Capital Stock and Share Repurchase

3 Months Ended

Nov. 30, 2023

Note 11. Earnings per Share and Shareholders' Equity

The Company's Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of shares of the Company's common stock under publicly announced share repurchase programs. Since the inception of the initial share repurchase program in fiscal 2012, the Company has repurchased 29,727,622 shares of common stock for $826.6 million. The Company suspended the initial share repurchase program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the third quarter of fiscal 2020. In March 2022, the Company's Board of Directors rescinded its prior share repurchase authorization and approved a new share repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of a total of 10,000,000 shares of the Company's outstanding common stock. The Company repurchased 954,907 shares for $26.1 million in the three months ended November 30, 2023 and did not repurchase shares in the three months ended November 30, 2022. As of November 30, 2023, the maximum number of shares that may yet be purchased under the program is 3,071,608 shares.

The reconciliation between basic and diluted earnings per share is as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):


	Three Months Ended November 30,
	2023		2022
Numerator:
Net earnings from continuing operations	$	18,305	$	6,409
Net (loss) earnings from discontinued operations	(567)		1,044
Net earnings	$	17,738	$	7,453

Denominator:
Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic	54,527		56,886
Net effect of dilutive securities - stock based compensation plans	481		431
Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted	55,008		57,317

Earnings per share from continuing operations:
Basic	$	0.34	$	0.11
Diluted	$	0.33	$	0.11

(Loss) earnings per share from discontinued operations:
Basic	$	(0.01)	$	0.02
Diluted	$	(0.01)	$	0.02

Earnings per share:*
Basic	$	0.33	$	0.13
Diluted	$	0.32	$	0.13

Anti-dilutive securities from stock based compensation plans (excluded from earnings per share calculation)	312		818

*The total of Earnings per share from continuing operations and (Loss) earnings per share from discontinued operations may not equal Earnings per share due to rounding.

The following table illustrates the changes in the balances of each component of shareholders' equity for the three months ended November 30, 2023 (in thousands):


	Common Stock			Additional Paid-in Capital		Treasury Stock		Retained Earnings		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss		Stock Held in Trust		Deferred Compensation Liability		Total Shareholders’ Equity
	Issued Shares	Amount
Balance at August 31, 2023	83,761	$	16,752	$	220,472	$	(800,506)	$	1,011,112	$	(121,210)	$	(3,484)	$	3,484	$	326,620
Net earnings	—	—		—		—		17,738		—		—		—		17,738
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax	—	—		—		—		—		370		—		—		370
Stock contribution to employee benefit plans and other	2	—		51		—		—		—		—		—		51
Vesting of equity awards	118	23		(23)		—		—		—		—		—		—
Cash dividend ($0.04 per share) true-up	—	—		—		—		21		—		—		—		21
Treasury stock repurchases	—	—		—		(26,116)		—		—		—		—		(26,116)
Stock based compensation expense	—	—		2,717		—		—		—		—		—		2,717
Stock option exercises	83	17		2,193		—		—		—		—		—		2,210
Tax effect related to net share settlement of equity awards	—	—		(2,025)		—		—		—		—		—		(2,025)
Stock issued to, acquired for and distributed from rabbi trust	3	1		89		—		—		—		(92)		92		90
Balance at November 30, 2023	83,967	$	16,793	$	223,474	$	(826,622)	$	1,028,871	$	(120,840)	$	(3,576)	$	3,576	$	321,676

The following table illustrates the changes in the balances of each component of shareholders' equity for the three months ended November 30, 2022 (in thousands):


	Common Stock			Additional Paid-in Capital		Treasury Stock		Retained Earnings		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss		Stock Held in Trust		Deferred Compensation Liability		Total Shareholders’ Equity
	Issued Shares	Amount
Balance at August 31, 2022	83,397	$	16,679	$	212,986	$	(742,844)	$	966,751	$	(134,961)	$	(3,209)	$	3,209	$	318,611
Net earnings	—	—		—		—		7,453		—		—		—		7,453
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	—	—		—		—		—		6,024		—		—		6,024
Stock contribution to employee benefit plans and other	3	1		41		—		—		—		—		—		42
Vesting of equity awards	84	17		(17)		—		—		—		—		—		—
Stock based compensation expense	—	—		2,155		—		—		—		—		—		2,155
Stock option exercises	42	8		922		—		—								930
Tax effect related to net share settlement of equity awards	—	—		(969)		—		—		—		—		—		(969)
Stock issued to, acquired for and distributed from rabbi trust	3	1		76		—		—		—		(30)		30		77
Balance at November 30, 2022	83,529	$	16,706	$	215,194	$	(742,844)	$	974,204	$	(128,937)	$	(3,239)	$	3,239	$	334,323