Note 12 - Financial Instruments

3 Months Ended

Feb. 29, 2020

Notes to Financial Statements

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]

Note 12: Financial Instruments

Overview

As a result of being a global enterprise, our earnings, cash flows and financial position are exposed to foreign currency risk from foreign currency denominated receivables and payables.

We use foreign currency forward contracts, cross-currency swaps, and interest rate swaps to manage risks associated with foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. We do not hold derivative financial instruments of a speculative nature or for trading purposes. We record derivatives as assets and liabilities on the balance sheet at fair value. Changes in fair value are recognized immediately in earnings unless the derivative qualifies and is designated as a hedge. Cash flows from derivatives are classified in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows in the same category as the cash flows from the items subject to designated hedge or undesignated (economic) hedge relationships. The company evaluates hedge effectiveness at inception and on an ongoing basis. If a derivative is no longer expected to be effective, hedge accounting is discontinued. Hedge ineffectiveness, if any, is recorded in earnings.

We are exposed to credit risk in the event of nonperformance of counterparties for foreign currency forward exchange contracts and interest rate swap agreements. We select investment-grade multinational banks and financial institutions as counterparties for derivative transactions and monitor the credit quality of each of these banks on a periodic basis as warranted. We do not anticipate nonperformance by any of these counterparties, and valuation allowances, if any, are de minimis.

Cash Flow Hedges

As of February 29, 2020, we had the following cash flow hedges: 1) six cross-currency swap agreements effective October 20, 2017 to convert a notional amount of $401,200 of foreign currency denominated intercompany loans into U.S. dollars and maturing in 2021 and 2022 and 2) one cross-currency swap agreement effective February 24, 2017 to convert a notional amount of $42,600 of foreign currency denominated intercompany loans into U.S. dollars and maturing on October 7, 2020.

As of February 29, 2020, the combined fair value of the swaps was an asset of $31,332 and was included in other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The swaps were designated as cash flow hedges for accounting treatment.  The lesser amount between the cumulative change in the fair value of the actual swaps and the cumulative change in the fair value of hypothetical swaps is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and in other net cash provided by operating activities in the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The differences between the cumulative change in the fair value of the actual swaps and the cumulative change in the fair value of hypothetical swaps are recorded as other income (expense), net in the Consolidated Statements of Income. In a perfectly effective hedge relationship, the two fair value calculations would exactly offset each other. Any difference in the calculation represents hedge ineffectiveness. The amount in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) related to cross-currency swaps was a gain of $6,407 as of February 29, 2020. The estimated net amount of the existing gain that is reported in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as of February 29, 2020 that is expected to be reclassified into earnings within the next twelve months is $2,848. As of February 29, 2020, we do not believe any gains or losses will be reclassified into earnings as a result of the discontinuance of these cash flow hedges because the original forecasted transaction will not occur.

The following table summarizes the cross-currency swaps outstanding as of February 29, 2020:

	Fiscal Year of Expiration		Interest Rate		Notional Value		Fair Value
Pay EUR		2020		1.95%	$	42,600	$	(1,396	)
Receive USD				4.3038%
Pay EUR		2021		2.75%	$	133,340	$	10,214
Receive USD				4.9330%
Pay EUR		2022		3.00%	$	267,860	$	22,514
Receive USD				5.1803%
Total					$	443,800	$	31,332

On March 9, 2018, we entered into an interest rate swap agreement to convert $100,000 of our $2,150,000 Term Loan B issued on October 20, 2017 to a fixed interest rate of 4.490 percent. On February 27, 2018, we entered into an interest rate swap agreement to convert $200,000 of our $2,150,000 Term Loan B to a fixed interest rate of 4.589 percent. On October 20, 2017, we entered into interest rate swap agreements to convert $1,050,000 of our $2,150,000 Term Loan B to a fixed interest rate of 4.0275 percent. The combined fair value of the interest rate swaps in total was a liability of $29,537 at February 29, 2020 and was included in other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The swaps were designated for hedge accounting treatment as cash flow hedges. We are applying the hypothetical derivative method to assess hedge effectiveness for these interest rate swaps. Changes in the fair value of a hypothetically perfect swap with terms that match the critical terms of our $1,350,000 variable rate Term Loan B are compared with the change in the fair value of the swaps.

On April 23, 2018, we amended our Term Loan B Credit Agreement to reduce the interest rate from LIBOR plus 2.25 percent to LIBOR plus 2.00 percent. Fixed interest rates related to swap agreements disclosed have been updated to reflect the amendment.

The amounts of pretax gains (losses) recognized in Comprehensive Income related to derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges are as follows:

	Three Months Ended
	February 29, 2020			March 2, 2019
Cross-currency swap contracts	$	4,746		$	4,284
Interest rate swap contracts		(11,900	)		(15,259	)

Fair Value Hedges

On February 14, 2017, we entered into interest rate swap agreements to convert $150,000 of our $300,000 Public Notes that were issued on February 14, 2017 to a variable interest rate of 1-month LIBOR plus 1.86 percent. The combined fair value of the interest rate swaps in total was an asset of $11,122 at February 29, 2020, and was included in other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The swaps were designated for hedge accounting treatment as fair value hedges. We are applying the hypothetical derivative method to assess hedge effectiveness for these interest rate swaps. Changes in the fair value of a hypothetically perfect swap with terms that match the critical terms of our $150,000 fixed rate Public Notes are compared with the change in the fair value of the swaps.

Derivatives Not Designated As Hedging Instruments

The company uses foreign currency forward contracts to offset its exposure to the change in value of certain foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities held at foreign subsidiaries that are remeasured at the end of each period. Although the contracts are effective economic hedges, they are not designated as accounting hedges. Foreign currency forward contracts are recorded as assets and liabilities on the balance sheet at fair value. Changes in the value of these derivatives are recognized immediately in earnings, thereby offsetting the current earnings effect of the related foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities. See Note 13 for fair value amounts of these derivative instruments.

As of February 29, 2020, we had forward foreign currency contracts maturing between March 2, 2020 and January 19, 2021. The mark-to-market effect associated with these contracts was largely offset by the underlying transaction gains and losses resulting from the foreign currency exposures for which these contracts relate.

The amounts of pretax gains (losses) recognized in other income, net related to derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments for the three months ended February 29, 2020 and March 2, 2019 were $3,230 and $4,076, respectively.

Concentrations of credit risk with respect to trade accounts receivable are limited due to the large number of entities in the customer base and their dispersion across many different industries and countries. As of February 29, 2020, there were no significant concentrations of credit risk.