The Company utilizes derivative instruments to reduce its exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices, foreign exchange rates and interest, under established procedures and controls. The Company does not enter into derivative contracts for speculative purposes. The Company’s agreements are with creditworthy financial institutions and the Company anticipates performance by counterparties to these contracts and therefore no material loss is expected.

The Company enters into lead forward contracts to fix the price for a portion of its lead purchases. Management considers the lead forward contracts to be effective against changes in the cash flows of the underlying lead purchases. The vast majority of such contracts are for a period not extending beyond one year. At December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2023, the Company has hedged the price to purchase approximately 52.5 million pounds and 50.0 million pounds of lead, respectively, for a total purchase price of $50,609 and $47,921, respectively.

The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts and options to hedge a portion of the Company’s foreign currency exposures for lead, as well as other foreign currency exposures so that gains and losses on these contracts offset changes in the underlying foreign currency denominated exposures. The vast majority of such contracts are for a period not extending beyond one year. As of December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2023, the Company had entered into a total of $51,146 and $45,823, respectively, of such contracts.

The Company is exposed to changes in variable interest rates on borrowings under our credit agreement. On a selective basis, from time to time, it enters into interest rate swap agreements to reduce the negative impact that increases in interest rates could have on our outstanding variable rate debt. At December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2023 such agreements effectively convert $200,000 of our variable-rate debt to a fixed-rate basis, utilizing the one-month term SOFR, as a floating rate reference. Fluctuations in SOFR and fixed rates affect both our net financial investment position and the amount of cash to be paid or received by us under these agreements.

On December 23, 2021, the Company entered into cross currency fixed interest rate swap agreements, with aggregate notional amounts of $300,000, to hedge its net investments in foreign operations against future volatility in the exchange rates between U.S. Dollars and Euros. On September 29, 2022, the Company terminated its $300,000 cross-currency fixed interest rate swap contracts, originally entered into on December 23, 2021, and received a net settlement of $43,384. The cash proceeds have been included in Proceeds from termination of net investment hedges in our Consolidated Condensed Statements of Cash Flows.

On September 29, 2022, the Company entered into cross-currency fixed interest rate swap contracts with an aggregate notional amount of $150,000, maturing on December 15, 2027. The cross-currency fixed interest rate swap contracts qualify for hedge accounting as a net investment hedging instrument, which allows for them to be remeasured to foreign currency translation adjustment within AOCI (“Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income”) to offset the translation risk from those investments. Balances in the foreign currency translation adjustment accounts remain until the sale or substantially complete liquidation of the foreign entity, upon which they are recognized as a component of other income (expense).

In the coming twelve months, the Company anticipates that $1,229 of pretax (gain) relating to lead, foreign currency forward contracts and net investment hedges will be reclassified from AOCI as part of cost of goods sold and interest expense. This amount represents the current net unrealized impact of hedging lead, foreign exchange rates and interest rates, which will change as market rates change in the future. This amount will ultimately be realized in the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income as an offset to the corresponding actual changes in lead, foreign exchange rates and interest costs resulting from variable lead cost, foreign exchange and interest rates hedged.

The Company also enters into foreign currency forward contracts to economically hedge foreign currency fluctuations on intercompany loans and foreign currency denominated receivables and payables. These are not designated as hedging instruments and changes in fair value of these instruments are recorded directly in the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income. As of December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2023, the notional amount of these contracts was $65,699 and $102,558, respectively.

Presented below in tabular form is information on the location and amounts of derivative fair values in the Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets and derivative gains and losses in the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income:


	Derivatives and Hedging Activities Designated as Cash Flow Hedges				Derivatives and Hedging Activities Designated as Net Investment Hedges				Derivatives and Hedging Activities Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
	December 31, 2023		March 31, 2023		December 31, 2023		March 31, 2023		December 31, 2023		March 31, 2023
Prepaid and other current assets:
Lead forward contracts	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Foreign currency forward contracts	—		723		—		—		—		200
Net investment hedges	—		—		—		—		—		—
Other assets:
Interest rate swaps	113		—		—		—		—		—
Net investment hedges	—		—		—		—		—		—
Total assets	$	113	$	723	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	200
Accrued expenses:
Lead forward contracts	$	1,532	$	89	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Foreign currency forward contracts	298		—		—		—		262		—
Other liabilities:
Interest rate swaps	—		1,162		—		—		—		—
Net investment hedges	—		—		23,176		15,760		—		—
Total liabilities	$	1,830	$	1,251	$	23,176	$	15,760	$	262	$	—


Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedges	Pretax Gain (Loss) Recognized in AOCI on Derivative (Effective Portion)		Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	Pretax Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)
Lead forward contracts	$	(2,403)	Cost of goods sold	$	1,312
Foreign currency forward contracts	(90)		Cost of goods sold	410
Interest rate swaps	(2,946)		Interest expense	1,612
Total	$	(5,439)		$	3,334


Derivatives Designated as Net Investment Hedges	Pretax Gain (Loss) Recognized in AOCI on Derivative (Effective Portion)		Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	Pretax Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)
Cross currency fixed interest rate swaps	$	(7,420)	Interest expense	$	796
Total	$	(7,420)		$	796


Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Location of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives	Pretax Gain (Loss)
Foreign currency forward contracts	Other (income) expense, net	$	538
Total		$	538


Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedges	Pretax Gain (Loss) Recognized in AOCI on Derivative (Effective Portion)		Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	Pretax Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)
Lead forward contracts	$	12,278	Cost of goods sold	$	(4,144)
Foreign currency forward contracts	(654)		Cost of goods sold	1,660
Total	$	11,624		$	(2,484)

Derivatives Designated as Net Investment Hedges	Pretax Gain (Loss) Recognized in AOCI on Derivative (Effective Portion)		Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	Pretax Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)
Cross currency fixed interest rate swaps	$	(10,526)	Interest expense	$	360
Total	$	(10,526)		$	360


Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Location of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivatives	Pretax Gain (Loss)
Foreign currency forward contracts	Other (income) expense, net	$	1,856
Total		$	1,856


Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedges	Pretax Gain (Loss) Recognized in AOCI on Derivative (Effective Portion)		Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	Pretax Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)
Lead forward contracts	$	(25)	Cost of goods sold	$	4,860
Foreign currency forward contracts	769		Cost of goods sold	346
Interest rate swaps	3,517		Interest expense	2,242
Total	$	4,261		$	7,448


Derivatives Designated as Net Investment Hedges	Pretax Gain (Loss) Recognized in AOCI on Derivative (Effective Portion)		Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	Pretax Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)
Cross currency fixed interest rate swaps	$	(6,509)	Interest expense	$	908
Total	$	(6,509)		$	908


Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Location of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative	Pretax Gain (Loss)
Foreign currency forward contracts	Other (income) expense, net	$	(666)
Total		$	(666)


Derivatives Designated as Cash Flow Hedges	Pretax Gain (Loss) Recognized in AOCI on Derivative (Effective Portion)		Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	Pretax Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)
Lead forward contracts	$	1,750	Cost of goods sold	$	(5,342)
Foreign currency forward contracts	1,962		Cost of goods sold	2,931
Total	$	3,712		$	(2,411)


Derivatives Designated as Net Investment Hedges	Pretax Gain (Loss) Recognized in AOCI on Derivative (Effective Portion)		Location of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)	Pretax Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Effective Portion)
Cross currency fixed interest rate swaps	$	30,092	Interest expense	$	3,283
Total	$	30,092		$	3,283


Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	Location of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income on Derivative	Pretax Gain (Loss)
Foreign currency forward contracts	Other (income) expense, net	$	1,383
Total		$	1,383