discussion in conjunction with the accompanying interim Consolidated Financial Statements and notes, the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes in our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Management’s Discussion and Analysis in our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties. Our forward-looking statements express our current expectations or forecasts of possible future results or events, including projections of earnings and other financial performance measures, statements of management’s expectations regarding our strategic, operational and capital allocation plans and objectives, management’s views on industry, economic, competitive, technological and regulatory conditions and other forecasts of trends and other matters. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this filing, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts and often use words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “believe,” “will likely result,” “outlook,” “project,” “may,” “can,” “plan,” “target,” “potential,” “should” and other words and expressions of similar meaning.
No assurance can be given that the expected results in any forward-looking statement will be achieved, and actual results may differ materially due to one or more factors, including the sensitivity of our business to weather conditions; changes in economic conditions, consumer discretionary spending, the housing market, inflation or interest rates; our ability to maintain favorable relationships with suppliers and manufacturers; the extent to which home-centric trends associated with the pandemic will continue to moderate or reverse; competition from other leisure product alternatives or mass merchants; our ability to continue to execute our growth strategies; changes in the regulatory environment; new or additional taxes, duties or tariffs; excess tax benefits or deficiencies recognized under ASU 2016-09 and other risks detailed in our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by our subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
OVERVIEW
Financial Results
Net sales decreased 3% in the third quarter of 2024 to $1.4 billion compared to $1.5 billion in the third quarter of 2023. Base business results approximated consolidated results for the period. Following similar trends from the first half of the year, our third quarter results were anchored by strong sales of non-discretionary maintenance products, while sales of pool construction and discretionary products remained soft compared to the third quarter of 2023. Net sales benefited approximately 2% from one more selling day in the third quarter of 2024 versus the same period in 2023.
Gross profit decreased 3% to $416.4 million in the third quarter of 2024 from $428.7 million in the same period of 2023. Gross margin remained consistent at 29.1% for each of the third quarters of 2024 and 2023.
Increases in our selling and administrative expenses (operating expenses) moderated during the third quarter of 2024, growing 2% to $240.1 million compared to $234.3 million in the third quarter of 2023. Expense increases in the quarter primarily related to inflationary impacts, the expansion of our network and our technology initiatives and were partially offset by lower variable costs and a timing shift of certain expenses from the third quarter of 2024 to the fourth quarter of 2024. As a percentage of net sales, operating expenses increased to 16.8% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to 15.9% in the same period of 2023.
Operating income in the third quarter of 2024 decreased 9% to $176.4 million from $194.4 million in 2023. Operating margin was 12.3% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to 13.2% in the third quarter of 2023.
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net for the third quarter of 2024 decreased $1.2 million compared to the third quarter of 2023, primarily due to a decrease in average debt between periods.
We recorded a $0.5 million tax benefit from Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting , in the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to a tax benefit of $0.4 million realized in the same period of 2023. This resulted in a $0.01 per diluted share tax benefit in the third quarter of 2024 consistent with the $0.01 per diluted share tax benefit realized in the same period of 2023.
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Net income decreased 9% to $125.7 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $137.8 million in the third quarter of 2023. Earnings per diluted share decreased 7% to $3.27 in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $3.51 in the same period of 2023. Without the impact from ASU 2016-09 in both periods, earnings per diluted share decreased 7% to $3.26 compared to $3.50 in the third quarter of 2023. See RESULTS OF OPERATIONS below for definitions of our non-GAAP measures and reconciliations of our non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures.
References to product line and product category data throughout this report generally reflect data related to the North American swimming pool market, as this data is more readily available for analysis and represents the largest component of our operations.
In this Form 10-Q and other of our public disclosures, we estimate the impact that favorable or unfavorable weather had on our operating results. In connection with these estimates, we make several assumptions and rely on various third-party sources. It is possible that others assessing the same data could reach conclusions that differ from ours.
Financial Position and Liquidity
Total net receivables, including pledged receivables, trended in line with net sales activity at September 30, 2024 compared to September 30, 2023. Our days sales outstanding (DSO), as calculated on a trailing four quarters basis, was 26.7 days at September 30, 2024 and 26.3 days at September 30, 2023. Our allowance for doubtful accounts balance was $10.0 million at September 30, 2024 and $10.6 million at September 30, 2023.
