Note 5 - Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Notes to Financial Statements

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]

5. Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Commodities

The Company is exposed to price fluctuations in commodities including steel, copper and aluminum; and periodically utilizes commodity derivatives to mitigate the impact of these potential price fluctuations on its financial results. These derivatives typically have maturities of less than eighteen months. At December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company had no commodity contracts outstanding.

Because these contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting, the related gains and losses are recorded in cost of goods sold in the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Net pre-tax gains (losses) recognized were $(174), $(874), and $377 for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

Foreign Currencies

The Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange risk as a result of transactions denominated in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar. The Company periodically utilizes foreign currency forward purchase and sales contracts to manage the volatility associated with certain foreign currency purchases and sales in the normal course of business. Contracts typically have maturities of twelve months or less. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company had forty-three and forty foreign currency contracts outstanding, respectively.

Because these contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting, the related gains and losses are recorded in "other, net" in the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Net pre-tax gains (losses) recognized for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017 were $(1,195), $(653), and $697, respectively.

Interest Rate Swaps

In 2017, the Company entered into twenty interest rate swap agreements. In December 2019, in conjunction with the amendment to its term loan, the Company amended those interest rate swaps to remove the LIBOR floor, which also resulted in minor reductions to the future dated swap fixed rates. The Company formally documented all relationships between interest rate hedging instruments and the related hedged items, as well as its risk-management objectives and strategies for undertaking these hedge transactions. These interest rate swap agreements qualify as cash flow hedges and therefore, the effective portions of the gains or losses are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss (AOCL) in the consolidated balance sheets. The amount of gains (losses) recognized for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018, and 2017 were $(13,855), $2,924, and $3,712, respectively. The cash flows of the swaps are recognized as adjustments to interest expense each period. The ineffective portions of the derivatives’ changes in fair value, if any, are immediately recognized in earnings.

Fair Value

The following table presents the fair value of the Company’s derivatives:

	December 31, 2019			December 31, 2018
Commodity contracts	$	6		$	(160	)
Foreign currency contracts		31			(117	)
Interest rate swaps		(10,425	)		8,307

The fair value of the commodity and foreign currency contracts are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets, and the fair value of the interest rate swaps are included in other accrued liabilities and other long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019. The fair value of the commodity and foreign currency contracts are included in other accrued liabilities, and the fair value of the interest rate swaps are included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018. Excluding the impact of credit risk, the fair value of the derivative contracts as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 is a liability of $10,588 and an asset of $8,220, respectively, which represents the amount the Company would pay or receive upon exit of the agreements on those dates.