Common Unit Repurchase Plans and Retirement

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Equity [Abstract]

Common Unit Repurchase Plans and Retirement

4) Common Unit Repurchase and Retirement

In July 2012, the Board adopted a plan to repurchase certain of the Company’s Common Units that was amended in fiscal 2018 (the “Repurchase Plan”).  Under the Repurchase Plan, as amended, the Board authorized the repurchase of 10.9 million Common Units, of which, 8.4 million were available for the Company to repurchase in open market transactions, and 2.5 million were available for repurchase in privately-negotiated transactions.  As of the end of the first fiscal quarter of 2019, the Company repurchased approximately 6.1 million Common Units in open market transactions under the Repurchase Plan and 4.8 million total Common Units remain available for repurchase.  There is no guarantee of the exact number of units that will be purchased under the program and the Company may discontinue purchases at any time. The program does not have a time limit. The Board may also approve additional purchases of units from time to time in private transactions. The Company’s repurchase activities take into account SEC safe harbor rules and guidance for issuer repurchases. All of the Common Units purchased in the repurchase program will be retired.

Under the Company’s fourth amended and restated credit agreement dated July 2, 2018, in order to repurchase Common Units we must maintain Availability (as defined in the amended and restated credit agreement) of $45 million, 15.0% of the facility size of $300 million (assuming the non-seasonal aggregate commitment is outstanding) on a historical pro forma and forward-looking basis, and a fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than 1.15 measured as of the date of repurchase.  The Company was in compliance with this covenant as of December 31, 2018.

The following table shows repurchases under the Repurchase Plan.

(in thousands, except per unit amounts) Period	Total Number of Units Purchased		Average Price Paid per Unit (a)		Total Number of Units Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs		Maximum Number of Units that May Yet Be Purchased
Fiscal year 2012 to 2018 total		7,937	$	7.11		5,493		5,359
October 2018		151	$	9.70		151		5,208
November 2018		182	$	9.71		182		5,026
December 2018		266	$	9.41		266		4,760
First quarter fiscal year 2019 total		599	$	9.57		599		4,760
January 2019		516	$	9.39		516		4,244	(b)

(a) Amount includes repurchase costs.

(b) Of the total available for repurchase, approximately 1.7 million are available for repurchase in open market transactions and 2.5 million are available for repurchase in privately-negotiated transactions.