Our inventory management efforts reduced our inventory levels compared to September 30, 2023 by $78.8 million, or 6%, to $1.2 billion. Our inventory reserve was $28.6 million at September 30, 2024 and $25.9 million at September 30, 2023. Our inventory turns, as calculated on a trailing four quarters basis, were 2.8 times at September 30, 2024 and 2.6 times at September 30, 2023.
As allowed for companies impacted by Hurricane Francine, we deferred our 2024 third quarter estimated federal tax payment of $42.0 million, which will be paid in February 2025.
Total debt outstanding was $923.8 million at September 30, 2024, down $110.1 million from September 30, 2023, as we have used a portion of operating cash flows to reduce our debt over the past year.
For additional information, see “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below.
Current Trends and Outlook
For a detailed discussion of trends impacting us through 2023, see the Current Trends and Outlook section of Management’s Discussion and Analysis included in Part II, Item 7 of our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We expect sales for the full year of 2024 to decline by approximately 5% from 2023 based on the following factors and assumptions:
• a 15-20% decline in volumes of discretionary products used for swimming pool construction;
• a 10-15% decline in volumes of products used in the remodeling, renovation and upgrading of swimming pools;
• sustained demand for pool maintenance products, although less prominent to our fourth quarter sales mix; and
• inflationary product cost increases of approximately 1%.
As previously disclosed in our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, we expect gross margin for the full year of 2024 to be in line with our long-term outlook of approximately 30.0% . Our a ctual gross margin will depend on amounts and timing of inflationary price increases, product mix and customer mix.
We expect to leverage our existing infrastructure and manage discretionary spending to mitigate inflationary impacts while continuing to invest in our business.
We project that our annual effective tax rate (without the benefit from ASU 2016-09) for 2024 will be aroun d 25.0%. We expect our effective tax rate will fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to ASU 2016-09, particularly in periods when employees elect to exercise their vested stock options or when restrictions on share-based awards lapse. We recorded an $8.3 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, tax benefit from ASU 2016-09 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. We may recognize additional tax benefits related to stock option exercises in 2024 from grants that expire in future years. We have not included any expected tax benefits in our full year guidance beyond what we have recognized as of September 30, 2024.
We expect 2024 diluted EPS in the range of $11.06 to $11.46, including the impact of year-to-date tax benefits of $0.21. We
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expect to continue to use cash for the payment of cash dividends as and when declared by our Board of Directors (Board) and to fund opportunistic share repurchases under our Board-authorized share repurchase program.
The forward-looking statements in the foregoing section and elsewhere in this report are based on current market conditions, speak only as of the filing date of this report, are based on several assumptions and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. See “Cautionary Statement for Forward-Looking Statements.”
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
As of September 30, 2024, we conducted operations through 447 sales centers in North America, Europe and Australia. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, approximately 96% of our net sales were from our operations in North America.
The following table presents information derived from the Consolidated Statements of Income expressed as a percentage of net sales:
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2024 2023 2024 2023
Net sales 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 % 100.0 %
Cost of sales 70.9 70.9 70.3 69.9
Gross profit 29.1 29.1 29.7 30.1
Selling and administrative expenses 16.8 15.9 16.9 15.4
Operating income 12.3 13.2 12.9 14.7
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0
Income before income taxes and equity in earnings 11.4 % 12.3 % 12.0 % 13.7 %
Note: Due to rounding, percentages presented in the table above may not add to Operating income or Income before income taxes and equity in earnings.
We have included the results of operations from acquisitions in 2024 and 2023 in our consolidated results since the acquisition dates.
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Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 Compared to Three Months Ended September 30, 2023
Base Business
When calculating our base business results, we exclude sales centers that are acquired, opened in new markets or closed for a period of 15 months. We also exclude consolidated sales centers when we do not expect to maintain the majority of the existing business and existing sales centers that we consolidate with acquired sales centers.
We generally allocate corporate overhead expenses to excluded sales centers on the basis of their net sales as a percentage of total net sales. After 15 months, we include acquired, consolidated and new market sales centers in the base business calculation including the comparative prior year period.
We have not provided separate base business income statements within this Form 10-Q as our base business results for the three and nine months ending September 30, 2024 closely approximated consolidated results for the same period. Acquired and new market sales centers excluded from base business contributed less than 1% to the change in net sales.
The table below summarizes the changes in our sales center count during the first nine months of 2024:
December 31, 2023 439
Acquired locations 2
New locations 9
Consolidated/closed locations (3)
September 30, 2024 447
Net Sales
Three Months Ended
September 30,
(in millions) 2024 2023 Change
Net sales $ 1,432.9 $ 1,474.4 $ (41.5) (3)%
Net sales of $1.4 billion in the third quarter of 2024 decreased 3% compared to $1.5 billion in the third quarter of 2023. In the third quarter, recurring maintenance product sales remained strong, while spending on larger semi-discretionary items, as well as new pool construction and renovation projects, showed a more measured pace.
The following factors impacted our sales during the quarter and are listed in order of estimated magnitude:
• approximately 2% benefit from one more selling day in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter in 2023;
• stability from maintenance-related activities evidenced by volume growth in chemicals; sales of chemicals increased 2% compared to the third quarter of 2023 and represented 17% of our net sales;
• approximately net 1% benefit from price comprised of a 2% benefit from inflation-driven price increases on equipment, offset by moderate declines in areas like chemical sanitizers and commodities; and
• lower sales volumes due to a decline in pool construction and discretionary spending (see discussion below).
In the third quarter of 2024, sales of equipment, which is used across maintenance, renovation and new construction and includes swimming pool heaters, pumps, lights, filters and automation, grew 1% versus the same period last year, and collectively represented approximately 29% of net sales for the period. Sales of building materials, which are primarily used in new construction and remodeling, decreased 9% compared to the third quarter of 2023 and represented approximately 11% of net sales in the third quarter of 2024.
Sales to specialty retailers that sell swimming pool supplies and customers who service large commercial installations are included in the appropriate existing product categories, and sales trends in these product categories are reflected in the discussion above. Sales to our retail customers declined by 2% in the third quarter of 2024, as steady maintenance sales during a key seasonal period partially offset ongoing weakness in discretionary demand, compared to the third quarter of 2023. Retail sales represented approximately 14% of our total net sales in the third quarter of 2024. Sales to commercial swimming pool customers remained strong with an increase of 7% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2023 and represented approximately 5% of our net sales for the third quarter of 2024.
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Gross Profit
Three Months Ended
September 30,
(in millions) 2024 2023 Change
Gross profit $ 416.4 $ 428.7 $ (12.3) (3)%
Gross margin 29.1 % 29.1 %
Gross margin remained consistent at 29.1% in both the third quarters of 2024 and 2023. While being affected by unfavorable product and customer mix in the current environment, strategic gross margin-related initiatives and progress on our pricing optimization efforts sustained our gross margin.
Operating Expenses
Three Months Ended
September 30,
(in millions) 2024 2023 Change
Selling and administrative expenses $ 240.1 $ 234.3 $ 5.8 2%
Operating expenses as a % of net sales 16.8 % 15.9 %
Operating expenses increased 2% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2023. Expense growth drivers included inflationary increases, costs associated with opening new locations and investments in our technology initiatives. These increases were partially offset by lower variable costs and a shift of certain expenses from the third quarter of 2024 to the fourth quarter of 2024.
Interest and Other Non-Operating Expenses, Net
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net for the third quarter of 2024 decreased $1.2 million compared to the third quarter of 2023, primarily due to a decrease in average debt between periods. Our weighted average effective interest rate remained unchanged at 5.2% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter of 2023 on average outstanding debt of $946.1 million and $1.0 billion for the respective periods.
Income Taxes
Our effective income tax rate was 23.4% for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to 23.8% for the three months ended September 30, 2023. We recorded a $ 0.5 million tax benefit from ASU 2016-09 in the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to a tax benefit of $ 0.4 million realized in the same period last year. Without the benefit from ASU 2016-09 in both periods, our effective tax rate was 23.7% for the third quarter of 2024 and 24.1% for the third quarter of 2023. Our third quarter effective income tax rate is typically lower compared to other quarters due to the annual expiration of statutes of limitations in the various jurisdictions where we have recorded uncertain tax positions.
Net Income and Earnings Per Share
Net income decreased 9% to $125.7 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $137.8 million in the third quarter of 2023. Earnings per diluted share decreased 7% to $3.27 in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $3.51 in the same period of 2023. Without the impact from ASU 2016-09 in both periods, earnings per diluted share decreased 7% to $3.26 in the third quarter of 2024 compared to $3.50 in the third quarter of 2023. See the reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures below.
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Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 Compared to Nine Months Ended September 30, 2023
Net Sales
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(in millions) 2024 2023 Change
Net sales $ 4,323.5 $ 4,538.5 $ (215.0) (5)%
Net sales for the first nine months of 2024 decreased 5% compared to the same period last year. In the first nine months of 2024, maintenance activities were stable, reflecting steady demand for non-discretionary products, while pool construction and discretionary spending were softer, impacted by current macroeconomic conditions.
The following factors also impacted our sales and are listed in order of estimated magnitude:
• stability from maintenance-related activities evidenced by volume growth in chemicals; sales of chemicals increased 1% compared to the first nine months of 2023 and represented 15% of our net sales;
• approximately 1% benefit from inflationary product cost increases; and
• negative volume impacts from reduced pool construction and discretionary activities (see discussion below).
In the first nine months of 2024, sales of equipment, which is used across maintenance, renovation and new construction and includes swimming pool heaters, pumps, lights, filters and automation, decreased approximately 1% compared to the same period last year and collectively represented 30% of net sales in the first nine months of 2024. Sales of building materials, which are primarily used in new pool construction and remodeling, decreased 10% compared to the first nine months of 2023 and represented approximately 12% of net sales in the first nine months of 2024.
Sales to specialty retailers that sell swimming pool supplies and customers who service large commercial installations are included in the appropriate existing product categories, and sales trends in these areas are reflected in the discussion above. Sales to retail customers decreased 4% in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the first nine months of 2023 and represented approximately 15% of our consolidated net sales. Sales to commercial customers increased 8% in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the first nine months of 2023 and represented approximately 5% of our consolidated net sales in the first nine months of 2024.
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Gross Profit
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(in millions) 2024 2023 Change
Gross profit $ 1,285.1 $ 1,366.3 $ (81.2) (6)%
Gross margin 29.7 % 30.1 %
Gross margin declined 40 basis points to 29.7% in the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to 30.1% in the first nine months of 2023. In the first nine months of 2024, our gross margin was impacted by:
• carrying a large amount of lower cost strategically-purchased inventory in the beginning of 2023 that was successfully reduced to normalized levels by the end of 2023;
• less favorable product and customer mix;
• higher levels of vendor incentives earned versus 2023 due to increased purchasing as compared to the prior year when we were actively reducing inventory levels; and
• a benefit of $12.6 million, or 30 basis points, related to a reduction of estimated import taxes previously recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Operating Expenses
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(in millions) 2024 2023 Change
Selling and administrative expenses $ 728.6 $ 699.0 $ 29.6 4%
Operating expenses as a % of net sales 16.9 % 15.4 %
Operating expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 were up 4% compared to the prior year period. Expense growth drivers included inflationary wage, rent and insurance increases, higher costs associated with the expansion of our network and additions related to our technology initiatives. We partially mitigated these increases with close management of variable costs.
Interest and Other Non-Operating Expenses, Net
Interest and other non-operating expenses, net for the first nine months of 2024 decreased $6.5 million compared to the same period last year, as a decrease in average debt between periods more than offset higher average interest rates. Our weighted average effective interest rate increased to 5.2% from 5.1% for the respective periods on average outstanding debt of $1.0 billion for the first nine months of 2024 versus $1.2 billion for the same period of 2023.
Income Taxes
Our effective income tax rate was 23.2% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to 24.1% for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. We recorded an $8.3 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, tax benefit from ASU 2016-09 in the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to a $5.9 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, tax benefit in the same period of 2023. Without the benefits from ASU 2016-09, our effective tax rate was 24.8% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, and 25.0% for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
Net Income and Earnings Per Share
Net income decreased 16% to $397.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $471.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Earnings per diluted share decreased 14% to $10.30 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, versus $12.00 per diluted share for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Without the impact from ASU 2016-09 in both periods, earnings per diluted share decreased 15% to $10.09 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $11.85 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. See the reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures below.
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Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The non-GAAP measures described below should be considered in the context of all of our other disclosures in this Form 10-Q.
Adjusted Diluted EPS
We have included adjusted diluted EPS, a non-GAAP financial measure, as a supplemental disclosure, because we believe this measure is useful to management, investors and others in assessing our period-to-period operating performance.
Adjusted diluted EPS is a key measure used by management to demonstrate the impact of tax benefits from ASU 2016-09 on our diluted EPS and to provide investors and others with additional information about our potential future operating performance to supplement GAAP measures.
We believe this measure should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, diluted EPS presented in accordance with GAAP, and in the context of our other disclosures in this Form 10-Q. Other companies may calculate this non-GAAP financial measure differently than we do, which may limit its usefulness as a comparative measure.
The table below presents a reconciliation of diluted EPS to adjusted diluted EPS.
(Unaudited) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2024 2023 2024 2023
Diluted EPS $ 3.27 $ 3.51 $ 10.30 $ 12.00
ASU 2016-09 tax benefit (0.01) (0.01) (0.21) (0.15)
Adjusted diluted EPS $ 3.26 $ 3.50 $ 10.09 $ 11.85
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Seasonality and Quarterly Fluctuations
Our business is seasonal. In general, sales and operating income are highest during the second and third quarters, which represent the peak months of both swimming pool use and installation and irrigation and landscape installations and maintenance. Sales are lower during the first and fourth quarters. In 2023, we generated approximately 60% of our net sales and 70% of our operating income in the second and third quarters of the year.
We typically experience a build-up of product inventories and accounts payable during the winter months in anticipation of the peak selling season. Excluding borrowings to finance acquisitions and share repurchases, our peak borrowing usually occurs during the second quarter, primarily because extended payment terms offered by our suppliers typically are payable in April, May and June, while our peak accounts receivable collections typically occur in June, July and August.
The following table presents certain unaudited quarterly income statement and balance sheet data for the most recent eight quarters to illustrate seasonal fluctuations in these amounts. We believe this information reflects all normal and recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of this data. The results of any one or more quarters are not necessarily a good indication of results for an entire fiscal year or of continuing future trends for a variety of reasons, including the seasonal nature of our business and the impact of new and acquired sales centers.
(Unaudited) QUARTER
(in thousands) 2024 2023 2022
Third Second First Fourth Third Second First Fourth
Statement of Income Data
Net sales $ 1,432,879 $ 1,769,784 $ 1,120,810 $ 1,003,050 $ 1,474,407 $ 1,857,363 $ 1,206,774 $ 1,095,920
Gross profit 416,403 530,141 338,560 293,775 428,731 567,783 369,755 315,731
Operating income 176,353 271,481 108,720 79,344 194,443 327,009 145,771 107,295
Net income 125,701 192,439 78,885 51,437 137,843 232,250 101,699 71,863
Balance Sheet Data
Total receivables, net $ 425,693 $ 577,529 $ 527,175 $ 342,910 $ 461,582 $ 630,950 $ 564,171 $ 351,448
Product inventories, net 1,180,491 1,295,600 1,496,947 1,365,466 1,259,308 1,392,886 1,686,683 1,591,060
Accounts payable 401,702 515,645 907,806 508,672 429,436 485,100 739,749 406,667
Total debt 923,829 1,116,553 979,177 1,053,320 1,033,897 1,184,586 1,365,750 1,386,803
We expect that our quarterly results of operations will continue to fluctuate depending on the timing and amount of revenue contributed by new and acquired sales centers. Based on our peak summer selling season, we generally open new sales centers and close or consolidate sales centers, when warranted, either in the first quarter before the peak selling season begins or in the fourth quarter after the peak selling season ends.
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Weather is one of the principal external factors affecting our business. The table below presents some of the possible effects resulting from various weather conditions.
Weather Possible Effects
Hot and dry • Increased purchases of chemicals and supplies
for existing swimming pools
• Increased purchases of above-ground pools and
irrigation and lawn care products
Unseasonably cool weather or extraordinary amounts • Fewer pool and irrigation and landscape
of rain installations
• Decreased purchases of chemicals and supplies
• Decreased purchases of impulse items such as
above-ground pools and accessories
Unseasonably early warming trends in spring/late cooling • A longer pool and landscape season, thus positively
trends in fall impacting our sales
(primarily in the northern half of the U.S. and Canada)
Unseasonably late warming trends in spring/early cooling • A shorter pool and landscape season, thus negatively
trends in fall impacting our sales
(primarily in the northern half of the U.S. and Canada)
Weather Impacts on 2024 and 2023 Results
The third quarter of 2024 saw a mix of weather conditions across the continental U.S. Several regions faced notable weather events during the quarter. Tropical weather brought localized flooding and heavy rainfall particularly to the coastal areas of Florida, Louisiana and the Carolinas. Wetter conditions and cooler temperatures in July of 2024, compared to July of 2023, impacted maintenance activities in Texas, a key market, during a prominent selling month. The Northeast and Midwest regions experienced generally warm and dry conditions throughout the quarter, which was favorable for pool-related activities. The West, particularly in California, continued its trend of above-average temperatures and dry conditions, which supported outdoor and construction activities. Collectively, weather conditions in the third quarter of 2024 had a relatively neutral impact on the overall business.
The second quarter of 2024 was marked by precipitation variability across the U.S. with wetter conditions in the central U.S. and Texas and below average precipitation in the western U.S. Maintenance activities benefited from warmer-than-average temperatures across most regions, particularly in June. Overall, mixed weather conditions led to varied impacts across our markets. In contrast, weather conditions in the second quarter of 2023 unfavorably impacted sales due to cooler temperatures across the West through the mid-Atlantic region and the impact of wildfires in Canada.
The first quarter of 2024 was the tenth wettest first quarter on record leading to mixed impacts across our markets, particularly in the month of March, which is seasonally our highest sales month of the first quarter. However, we also observed above-average temperatures during the quarter contributing positively to economic activities in many regions, such as improvement in California during March. The adverse effects of cooler and wetter weather in Florida and the Southeast compared to the first quarter of last year and excessive precipitation in Texas and the Northeast outweighed the positives, resulting in an unfavorable net impact on net sales. In the first quarter of 2023, varied weather conditions had a more pronounced unfavorable impact on net sales due to unusually wet and cold weather in the western U.S., particularly California and Arizona. This wet and cold weather was partially offset by generally favorable conditions in our southern markets, where sales benefited from warmer weather and below-average precipitation.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
We prepare our Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and related disclosures. Management identifies critical accounting estimates as:
• those that require the use of assumptions about matters that are inherently and highly uncertain at the time the estimates are made; and
• those for which changes in the estimates or assumptions, or the use of different estimates and assumptions, could have a material impact on our consolidated results of operations or financial condition.
Management has discussed the development, selection and disclosure of our critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board. For a description of our critical accounting estimates that require us to make the most difficult, subjective or complex judgments, please see our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K. We have not changed any of these policies from those previously disclosed in that report.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements,” included in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q for discussion of recent accounting pronouncements.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Liquidity is defined as the ability to generate adequate amounts of cash to meet short-term and long-term cash needs. We assess our liquidity in terms of our ability to generate cash to fund our operating activities, taking into consideration the seasonal nature of our business. Significant factors which could affect our liquidity include the following:
• cash flows generated from operating activities;
• the adequacy of available bank lines of credit;
• the quality of our receivables;
• acquisitions;
• dividend payments;
• capital expenditures;
• changes in income tax laws and regulations;
• the timing and extent of share repurchases; and
• the ability to attract long-term capital with satisfactory terms.
Our primary capital needs are seasonal working capital obligations, debt repayment obligations and other general corporate initiatives, including acquisitions, opening new sales centers, technology-related investments, dividend payments and share repurchases. Our primary working capital obligations are for the purchase of inventory, payroll, rent, other facility costs and selling and administrative expenses. Our working capital obligations fluctuate during the year, driven primarily by seasonality and the timing of inventory purchases. Our primary sources of working capital are cash from operations supplemented by bank borrowings, which have historically been sufficient to support our growth and finance acquisitions. We have funded our capital expenditures and share repurchases in substantially the same manner.
We prioritize our use of cash based on investing in our business, maintaining a prudent capital structure, including a modest amount of debt, and returning cash to our shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. Our specific priorities for the use of cash are as follows:
• capital expenditures primarily for maintenance and growth of our sales center network, technology-related investments and fleet vehicles;
• inventory and other operating expenses;
• strategic acquisitions executed opportunistically;
• payment of cash dividends as and when declared by our Board;
• repayment of debt to maintain an average total target leverage ratio (as defined below) between 1.5 and 2.0; and
• discretionary repurchases of our common stock under our Board-authorized share repurchase program.
We focus our capital expenditure plans based on the needs of our sales centers. Our capital spending primarily relates to leasehold improvements, delivery and service vehicles and information technology. In recent years, we have increased our investment in technology and automation enabling us to operate more efficiently and better serve our customers.
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Historically, our capital expenditures have averaged roughly 1.0% of net sales. Capital expenditures were 1.1% of net sales in 2023 and 0.7% of net sales in 2022 and 2021. In 2022 and 2021, our capital expenditures as a percentage of net sales were lower than our historical average due to our significant sales growth in those years. Based on management’s current plans, we project capital expenditures for 2024 will be approximately 1.0% to 1.5% of net sales.
Sources and Uses of Cash
The following table summarizes our cash flows (in thousands):
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2024 2023
Provided by operating activities $ 488,619 $ 750,018
Used in investing activities (49,442) (54,506)
Used in financing activities (411,785) (656,835)
Net cash provided by operations decreased to $488.6 million for the first nine months of 2024 from $750.0 million for the first nine months of 2023, impacted by our prior year inventory reduction efforts of $330.9 million during the first nine months of 2023 and lower net income in 2024.
Net cash used in investing activities for the first nine months of 2024 decreased $5.1 million compared to the first nine months of 2023, primarily due to a decrease of $7.1 million in cash used for acquisitions, partially offset by a $3.0 million increase in net capital expenditures.
Net cash used in financing activities was $411.8 million for the first nine months of 2024 compared to $656.8 million for the first nine months of 2023, primarily reflecting $128.4 million of net debt payments in the first nine months of 2024 versus $353.4 million of net debt payments in the first nine months of 2023, partially offset by a $27.7 million decrease in share repurchases and a $9.2 million increase in dividends paid in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
Future Sources and Uses of Cash
To supplement cash from operations as our primary source of working capital, we plan to continue to utilize our three major credit facilities, which are the Third Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Facility (the Credit Facility), the Term Facility (the Term Facility) and the Receivables Securitization Facility (the Receivables Facility). For additional details regarding these facilities, see the summary descriptions below and more complete descriptions in Note 5 of our “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements,” included in Part II, Item 8 in our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Note 5 of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q.
Credit Facility
Our Credit Facility, as recently amended, provides for $1.3 billion in borrowing capacity consisting of an $800.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility and a $500.0 million term loan facility. The Credit Facility also includes an accordion feature permitting us to request one or more incremental term loans or revolving credit family commitment increases up to $250.0 million and sublimits for the issuance of swingline loans and standby letters of credit. We pay interest on revolving and term loan borrowings under the Credit Facility at a variable rate based on the one-month Term SOFR, plus an applicable margin. The term loan requires quarterly amortization payments with all remaining principal due on September 25, 2026. We intend to continue to use the Credit Facility for general corporate purposes, for future share repurchases and to fund future growth initiatives.
Under our Credit Facility, at September 30, 2024, there was $125.0 million of revolving borrowings outstanding, a $468.8 million term loan, $15.1 million of standby letters of credit outstanding and $659.9 million available for borrowing. The weighted average effective interest rate for the Credit Facility as of September 30, 2024, was approximately 4.1%, excluding commitment fees and including the impact of our interest rates swaps.
Term Facility
Our Term Facility provides for $185.0 million in borrowing capacity and matures on December 30, 2026. Proceeds from the Term Facility were used to pay down the Credit Facility in December 2019, adding borrowing capacity for future share repurchases, acquisitions and growth-oriented working capital expansion. We pay interest on borrowings under the Term Facility at a variable rate based on one-month Term SOFR, plus an applicable margin. The Term Facility is repaid in quarterly
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installments of 1.250% of the Term Facility on the last business day of each quarter beginning in the first quarter of 2020 with the final principal repayment due on the maturity date. We may prepay amounts outstanding under the Term Facility without penalty other than interest breakage costs. In June 2023, we made a prepayment on the Term Facility of $45.0 million with $32.4 million applied against the remaining quarterly installments and the remainder applied against the amount due at maturity.
At September 30, 2024, there was $109.9 million outstanding under the Term Facility with a weighted average effective interest rate of 6.1%.
Receivables Securitization Facility
Our two-year accounts receivable securitization facility (the Receivables Facility) offers us a lower-cost form of financing. Under this facility, we can borrow up to $350.0 million between April through August and from $210.0 million to $340.0 million during the remaining months of the year. The Receivables Facility matures on November 1, 2024 and it is our intent to complete a renewal in advance of the current maturity date. We classify the entire outstanding balance as Long-term debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as we intend and have the ability to refinance the obligations on a long-term basis.
The Receivables Facility provides for the sale of certain of our receivables to a wholly-owned subsidiary (the Securitization Subsidiary). The Securitization Subsidiary transfers variable undivided percentage interests in the receivables and related rights to certain third-party financial institutions in exchange for cash proceeds, limited to the applicable funding capacities. Upon payment of the receivables by customers, rather than remitting to the financial institutions the amounts collected, we retain such collections as proceeds for the sale of new receivables until payments become due.
At September 30, 2024, there was $209.3 million outstanding under the Receivables Facility at a weighted average effective interest rate of 5.7%, excluding commitment fees.
Financial Covenants
Financial covenants of the Credit Facility, Term Facility and Receivables Facility include maintenance of a maximum average total leverage ratio and a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio, which are our most restrictive financial covenants. As of September 30, 2024, the calculations of these two covenants are detailed below:
• Maximum Average Total Leverage Ratio . On the last day of each fiscal quarter, our average total leverage ratio must be less than 3.25 to 1.00. Average Total Leverage Ratio is the ratio of the sum of (i) Total Non-Revolving Funded Indebtedness as of such date, (ii) the trailing twelve months (TTM) Average Total Revolving Funded Indebtedness and (iii) the TTM Average Accounts Securitization Proceeds divided by TTM EBITDA (as those terms are defined in the Credit Facility). As of September 30, 2024, our average total leverage ratio equaled 1.41 (compared to 1.42 as of June 30, 2024) and the TTM average total indebtedness amount used in this calculation was $989.5 million.
• Minimum Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio . On the last day of each fiscal quarter, our fixed charge ratio must be greater than or equal to 2.25 to 1.00. Fixed Charge Ratio is the ratio of the TTM EBITDAR divided by TTM Interest Expense paid or payable in cash plus TTM Rental Expense (as those terms are defined in the Credit Facility). As of September 30, 2024, our fixed charge ratio equaled 5.22 (compared to 5.37 as of June 30, 2024) and TTM Rental Expense was $100.3 million.
The Credit Facility and Term Facility limit the declaration and payment of dividends on our common stock to a manner consistent with past practice, provided no default or event of default has occurred and is continuing, or would result from the payment of dividends. We may declare and pay quarterly dividends so long as (i) the amount per share of such dividends is not greater than the most recently publicly announced amount of dividends per share and (ii) our Average Total Leverage Ratio is less than 3.25 to 1.00 both immediately before and after giving pro forma effect to such dividends. Under the Credit Facility and Term Facility, we may repurchase shares of our common stock provided no default or event of default has occurred and is continuing, or would result from the repurchase of shares, and our maximum average total leverage ratio (determined on a pro forma basis) is less than 3.25 to 1.00.
Other covenants in each of our credit facilities include restrictions on our ability to grant liens, incur indebtedness, make investments, merge or consolidate, and sell or transfer assets. Failure to comply with any of our financial covenants or any other terms of our credit facilities could result in, among other things, higher interest rates on our borrowings or the acceleration of the maturities of our outstanding debt.
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Interest Rate Swaps
We utilize interest rate swap contracts and forward-starting interest rate swap contracts to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in variable interest rates for future interest payments on our variable rate borrowings. Interest expense related to the notional amounts under all swap contracts is based on the fixed rates plus the applicable margin on the respective borrowings.
As of September 30, 2024, we had two interest rate swap contracts in place and one forward-starting interest rate swap contract, each of which has the effect of converting our exposure to variable interest rates on a portion of our variable rate borrowings to fixed interest rates. For more information, see Note 4 of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” included in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q.
Compliance and Future Availability
As of September 30, 2024, we were in compliance with all material covenants and financial ratio requirements under our Credit Facility, our Term Facility and our Receivables Facility. We believe we will remain in compliance with all material covenants and financial ratio requirements throughout the next twelve months. For additional information regarding our debt arrangements, see Note 5 of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements,” included in Part II, Item 8 of our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by Note 5 of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements,” included in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-Q.
We believe we have adequate availability of capital to fund present operations and the current capacity to finance any working capital needs that may arise. We continually evaluate potential acquisitions and hold discussions with acquisition candidates. If suitable acquisition opportunities arise that would require financing, we believe that we would have the ability to finance any such transactions.
As of October 24, 2024, $497.0 million remained available to purchase shares of our common stock under our current Board-approved share repurchase program. We expect to repurchase shares on the open market from time to time subject to market conditions. We plan to fund these repurchases with cash provided by operations and borrowings under the above-described credit facilities.
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